Utah Museum of Contemporary Art facts for kids
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| Former name | Salt Lake Art Center |
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| Established | 1931 |
| Location | 20 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 |
| Type | Art museum |
| Architect | FFKR Architects |
The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) is a cool place in downtown Salt Lake City. It used to be called the Salt Lake Art Center. This museum shows off modern art from artists who live nearby, across the country, and even around the world. It has six different rooms where art is displayed.
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History of UMOCA
The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art started way back in 1931. A lady named Alta Rawlins Jensen (1884–1980) loved art and wanted a special place for it. She called it the Art Barn Association. Her dream was for the Art Barn to be a place where art could be sold, shown, and encouraged.
In the 1930s, the Art Barn mostly helped artists from Utah. They also made an art magazine called the Art Bulletin. It shared news about art events and reviews. In 1939, it became a non-profit group, which means it uses its money to help the community, not to make a profit. By the early 1940s, the Art Barn became well-known. It even showed paintings by famous artists like Vincent van Gogh.
In 1958, the group changed its name to the Salt Lake Art Center (SLAC). This new name showed that it was growing and doing more for the community. Two years later, they hired their first full-time director to run the museum.
A new building for the museum was designed by Edward Joe Ruben and FFKR Architects. It was finished in 1978 in the middle of downtown Salt Lake City. In 1979, SLAC moved into its new home. This new building had much more space for art. In 1981, people from Salt Lake City and the National Endowment for the Arts asked an artist named Ilya Bolotowsky to create an outdoor sculpture. This tall, 24-foot shiny column is called Column 24. You can see it between the museum and Abravanel Hall.
In 2011, SLAC changed its name again to the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA). This new name showed that the museum was focusing on modern art. UMOCA started showing more art and offering more programs for the community. It has received money from important groups like the Andy Warhol Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Since 2011, UMOCA has worked with the Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation. They give out a special award every two years called the Catherine Doctorow Prize for Contemporary Painting. This award goes to new or growing artists who show a lot of talent in modern painting. Some past winners include Firelei Báez (2015), Tala Madani (2013), and Kim Schoenstadt (2011).
What You Can Find at UMOCA
UMOCA has two floors and six different art galleries. It also has many spaces for events. These include a main lobby, an outdoor courtyard, an auditorium with 155 seats, and meeting rooms. UMOCA also has a special studio for art education. There are also studios for artists who live and work at the museum for a time. Plus, there's an art shop where you can buy cool art made by local artists.
The Salt Lake Art Center Photo School is also inside the museum. It offers classes for all levels, from beginners to advanced photographers. You can learn about photography and digital imaging. The school also has a darkroom and lab for students and the public to use.
Art Galleries
- Main Gallery: This is the biggest gallery at UMOCA. It's on the lower floor. It usually has two large art shows each year, featuring groups of artists or one artist's work.
- Street Gallery: This is the second largest gallery. It also shows art from single artists or groups. This gallery is where the winner of the Catherine Doctorow Prize for Contemporary Painting gets to show their art. The art here changes every 2 to 4 months.
- Codec Gallery: The Codec Gallery shows art from one artist at a time. These shows often connect to the art in the Main Gallery. The art here changes every 2 to 3 months.
- Projects Gallery: This gallery is at the front of the museum. It shows art by artists who live in Utah. These artists can suggest their own art shows, which might be special art setups or shows they put together themselves. The art here changes every 1 to 2 months.
- A-I-R Space: This gallery is on the lower floor. It's just for artists who are part of UMOCA's Artists-in-Residence Program. When artists finish their time at the museum, they get to show their new art here. The art here changes every month.
- Ed. Space: This is UMOCA's newest gallery. It's near the Education Studio. The art here is chosen to go along with the museum's programs for kids and families. These programs include tours, workshops, and art projects.
Programs and Activities
UMOCA offers many fun learning and community programs. These include tours, art activities, movies, art talks, community events, and workshops.
Education Programs
Programs for young people include the UMOCA Art Truck. This is a traveling art show that visits schools and other places all over Utah. There are also free, hands-on art projects on the second Saturday of every month. UMOCA also has summer camps and workshops. They offer special tours for families with young children or children who are sensitive to sounds or sights.
Another important program is the Artists-in-Residence Program. This is a longer program for artists living and working in Utah. It helps them grow their art skills and careers.
Community Fun
The museum often has programs for everyone in the community. These include talks about art and tours of the art shows. They also have movie nights, lecture series, and workshops with visiting artists and museum experts. UMOCA also works with other groups in the community. This leads to cool projects with other art non-profits and community gardens.
Out Loud Program
Since 2015, UMOCA has created a special art program for young LGBTQ+ high school students in Utah. Through a series of workshops over several weeks, these teenage artists get to try new art forms. They develop their own artistic voices with help from local queer artists and museum mentors. Their final project shows off their experiences and what they learned. This art is displayed in the museum, usually from late April to early June.
Art Shows at UMOCA
The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art does not collect art to keep forever. Instead, it focuses on showing new and exciting art. The art shows include works from single artists or groups of artists. They usually change every two to six months. Here are some cool shows that have been at UMOCA since 2011:
- Kate Ericson & Mel Ziegler, and Mel Ziegler's Grandma's Cupboard' (August 28 - December 19, 2015): This show featured important art projects from Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler from the late 1900s. It also included some of Mel Ziegler's solo work.
- Bikuben' (June 27 - December 20, 2014): This was a group show that looked at modern Danish art. It helped people understand how the present can teach us about the past. It also showed the interesting connections between Denmark and Utah, especially about ideas of progress and new ways of doing things.
- Analogital' (January 18 - April 20, 2013): This show featured artists from all over the world. Their art explored ideas that come from the space between old-style (analog) and new-style (digital) technology.
- Battleground States' (October 5, 2012 – January 5, 2013): This show brought together artists who looked closely at how we see and understand gender and identity through art. Using videos, sculptures, installations, and photos, each piece explored how people are shown and how identity is connected to that.
- Your Land/My Land: Election '12' by Jonathan Horowitz: This was a special art show that happened during the 2012 American presidential election. UMOCA joined other museums like the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and the New Museum in New York City to show this art piece.
