“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.

Dibble submitted this piece to the Utah State Fair back in 1938. One of the State Fair authorities disliked the painting so much that he attempted to scrub the surface off with a piece of steel wool. He succeeded to some degree and the water stains are evident, but the painting obviously survived the abuse.

No effort has been made to repair the damage, mostly because the painting has seen too much trauma. But at this point, the story is almost worth more than the painting. The Utah Arts Council displays and travels the piece in its current condition.

Inside the Vault

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