Compass Gallery, on Provo’s Center Street, opened in October.

A college town home to more than 35,000 students, Provo has never been short of exciting initiatives. But due to that same demographic—cash-strapped and transient—few last for very long; which can make it hard to create a gallery scene. At the moment, however, Provo seems to be thriving, thanks in part to the recently launched Compass Gallery, which hopes to redefine how art is experienced and supported in Utah County through a thoughtful balance of community-oriented goals and high professional standards. It’s led by Esther Hi’ilani Candari, an accomplished artist with a keen entrepreneurial spirit who hopes the gallery can carve out a distinct space in the cultural landscape.

For almost a decade, Writ and Vision was the heart of Provo’s local art scene. What began as a rare bookstore specializing in Mormon and Latter-day Saint works, Writ and Vision began showing art in 2015 when co-founder Brad Kramer took over full ownership from his partner. For nine years, the bookstore and gallery on Provo’s Center Street served as a hub for the local community, focusing on LDS and LDS-adjacent events and exhibitions. It hosted discussion groups, readings, and showcases, cultivating a space for Latter-day Saints of various backgrounds to connect and engage. Earlier this year, when an online controversy erupted regarding Kramer’s relationships with members of that community, that heart broke.

Esther Hi’ilani Candari, courtesy of Compass Gallery

A native of Hawaii, Candari came to Utah after completing her MFA at Liberty University in Virginia. A sculptor, photographer and painter, she has established a growing reputation for her figurative works that explore themes such as multiracial identity, gender, and the female gaze within religious contexts; but she’s never been content just to be a studio artist. “I’ve always been fascinated by how all the different gears work to make the art world run,” she explains. “Even though my bread and butter is selling paintings, the broader industry has always intrigued me.” A couple of years ago, she decided to buy in to Writ and Vision as a managing partner and by the time the controversy erupted was managing all the exhibitions. The fissures at Writ and Vision’s core forced some hard decisions and she decided to step in and buy Kramer out of some of the business’ assets and salvage what she could.

“I felt pretty strongly that we needed, at bare minimum, a rebrand,” she says.  But she also wanted a new space: “Moving locations was a way to communicate a clean break from the past.”

Finding a location that fit both her artistic aspirations and her budget constraints proved challenging. “Most spaces were either in my budget range and really depressing or outside of my budget range,” she says. Then she came across the space in Provo’s historic Taylor Brothers Building, a few doors east of Writ and Vision.

With its street-facing windows and spacious interior, it was a lucky find, but also an expensive one. It only became within her reach due to a partnership with Faith Matters, a nonprofit organization that fosters conversations within the Latter-day Saint community through podcasts, publications, and events. This collaboration has shaped the gallery’s unique identity, as the space now serves dual purposes: an art gallery and an event venue. “They manage the event side of things, like concerts and interfaith workshops,” Candari explains. “The private, paid events cover their operational costs, while we focus on curating thought-provoking art shows.”

Compass Gallery hosts two shows at a time, with monthly rotations aligned with Provo’s First Friday Art Stroll. This structure ensures regular opportunities for artists to showcase their work while keeping the gallery’s offerings fresh for visitors. The flexibility of the space, which includes mobile walls on wheels, allows for quick adjustments to accommodate various events and exhibitions. “We’re still on a bit of a learning curve,” Candari admits. “But the mobile walls give us a lot of flexibility to host everything from intimate solo shows to larger group exhibitions.”

Shari Lyon’s “Sacred Canopies”

 

The current main exhibition is Shari Lyon’s Sacred Canopies, a series of large and small works that explore the spiritual connection between trees and the divine feminine, using their rooted strength and reaching branches as symbols of nurturing wisdom and power. Inspired by myths, legends, and nature, the paintings delve into the sacred relationship between the natural world and the feminine divine. Nearby, Denise Gasser’s Art After: Reconciling Art and Motherhood embraces interruptions as part of the creative process, capturing the challenges and beauty of balancing art with motherhood. Each 5×7-inch piece is completed in one sitting, documenting the time and cause of interruptions, challenging the notion that motherhood and creativity must be at odds.

The gallery takes a proactive approach to artist submissions, encouraging proposals that align with its focus on cohesive, concept-driven bodies of work. “We review applications every two months,” she explains. “We’re much more interested in strong concepts, either for group shows or individual artists, rather than one-off pieces.”

Candari says Compass Gallery’s mission is to provide a professional platform for both emerging and established artists while fostering community engagement. “I want Compass Gallery to be a place where people come to experience something meaningful, whether they’re artists or art lovers.” She is particularly passionate about supporting rising artists who may find it difficult to break into more competitive markets like Salt Lake City or Park City. “One of my big goals is to hold a high professional bar but still be approachable,” she says. “If artists are offering something good, I want them to feel like they can get their foot in the door quickly.”

This dual commitment to quality and accessibility reflects Candari’s broader vision for the gallery. While Compass Gallery is rooted in Provo, its ethos is expansive, aiming to spark dialogue around spirituality and creativity without being narrowly defined by religious affiliation. “We want to provide art that is thought-provoking and spiritually expansive,” Candari says. “But I don’t want us to be labeled as a ‘religious gallery’ because that comes with a lot of connotations. We’re exploring themes of the spirit, faith, and human experience in a broad and inclusive way.”

In addition to its brick-and-mortar operations, Compass Gallery has leaned into the growing trend of pop-up shows. These temporary exhibitions, often held in partnership with events like Faith Matters’ annual conference, have proven highly successful both artistically and financially. “People are hungry for experiences,” Candari says. “If you can take your products to an experience, you’ll have better results than just being in one location.”

Looking ahead, Candari is optimistic about the gallery’s potential to shape the cultural conversation in Provo and beyond. She sees a generational shift in how people value art, particularly among younger buyers who prioritize handmade, meaningful works over mass-produced items. “I’m seeing a marked interest in the handcrafted among younger millennials and Gen Z,” she notes. “Even college students are carefully budgeting to buy a $100 or $200 piece every now and then. That makes me hopeful for the long-term trajectory of our audience.”

Candari believes the partnership with Faith Matters provides a degree of stability often missing in the volatile world of gallery ownership. “It connects us to a larger conversation that’s really robust right now, especially in the Latter-day Saint space,” she explains. “We’ve seen that investment pay off in projects we’ve collaborated on, like our pop-up shows.”

Still, she remains realistic about the challenges of running a gallery, acknowledging the financial and emotional risks involved. “It’s definitely been an act of faith jumping in,” she admits. “But I feel like there’s room for growth, and I’m excited to see where we can take this.”

The Compass isn’t just a reflection of Candari’s personal vision—it’s part of a broader revitalization of Provo’s art scene. With the JKR Gallery near University Parkway, the new Alma Gallery in Writ and Vision’s former space, and a growing community of artists and patrons, the city is experiencing a cultural renaissance. “I think we’re seeing a shift,” Candari says. “For so long, Utah’s art market has been about the big players in Park City or Salt Lake, but there’s a hunger for something more approachable and community-driven. I think Provo is ready for that.”

Shawn Rossiter

The founder of Artists of Utah and editor of its online magazine, 15 Bytes, Shawn Rossiter has undergraduate degrees in English, French and Italian Literature and studied Comparative Literature in graduate school before pursuing a career in art.