After two years of operating out of a temporary home in Farmington, the Bountiful Davis Art Center (BDAC) has returned to Bountiful’s Main Street, inaugurating their exciting new space on the corner of 100 North with their annual statewide exhibition and a piano marathon.

In 2013, the BDAC moved to the Memorial Courthouse in Farmington because they opted to look for a new home rather than renovate their old space at 745 S. Main. Last year, Bountiful City was able to purchase the 80-year-old Redcon building at 90 North Main, and after considerable renovation costs, shared by the city and BDAC, a new and expanded BDAC opened its doors this spring.  Inside the brick building, original wood floors have been exposed, as have the trusses holding the curved ceiling. Renovations included the addition of an elevator, movable walls, gallery lights and track hanging system. The overall size of the space — 13,000 square feet — is about the same as their previous Main Street location, but the addition of a small raised platform to create a music venue means the center has expanded their programming to include music as well.

“We’re very excited about this space,” says director Emma Dugal. “A lot of people have said it’s one of the best venues in Utah, and we think we can do a lot with what’s here.”

What’s there right now is the center’s annual statewide exhibition, one of its more popular exhibits, which receives entries by artists from all over the Utah. BDAC also recently held an 88-hour piano marathon to raise funds to purchase the Steinway grand they hope will soon grace their new stage. The statewide exhibition fills both floors of the center’s exhibition space, making one gallery out of what is really three: a large one on the main floor, with moveable walls to adapt to the needs of different exhibitions; an adjacent alcove that could either be part of a larger exhibition or a small one unto itself; and a downstairs space that provides ample room for solo exhibitions.

To these exhibition spaces add a large downstairs classroom, well-proportioned offices for the BDAC staff, a multiuse board room, a children’s space and a gift shop, and you have an exciting new art center that promises to serve the residents of Bountiful and Davis County for years to come.

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.