The LDS culture places a strong emphasis on family history, encouraging its members to research genealogical data as well as preserve the stories of family members. In this cultural endeavor, a special place is reserved for the “pioneers,” those early Mormons who came to Utah before the railroad. […]
What do a rusty sewer grate, “Llama Crossing” street sign, rabbit, and a metal screen door have in common? On the surface, not much. Aside from the llama-crossing sign, these are all ordinary things anyone might see in a neighborhood or while out for a drive in the […]
The six prominent Utah artists now on exhibit in the Springville Museum of Art’s (SMOFA) Here, There, and Everywhere have each developed a personal style that is immediately recognizable as well as adept at evoking a sense of place. The exhibit is an examination of how ”spaces” become […]
Glass, like painting, sculpture, or any other art medium, flourishes in a variety of techniques. Just as an artist can paint in oil, acrylic, watercolor, with spray paint and stencils, or any number of other innovations, and just as a sculptor can build up clay to be cast […]
A passage can be something literal, a tangible progression from one place to another, or it can represent something metaphorical, a life journey of gained personal experience, and the personal development it manifests. Utah artist Fahimeh Amiri, who is one of the featured artists in the Springville Museum […]
Narrative painting, in the form of history painting, was once the pinnacle of Western art, the zenith of Alberti’s 15th-century treatise on painting, and a prerequisite for anyone seeking access to prestigious academies in the 18th and 19th centuries. At the advent of modernism, narrative’s importance waned, while […]
Throughout history, when the vast majority of the populace was illiterate, the visual arts have been used to tell the stories and express the aspirations of religious and spiritual communities around the world. The arts could be a tool of enlightenment but also a tool of control, used […]
What is a “medicine man?” He is not a shaman, often associated with personal gain; he is not a witch doctor, associated with witchcraft. He is a traditional healer and spiritual leader among Native Americans who secures the help of the spirit world, including the Great Spirit, for […]
This is the second of a two-part essay on the work of James Christensen, Cassandra Barney and Emily McPhie now on exhibit at the Springville Museum of Art. The first part can be found in our February 2014 edition. Part II All good art is at once […]
Down the Rabbit Hole Following Three Artists Into Their Burrows Part I Curiouser & Curiouser: The Artwork of James Christensen, Cassandra Barney, Emily McPhie, and Family includes sixty paintings by the three artists in the primary exhibition, with dozens more incidental works in the area set aside to […]
Christmas is a time for traditions, mostly welcome, but we could do without a recent one: the culture clash that’s come to be known as the ‘Christmas Wars.’ The pattern will be familiar to anyone who has followed the national news, or for that matter ever been bullied, […]
“One man’s loss is another man’s gain,” is the proverb we overheard someone cite at Gallery Stroll tonight. They were referring to changes at the LDS Church History Museum and the Springville Museum of Art. Dr. Rita Wright of Salt Lake is leaving the LDS Church History Museum […]
