Utah Museum of Contemporary Art explained

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art
Former Name:Salt Lake Art Center
Location:20 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
Type:Art museum
Director:Laura Allred Hurtado
Architect:FFKR Architects
Coordinates:40.7693°N -111.8949°W

The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA), formerly known as the Salt Lake Art Center, is a contemporary art museum located in downtown Salt Lake City. The museum presents rotating exhibitions by local, national, and international contemporary artists throughout its six gallery spaces.

History

The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art was first founded in 1931 as the Art Barn Association[1] by art enthusiast Alta Rawlins Jensen (1884–1980), who dreamed that the Art Barn would "be a retreat where art may be sold, expressed and fostered — a project which Salt Lake has long desired and never quite succeeded in obtaining."[2] In the 1930s, the Art Barn focused its activities on supporting established and emerging Utah artists. Other endeavors included the creation of the Art Bulletin, an art journal featuring events and art reviews. It was first established as a non-profit organization in 1939.[3] By the early 1940s, the Art Barn gained credibility as an art institution, exhibiting nationally and internationally renowned artists, including a series of oil paintings by Vincent van Gogh.

In 1958, the organization changed the name to the Salt Lake Art Center (SLAC) to better reflect its expanding role in the community, and two years later, the institution hired its first paid full-time director.

Edward Joe Ruben and the architectural firm of Fowler Ferguson Kingston Ruben Architects (FFKR) were chosen to design and build a new museum facility in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City which was completed in 1978.[4] In 1979, SLAC moved to its new facility with increased and more adequate gallery space. In 1981, Salt Lake City residents and members of the National Endowment for the Arts commissioned Abstract artist Ilya Bolotowsky to create an outdoor sculpture for the center. The 24-foot stainless steel column, titled Column 24, stands between the museum and Abravanel Hall.

In 2011, SLAC changed its name to the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) to reflect the organization's focus on contemporary art. UMOCA expanded its exhibition and community programming, and has been a four-time recipient of funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation[5] as well as a 2015 recipient[6] of the National Endowment for the Arts Art Works grant award.

Since 2011, UMOCA has partnered with the Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation to present the biennial Catherine Doctorow Prize for Contemporary Painting[7] to an emerging or mid-career artist who shows a great range of talent and forward-thinking within a contemporary idiom. Past winners have included Firelei Báez (2015), Tala Madani (2013) and Kim Schoenstadt (2011).

Facilities

UMOCA houses two floors and six distinct galleries. In addition, the museum has multiple spaces for events and rentals, including a lobby, courtyard, 155-seat auditorium and meeting rooms. UMOCA also features an education studio, artist-in-residence studios[8] and an art shop,[9] which sells a variety of works by local artists.

The Salt Lake Art Center Photo School is located inside of the museum and offers courses for all skill levels in photography and digital imaging, as well as a photography darkroom and lab for student and public use.[10]

Galleries

Programs

UMOCA offers a variety of educational and outreach programs, including tours, art activities, films, art talks, community events, and workshops.

Education

Youth programs include the UMOCA Art Truck,[12] a traveling educational art exhibition that brings art to schools and public venues throughout Utah; free hands-on art projects on the second Saturday of each month; summer camps and workshops; and tailored tours for families with young children or sensory-sensitive children.[13]

Additional educational programs include the Artists-in-Residence Program a long-term residency program designed to meet the needs of artists living and working in Utah.

Community Outreach

The museum frequently offers community-wide programming such as art talks and exhibition walk-throughs, film and lecture series, and workshops with visiting artists and curators.[14] UMOCA also maintains several community partnerships, resulting in collaborations with fellow arts nonprofits,[15] community gardens[16] and more.

Out Loud

Since 2015,[17] UMOCA has created an artistic platform for young LGBTQ+ high school students in Utah. Through a multi-week workshop series, these teenage queer artists were given the opportunity to explore new mediums and develop their artistic voices with the support from local queer artists and Museum mentors. Their capstone project, is a culmination of their queer experiences, expertise, and workshops, and is exhibited in the Museum, typically from late April to early June.

Exhibitions

The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art is a non-collecting institution.[18] Exhibitions include both solo and group shows and generally change on a two- to six-month basis. Notable exhibitions since 2011 include:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Christenson . Richard P. . 1991 . Art Center Celebrates 60 Evolutionary Years . November 30, 2016 . .
  2. Book: South, Will. A History of the Salt Lake Art Center: Making and Breaking Tradition. 1991. Salt Lake Art Center.
  3. Web site: 2013-05-09 . Utah Museum Of Contemporary Art - Nonprofit Explorer . 2023-03-30 . ProPublica . en.
  4. Web site: 2016 . Project: Utah Museum Of Contemporary Art Formerly Known As The Salt Lake Art Center . 2023-03-30 . Utah Center for Architecture.
  5. Web site: 2012 . Warhol Foundation gives UMOCA $120,000 grant . November 30, 2016 . .
  6. Web site: NEA head visits Utah artists; more than $1M in grants coming to local groups . Weist . Ellen . 2015 . sltrib.com . The Salt Lake Tribune . November 30, 2016.
  7. Web site: $15,000 Catherine Doctorow Prize for Contemporary Painting . 2011 . artistsofutah.org . November 30, 2016.
  8. Web site: UMOCA announces new 'Artist-in-Residence' program . Lewis . Kylie . 2012 . deseretnews.com . Deseret News . November 30, 2016.
  9. Web site: Art Shop . 2011 . utahmoca.org . November 30, 2016.
  10. Web site: Salt Lake Art Center Photo School. www.slacphoto.net. November 30, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161116040345/http://www.slacphoto.net/#. 2016-11-16. dead.
  11. Web site: Projects Gallery Submissions . 2015 . utahmoca.org . Utah Museum of Contemporary Art . November 30, 2016.
  12. Web site: Artist plans urban bird study for UMOCA's Art Truck . Means . Sean P. . 2013 . sltrib.com . The Salt Lake Tribune . November 30, 2016.
  13. Web site: Education & Outreach Programs . 2015 . utahmoca.org . Utah Museum of Contemporary Art . November 30, 2016.
  14. Web site: Utah Museum of Contemporary Arts Going Beyond Traditional Museums . 2015 . sltrib.com . The Salt Lake Tribune . November 30, 2016.
  15. Web site: NOW-ID partners with the Kimball Art Center for short presentations . Iwasaki . Scott . 2015 . parkrecord.com . Park Record .
  16. Web site: Growing a Community Garden . Lappé . Sarah . 2015 . saltlakemagazine.com . Salt Lake Magazine . November 30, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150429104423/http://saltlakemagazine.com/blog/2015/04/22/growing-a-community-garden/ . April 29, 2015.
  17. Web site: UMOCA . UMOCA Out Loud: Youth Workshop Exhibition . 2023-05-20 . UMOCA Out Loud: Youth Workshop Exhibition . en-US.
  18. Web site: Stevens . Taylor . July 1, 2019 . Strapped for cash, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Arts has quietly sold off 'a substantial portion' of its collection . 2023-03-30 . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
  19. Web site: Grandma's Cupboard . www.utahmoca.org . November 30, 2016 .
  20. Web site: Bikuben . www.utahmoca.org . November 30, 2016 .
  21. Web site: Analogital . www.utahmoca.org . November 30, 2016 .
  22. Web site: Battleground States . www.utahmoca.org . November 30, 2016 .
  23. Web site: Jonathan Horowitz: Your Land/My Land Election '12 . 2012 . newmuseum.org . New Museum . November 30, 2016.

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