{"id":103639,"date":"2026-06-12T15:50:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T22:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/?p=103639"},"modified":"2026-06-11T13:58:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T20:58:37","slug":"three-trends-from-the-102nd-springville-salon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/three-trends-from-the-102nd-springville-salon\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Trends from the 102nd Springville Salon"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Still from Jon Forsyth\u2019s “Mazeopoly.”<\/p><\/div>\n

Another year, another Springville Salon, another chance to reflect on the art scene in Utah. As the recently closed Salon 100 show at Springville demonstrated, the Salon has a storied past. Perhaps most importantly, its more than 100-year history illustrates Utah’s ongoing commitment to the arts, even during times of economic hardship. The Great Depression arrived within the Salon\u2019s first decade, and the museum\u2019s gorgeous current building was dedicated in 1937 during a particularly difficult year. The works in the Salon 100 retrospective and its playful catalog, still available to view online, give a sense of the Salon\u2019s consistencies and variations, but are less helpful in indicating the trends of any given year. This review attempts to distill a few of the trends for 2026.<\/p>\n

Spiritually-minded Abstraction
\nIf the Springville Salon has a central message, it is that the Utah art scene is overwhelmingly dominated by figurative painting. Except for a few compelling textile pieces and an occasional sculpture or photograph, most of the work on display is painting, and most of the paintings are representational. Despite their scarcity, the few abstract works on offer add depth and variety to the display. Geoff Wichert\u2019s review of the Salon<\/a> does a fabulous job highlighting some of the works that bridge abstraction and spirituality, but I feel compelled to mention a few more.<\/p>\n

Probably the most well-known artist producing work of this type in Utah is Paige Crossland Anderson, who is represented at the Salon by two expertly balanced, symmetrical compositions. While stunning, the works feel a bit too tightly controlled and didactic. More interesting are printmaker Robert Buchert\u2019s “25 Instructions” and fiber artist Linda Bergstrom\u2019s “Field and Fiber.” Both works are enriched by their creators\u2019 willingness to experiment across materials and disciplines. They are things that defy categorization and feel unique among the myriad objects on display. In Buchert\u2019s case, the final project is a portfolio recording his collaborations with a musician, made using an annotation that is not fully explained. The work can feel amorphous, but its serial structure suggests a mystery waiting to be unraveled. Bergstrom\u2019s wall piece is neither painting nor sculpture, but feels almost like a living thing. Combining organic and manmade materials, the work is among the most effective evocations of more-than-human relationships in the Salon.<\/p>\n