1. What was the last piece of art you bought?

Marty Ricks, Springville Piece Private Estate, SLC, showing of Utah artists

2. Who is your favorite Utah artist living or dead?

Kent Wallis (I like because of his bold colorful, approach to things. He makes things come alive) and Eric Wallis (I think Eric is a young talent that is going to be incredible) I have had the pleasure of meeting both.

3. Have you ever attended a gallery stroll event in Salt Lake City, when?

Yes, probably haven’t been since the campaign started in about a year. We are contemplating going this evening.

4. What is one of your favorite galleries/museum/art spaces in SLC?

Frankly I am not going to name a favorite I like them all. The Artspace is really interesting; I spent some time working on Artspace when I was on City Council. Kathy Miller got me tuned into it. I did what was necessary to keep that project viable.

5. The Salt Lake City Arts Council is an important part of the Salt Lake City visual arts scene. What could be done to increase funding for this entity?

Well funding, what can be done, it’s exciting. First when I think visual arts I don’t just think painting I think of the display of visual arts outside. It is exciting when you see street art, it makes the street come alive, I think it is important that we don’t just encourage visual arts like painting that is going on in this community but also the artists willing to help us bring the street to life. Things that can withstand the seasons. I applaud some of what is going on Third South. I am very proud of even the 4th south alignment for Trax up to the University of Utah and some of the artistic things we’ve been able to accomplish there. I worked hard on that line so I smile when I see the artistic side of it. We don’t just see the rails and wires.

Funding is imperative; I think it is clear we need both public and private funding in the arts. We have wonderful people donating to the arts continually. The better we do, the more inclined they will be to donate as well. But the art community in Utah needs to flourish. I can name places, when we talk to people. What do we think when we think of a great place to go and what do you do with your free time once you go there. In my mind, I think of places like San Francisco and New York and art is a big part of those Communities. Santa Fe is a favorite place of ours. In our free time we stroll art galleries and you don’t have to buy to appreciate and enjoy them.

6. Do you have any final thoughts about what the mayor’s office could do to better serve the visual arts community?

Well, the mayors office, well the mayor himself, should focus on the art community. It is indispensable to the vitality of community particularly our downtown area as is restaurants and other things you might think of as necessary to make it lively, entertainment. Art itself draws people. I don’t care if we live here or if we are just visiting here, the convention and tourists business is big thing to us. People want to know what they can go look at, what they can see. Local Artists, we have them through out the state of Utah and they really need to be highlighted here in Salt Lake. The nice Wallis we have, we had to go to Arizona to buy it. We found it in Scottsdale. And I liked it because it was Kent Wallis, a Utah artist. We need to give artists of that quality a forum in Salt Lake City; the mayor can play a big role in that.