Brian Christensen has been spending a great deal of time—and craft—creating ceramic works that look like chunks of rock, the kind you might find littering the Utah landscape. He spends hours building this illusion: forming the mass, carving striations, staining the surface with mineral-like hues. And then, he […]
In simple rotations of old “American West” postcards, from the time when John Wayne was filmed roaming the deserts of Utah, Phoenix Ostermann’s Ways of Seeing reinvents old imagery of iconic Western landscapes into kaleidoscope compositions. In her artist statement for the show at the Marmalade Branch of the […]
When we think of ceramics, we often picture a thrown vessel, a hand-built sculpture or maybe even our favorite artisan coffee mug—weighty, functional and tactile. But in Porcelain Threads, Dara Hartman turns that notion inside out. Her solo exhibition at Modern West strips away any expectation of heaviness […]
In its development, not every play needs the same things. Enter the dramaturg—a role that combines the duties of editor, historian, researcher, fact-checker, audience manager, and more. “Really [the job is] to help the playwright do their best version of their play and hopefully enrich people’s experiences,” says […]
Deep in South Salt Lake, Signed & Numbered framing shop hosts one of NCECA’s 2025 ceramic exhibitions, don’t be careful with me i’m normal. The exhibition, boasting 22 pieces, lies across two rooms of the studio, where the rich scent of cut wood frames the atmosphere. “Care is […]
At the heart of one of the numerous ceramic exhibitions currently in Salt Lake City, as part of the NCECA conference, is a simple but profound premise: to see people too often ignored. “My art stems from my innate desire to make connection with my fellow human beings,” […]
NCECA appears to have taken over every available meter of Utah exhibition space in order to accompany Formation, their 2025 annual conference. The only venues they appear to have missed were those belonging to organizations, like the Nora Eccles Harrison MoA, that have their own invaluable ceramic art […]
“I have always been unable to resist the allure of yet another outdated magazine or satisfying trinket,” says Salt Lake City artist Maya England. This impulse to gather, paired with her dedicated drawing practice, results in works that feel like visual archives—personal yet universal. As an expansion of […]
Just inside the gallery door, a single painting stops those entering and announces that what waits beyond may be different than a lifetime of viewing has led them to expect. Two pre-adolescent girls with snarling mouths and hands like claws seem poised to attack each other. Only the […]
As part of NCECA, the Visual Arts Institute hosts Altar/Alter, a group show that explores themes of transformation, ritual, human experience and the evolving nature of belief. The exhibition dances between the sacred and the playful, inviting viewers to reconsider objects, materials and personal meaning. At its core, […]
Stephen Wolochowicz’s work, featured in one of several shows at the Visual Arts Institute as part of NCECA, invites viewers into a world of carefully orchestrated ambiguity. His sculptures, or “torps,” as he calls them, are purposefully vague, hovering between industrial relic, sci-fi artifact, and playful contraption. Each […]
Oh brother, he’s at it again. The prop impresario and sorcerer of the cinematic, David Brothers has dumped another load of art on the Salt Lake scene. You may remember “Jimax,” from 2023. Set in a narrow alley in Salt Lake City’s Central 9th neighborhood, it was a […]
What could be more sustainable than ceramics, right? Feldspar, the main component of clay, constitutes 60 percent of the earth’s crust. Water covers 70 percent of the earth’s surface (admittedly, most of it has salt). We’re not likely to run out of either anytime soon. Firing? Ok, that’s […]
Picture an event featuring the work of nearly 500 ceramic artists attracting thousands of clay enthusiasts. Some of these artists and visitors are local to Utah but many hail from across the United States and overseas. During the conference (and in some cases after) attendees and the public […]
When Shiya Zeng was invited by NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) to highlight her work for the Cultivating Community series, a striking absence became clear — the underrepresentation of queer ceramicists of color in Utah. This absence, Zeng observed, wasn’t due to a lack […]
Demolition began last week on Salt Lake City’s Fleet Block, where, since 2020, large murals depicting individuals killed by police, both locally and nationally, have faced the public along 300 West and 900 South. Created by the anonymous collective SL Mural Makers, the murals began appearing on the […]
There’s only one thing more enjoyable for an arts writer than discovering a fresh young artist (usually just escaped from one or another splendid college program and shyly showing off inventions they’ve been misled to expect no one will be thrilled by)—that even greater, if only because less […]
Linda C. Smith, founder and Executive/Artistic Director of Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT), has been selected to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Utah. The university’s Board of Trustees recently announced that Smith, alongside I. King Jordan, Julie A. Lassonde, and Cecil O. Samuelson Jr., will be […]
Eduardo Alvarez, a Chilean-American artist based in Provo, Utah, studied Fine Arts at Universidad Católica de Chile under Josef Albers’ pupils. Influenced by his global upbringing and Chile’s military regime, his art explores truth and perception. Through dynamic textures, cracks, and colors, Alvarez creates works that balance matter, content, and light. Guided by Christian values, his art invites introspection, encouraging viewers to appreciate beauty, embrace life’s moments, and reflect on the nature of reality.
To discover more artists, visit our Utah Artists Directory
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