Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts facts for kids
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| Established | 1987 (built 1856) |
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| Location | Liberty Park 600 East 900 South Salt Lake City, UT 84105 |
The Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts is a special place in Salt Lake City, Utah. It's like a treasure chest for art made by people living in Utah. This museum is the only one in the whole United States that shows a collection of "folk art" owned by a state. Folk art is art created by everyday people, often showing their traditions, skills, and culture.
The museum is run by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums. Since 1987, it has been the permanent home for Utah's official folk art collection. It's a great spot for artists and communities in Utah to share their unique folk art. This includes different crafts, music, and dance.
Besides showing different exhibits that change over time, the museum also has yearly concerts. They offer fun, hands-on workshops where you can learn to make things. The Chase Home Museum also keeps a collection of recordings and photos. These help us learn about Utah's folk art and old traditions. The museum has three main galleries that always show art. It also has one gallery for special exhibits that change.
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The Museum's Story
The story of the Chase Home Museum begins a long time ago. In 1847, a man named Isaac Chase moved to Utah. He came with the first Mormon pioneers who settled the area. Isaac was good at building things. He quickly built a sawmill and a gristmill (a mill for grinding grain). These mills were just outside the new settlement of Salt Lake City.
In the early 1850s, a leader named Brigham Young joined Isaac Chase in his successful milling business. Around the same time, Isaac Chase built a two-story house. It was made of adobe bricks, which were made right behind the house. The house was in the middle of a large farm, about 110 acres big.
The Chase Home was built in a traditional style. It had a main hallway going through the middle. Over the years, the house was changed a bit. A kitchen was added to the back. A two-story porch was also added to the front. This porch gave the house a fancy Greek Revival look.
The Chase Home was a popular meeting spot. Pioneers, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and young people would gather there for fun. In 1882, the farm where the house stood was given to the State of Utah. It then became known as Liberty Park.
Amazing Folk Art Collection
The Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts is truly special. It's the only museum in the United States that focuses on showing folk art owned by a state. This art is all made by people who live in Utah.
Native American Art
A big part of the museum's collection comes from Utah's Native American people. They are very skilled artists. They use materials like wood, willow, buckskin, beads, porcupine quills, and shells. They create beautiful items such as baskets, cradleboards (for babies), clothing, jewelry, kachina dolls, drums, and flutes.
Utah is home to several Native American tribes. These include the Goshute, Northern Ute, Paiute, Shoshone, Ute Mountain Ute, and Athabaskan-speaking Navajos. The collection also includes art from other tribes whose members have chosen to live in Utah.
Art from Around the World
The museum also has many items made by people who moved to Utah. These are often immigrants or refugees from other countries. When people move, some old traditions might change. But the most important and meaningful folk art often stays strong. This includes art about religious beliefs, identity, and community celebrations.
The folk art collection at the Chase Home Museum includes many different types of art. You can see wood carvings, pottery, jewelry, baskets, textiles, and sculptures. These artworks have roots in European, Asian, Hispanic, Polynesian, and African cultures.
Art from Everyday Jobs
Another interesting part of the collection is "occupational folk art." This refers to items made for use in someone's job. But these items also show the artist's personal style and creativity. Sometimes, these pieces are made just for decoration. They celebrate the skills used in a job and the history of that work.
Examples of occupational folk art at the museum include:
- stone carving
- blacksmithing (working with metal)
- Saddle making
- Horsehair hitching (making things from horsehair)
- woodworking
Where to Find the Museum
The Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts is located inside Liberty Park. Liberty Park is in Salt Lake City, Utah. It's between 900 South and 1300 South streets, and 500 East and 700 East streets. It's the second largest park in Salt Lake City. You can find the Chase Home Museum just west of the center of the park.
See also
- List of museums in Utah
- List of the oldest buildings in Utah
- Mormon art
- National and ethnic cultures of Utah
- Folk Art
