Reproductions from the State Fine Art Collection

Black Rock by James T. Harwood

Alice Merrill Horne's vision 108 years ago helped create the nation's first state arts agency, the Utah Art Institute -- now the Utah Arts Council. An artist and arts patron, Alice Merrill Horne, along with fellow artist George Ottinger, drafted the "Art Bill" in 1899, which passed unanimously in the State Senate and the House. This bill called for the establishment of a state collection of visual art. The collection became known as the "Alice Art Collection" in her honor. Collecting Utah art has continued since that time and is now known as the State Fine Art Collection.

The Utah Art Intsitute purchased a series of paintings to become the first works of art for the "Alice Art Collection". From these early purchases, the Traveling Exhibits Program has chosen twenty-six paintings for this exhibit. The historical significance of these early paintings tells the story of the early Utah pioneers, the era in which they lived, and the places and people they knew. It is a heritage the Utah Arts Council is proud to share with the people of Utah. The acquisition of works of art by Utah artists continues today increasing the value and importance of the State Fine Art Collection.

The pieces displayed in this exhibit are giclee reproductions of the original paintings. Images are generated from high resolution digital scans and printed onto canvas using professional color ink-jet printers. The giclee printing process provides better color accuracy than other means of reproduction and can be adjusted to almost any size of canvas. This process of high-quality reproduction provides the opportunity to exhibit images from the State Fine Art Collection without risk of damage or loss of the priceless historical originals.

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2008-2009 Traveling Schedule

October 1 - October 29, 2008
Southern Utah University Library - Cedar City

November 3 - December 1, 2008
Dugway High School - Dugway

February 17 - March 19, 2009
Tooele City Arts Council - Tooele

April 23 - June 1, 2009
Utah Valley University Library - Orem