Venue Spotlights
The News Is Not All Bad
Downtown Artist Collective opens and Nox returns
We were struck, in an October press release about the "Art in the City" event celebrating the opening of the Thomas S. Monson Center in Salt Lake City (in the former Enos A. Wall Mansion), by one statement — that over the past decade, more than 20 art galleries have shut down for lack of funding. Our fact-checking impulse was pricked, so we looked back over the past editions of 15 Bytes and, though we don't have an exact count, we can confirm that close to a score of galleries have indeed closed their doors in the past 10 years. And we note with regret that they will be joined this month by Charley Hafen Gallery, and at the end of this year by Utah Artist Hands. But what that pessimistic statement fails to take into account is the number of exhibition spaces that also open every year—in fact, many of the spaces that have closed over the past decade also opened during that time (most galleries or venues last less than three years). Or the ones that reopen.
DOWNTOWN ARTIST COLLECTIVE
In October, the Downtown Artist Collective, Salt Lake City's newest exhibition venue, celebrated its grand opening exhibition, featuring works by the collective's artists. The city's newest exhibition space was a matter of serendipity, and the hunger of young artists. Amy Leininger of Q Clothing had a space — on 100 South and 258 East— but no time. Enter Desarae Lee, a young printmaker looking for a studio that could house her printmaking equipment. She set up downstairs, where she has already held printmaking demonstrations and workshops. Upstairs, where Leininger had already been holding popup events, they created an exhibition space. Artists Sarah May and Jamie Kyle, both of whom were featured in our 35x35 exhibition and have recently graduated from the University of Utah, came on board, to form a board, and the DAC was born.
“We want to cultivate relationships with organizations and people in our community, a place where questions can be asked, mistakes made, and artists born,” May says. The DAC is a co-op venture where each of the members will have the opportunity to exhibit. All are featured in the current exhibition. The space also will be used for workshops and classes.
For more information visit downtownartistcollective.org.
NOX CONTEMPORARY
And this month, Nox Contemporary reopens after a three-year hiatus. After operating for an initial two-and-a-half years (see our article on the gallery's genesis here), owner John Sproul closed the space in the summer of 2013, citing matters in his personal and professional life that needed attention. "Among other things I had neglected my studio practice and the company I owned needed more of my attention," he says. Sproul buys and resells used office furniture, equipment, and tools, and used the space he leases at 440 W. 400 South in Salt Lake City as both a warehouse and a gallery during that time — uses that sometimes overlapped and caused problems.
With matters both personal and professional in hand, Sproul is ready to give the venture another go. He hopes one key to success this time around will be keeping it simpler — using less of the space so that the two projects collide less. Unfortunately, this means the large space with the 12-foot ceiling that was part of the original Nox won't be used. But Sproul has revitalized his front space and opened up a new room. The first show, Now, opens for the November Gallery Stroll on the 18th. After the Gallery Stroll reception, the exhibit will be open by appointment. Sproul says the hours he's able to be at the gallery change every week, so he is experimenting with how to deal with that. He may post the hours for each week on the gallery's Facebook page. The current plan is to rotate the exhibitions every month.
For more information visit Nox Contemporary on Facebook.
|
|
15 Bytes: About Us
Our editorial contributors
The content you see in this magazine is provided by a fluid group of volunteers whose ability with the pen or camera is matched by their curiosity and enthusiasm for Utah's art world. 15 Bytes is an open community forum. If you are interested in writing an article, or providing images for our magazine contact editor Shawn Rossiter at editor@artistsofutah.org
 Phyllis Barber is the author of eight books, including a trilogy of memoir: How I Got Cultured: A Nevada Memoir; Raw Edges, and To the Mountain: One Mormon Woman’s Search for Spirit. She is the mother of four sons, a founder of the Writers at Work Conference, and a teacher in the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing Program for many years. |
 Simon Blundell is a Salt Lake City native and has studied art, communication, journalism, design, and advertising. He has an MFA and continues to explore photography and art in all its aspects. |
 Alisha Tolman Burton has been an independent graphic design and marketing consultant since 2008, and utilizes social media heavily for online marketing strategy, particularly for nonprofit projects, such as Art On Main and the Art Around the Corner Foundation. |
 David "HABBENINK" Habben is a Salt Lake City based illustrator and artist. He is currently working on an MFA at the University of Utah. |
 Hayley Heaton is a writer currently living and working in Salt Lake City, Utah. She attended Cambridge University and the University of Utah for her BA in English and the New School University in New York City for her MFA in Creative Writing. She has published several books of poetry, as well as fiction and non-fiction pieces. |
 Sue Martin holds an M.A. in Theatre and has worked in public relations. As an artist, she works in watercolor, oil, and acrylic to capture Utah landscapes or the beauty of everyday objects in still life.
|
 Hannah McBeth studied art history, classics, and Mediterranean archaeology before getting a master's at Cambridge University. She enjoys writing, hiking, and traveling to far-off places. Follow her on Twitter @hannahmcbee. |
 Ann Poore is a freelance writer and editor who spent most of her career at The Salt Lake Tribune. She also worked for City Weekly and has written for such publications as Utah Business and Salt Lake magazines. |
 Shawn Rossiter, a native of Boston, was raised on the East Coast. He has degrees in English, French and Italian literature. A professional artist and writer, he founded Artists of Utah in 2001 and is editor of its magazine, 15 Bytes. |
 Geoff Wichert has degrees in critical writing and creative nonfiction. He writes about art to settle the arguments going on in his head. |
|
