Visual Arts
2011 "Painting & Sculpture" at the Rio Gallery
The “Art Bill” that was created in 1899 by the legislature established the first state funded arts council in the nation. The original law stated that its purpose was to advance the interest of fine arts, to develop the influence of art in education, to sponsor an annual art exhibition, establish a state art collection and present public lectures on art. The State Fine Art Collection has grown annually by purchases and donations and as a whole, provides an impressive documentation of the history of Utah art. The collection is on display in the Governor’s Mansion, the Glendinning Home, the State Capitol building, the Scott Matheson Courthouse, and in various state buildings. Selections from the collection are included the Traveling Exhibition Program bringing artwork to viewers throughout the state.
State Fine Art Collection
Utah’s state-owned art collection began in 1899. Alice Merrill Horne was a candidate for the state legislature on a platform of support for the arts. Once she was elected to the House of Representatives she sponsored a bill to create a state arts organization and to establish a state collection of artwork. In honor of that sponsor, the collection was named the “Alice Art Collection.” The continued acquisition of artwork by Utah artists comes from purchases selected by the Collection Acquisition Committee and generous donations from patrons and artists.
Galleries
The Alice Gallery, located in the Glendinning Home and main offices of Utah Arts & Museums, features selections from the State Fine Art Collection.
The Rio Gallery in the historic Rio Grande building sponsors the statewide annual exhibition, the fellowship exhibition, the Design Arts exhibition, and visual artist group exhibitions.
The Rio & Alice Galleries were created as a service to Utah artists. They provide free venues for emerging and established artists to collaborate on exhibits and educate the community through their artwork.
Proposals for exhibitions in January - June of 2014 will be accepted August 1-October 1 2013. Proposal guidelines will be posted in May 2013.
Special Exhibits
People of Utah 1892-2011: These selected portraits from the State Fine Art Collection reflect a beautifully diverse sampling of the people of Utah and Utah’s artists.
Utah State Capitol 4th Floor, December 21, 2012 - July 12, 2013
Traveling Exhibits Program
Traveling exhibitions are a collaborative partnership with Utah museums, colleges, university and community galleries, arts and cultural centers, libraries and schools. By traveling these exhibits around the State and the use of the accompanying educational materials, they provide public access to quality visual arts, nurture understanding of diverse art forms and cultures, and promote creativity and encourage cultural activities in local communities. Exhibits are available to schools, colleges, museums, libraries, as well as community and cultural centers in the State of Utah.
Early Utah Masterpieces
The Early Utah Masterpieces project features twenty six paintings from the State Fine Art Collection for a traveling exhibit. The paintings were reproduced in the giclee process to ensure the preservation of the valuable paintings by early Utah masters. An educational booklet with biographies of the artists and a children’s booklet of original watercolors based on the life of Alice Merrill Horne was produced and accompanies the exhibit to the various exhibition sites. Greeting cards, scarves and ties are also available.
Competitions
Statewide Annual Competition and Exhibition
The Statewide Annual Competition and Exhibition provides exposure to both new and established Utah artists through public display, publicity and publication of catalogues. The Statewide Annual focuses on different disciplines, rotating categories in a three year cycle: painting and sculpture; fine crafts and photography; and mixed media and works on paper.
Visual Artists Fellowship Competition and Exhibition
The Visual Arts Fellowship Competition and Exhibition awards two fellowships annually to outstanding professional artists to acknowledge their artistic excellence and encourage their careers. Exhibits featuring invited past fellowship recipients are periodically held.
Public Art Commissions
Find out about local, regional, national and international calls for public arts commissions. You can also search for public art in your community by visiting the public art collection.
DesignArts
DesignArts is dedicated to the promotion of excellence in the diverse fields of design in Utah. We strive to help the citizens of the State see, experience, use and value the art of design that surrounds us.
Resources
Visit the toolkits and links area of our site for links to resources for visual artists.
ArtOps: Visual Arts
ArtOps is dedicated to bringing art opportunities to Utah artists. Opportunities are local, national, and international, and include various funding sources, exhibition opportunities, residencies and professional development. Click on the icon for more information.
Questions?
Contact Laura Durham at 801.245.7270 or Felicia Baca at 801.245.7272If you wish to subscribe to the Visual Arts Newsletter send a request to fbaca@utah.gov