Wild Roses from My Yard
by Anne Marie Oborn
Capitol Theatre, Founders Room

 

 

Public Art: Integration or Intervention

Integration or Intervention (Link)

     Presentations by Rob Fisher and Prescott Muir followed by a community discussion on public art and how it impacts architecture, the architect, the artist and the community for which it is created.

Sponsored by:

     The Salt Lake County Public Art Program, the Salt Lake Art Center, the Utah Arts Council Public and Design Arts Programs and the National Endowment for the Arts.


     The Salt Lake County Center for the Arts fine art Collection is a showcase for the best Utah artists and the best Utah art. This collection was assembled so everyone would find something they liked. Everyone finds something challenging. Most of all this collection is a celebration of Utah artists and of creative visions that continue to grow and give pleasure while providing a source for thoughtful discussion and reflection.

     The art collection is not housed in a museum in the traditional sense, but is more of a gallery of Utah art located throughout Salt Lake County. Like many museums it is free of charge and open to the public. Tours are available and teachers are encouraged to bring students in to view the collection.

     The collection is available for public viewing every day the Salt Lake County Government Center is open from 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. The collection is located in the public hallways throughout both buildings (North and South) and on all four floors of each building. The Salt Lake County Government Center is closed on holidays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Salt Lake County Art Collection Catalog

     The Salt Lake County Mayor and Art Collection Committee has announced the publication of "The Salt Lake County Art Collection: Work by Utah Artists." The 62-page, full-color catalog surveys the more than 400 works of art collected by the County since the 1930's. According to Hikmet Loe, coordinator of the project, the catalog "explains how Utah's artists developed along national artistic trends". Essays written by regional scholars also "place the collection within thematic genres--landscape, still life, public art, etc.-- making the catalog "a unique contribution to the history of Utah art." Says Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman, "I hope residents will enjoy the offerings in this publication as a sample of the many fine artists who make up the art community of Utah."

     The catalog was funded by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, the Marriner S. Eccles Foundation, the John and Marcia Price Family Foundation and the Utah Office of Museum Services. Judi Higginson, chair of the Art Committee expresses her "great appreciate to all the donors who have provided for this wonderful catalog. Because of their generosity we will be able to distribute the catalogs to all the libraries and schools in Salt Lake County. Donors are key to this collection in many ways. We are also extremely grateful for the individuals that bestow works of art to us."

     The catalogs should be available at the Salt Lake County Library and Salt Lake City Library system for check-out soon.

     Those interested in the printed catalog are invited to contact Vicki Bourns, Salt Lake County Community Arts Specialist, 468-3517 for more information. In addition, an electronic copy may be obtained in Adobe PDF format. See also the Collection at a Glance (a complete listing of the art works in the Salt Lake County Art Collection by artist's last name with its current location).

A Brief History

     Salt Lake County created the Art Advisory Board in 1983 to be an outside resource to the Salt Lake County Commission in areas pertaining to fine art. Initially, this took the form of cataloging and restoring existing works of art in the County collection. With the construction of the Salt Lake County Government Center, the County Commissioners approved ½% of the construction budget to be spent for the purchase of original art to complement the new buildings. This allowed the Art Advisory Board to become very involved in the selection and installation of the art. It was an exciting project and the Art Advisory Board created committees to procure, catalog, and display the new collection. The Art Advisory Board created a collection that will provide many years of enjoyment and represents a prudent investment in the rich heritage of fine art in Salt Lake County.

     In 1996, Salt Lake County created a new advisory board for the Fine Arts Division (now called the Center for the Arts). Upon the initiation of this board the Art Collection Subcommittee was formed to focus on the County's public art collection and public art projects and to replace the efforts of the original Arts Advisory Board. The purpose of the Salt Lake County Art Collection Subcommittee is to offer expertise in the acquisition, exhibition, preservation, and understanding of the collection. The Subcommittee serves as a permanent committee of the Art Advisory Board and as such makes its recommendations to that Board. The Subcommittee has overseen the acquisition of over 80 new works, 41 which have been donated in the last two years, and hosted a public open house highlighting the collection, initiated the art brown bag series, and annually inventories the collection.

Why does Salt Lake County support and fund public art?

     Public art makes public facilities more accessible by making them more inviting and sometimes by humanizing the scale. It adds to the experience of visiting a public facility by evoking emotional and intellectual reactions. Good design and art contribute to the quality of life in Salt Lake County. It can provide serious strategies to boost public morale about the community and ease the effects of growth. Public art, as an integral part of construction, is a visible way to affirm a community's values and the importance of its history, and natural environment. Public art gives the County a healthy, vibrant sense of place, which contributes to its prestige and identity for both citizens and visitors. Public art programs give artists a new source of income and an avenue for becoming involved in the County's functions.