The State Fine Art Collection, begun in 1899 as the Alice Merrill Horne Collection, now consists of over 1,100 works by Utah artists in all media. The pieces are on display in various state and office buildings throughout Utah and many travel with the Utah Arts Council Traveling Exhibition Program.
The continued acquisition of artwork comes from purchases made through the visual arts program and donations from patrons and artists of the state of Utah.
This series is an effort to preserve and share the stories and experiences surrounding the artwork and artists of Utah as seen through the eyes of the Utah Arts Council staff.
Compiled by Laura Durham
Assistant Visual Arts Coordinator, Utah Arts Council
“Untitled Horse Form” Richard Johnston Richard Johnston was the chair of the art department at the University of Utah and director of the Salt Lake Art Center for a while. Johnston made the first Untitled Horse Form in 1990 for the main quad on the UVSC campus in […]
“Pay Dirt” pastel George Dibble (1904-1992) Dibble grew up in Layton, Utah. In 1941, he began a long career as an art professor at the University of Utah. In addition to being an artist, he was the chief art critic for the Salt Lake Tribune for some time. […]
That Doesn’t Mean It’s Yours! “Cherry & Snowball Blossoms” watercolor on paper LaVerne Stevens Because the Arts Council is a state agency, we are often asked to provide paintings to adorn the offices of politicians and other big names in government. We are slowly trying to phase out […]
“Capitol Reef” oil on canvas V. Douglas Snow (1927- ) “Capitol Reef” actually belongs to the state’s public art collection. This controversial painting was installed in the State Court House in 1997. The committee in charge of choosing the piece met several times with the artist and the […]
