Utah Museum of Fine Arts facts for kids
UMFA in 2008
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| Established | May 6, 1951 |
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| Location | University of Utah Marcia & John Price Museum Building 410 Campus Center Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 |
| Type | Art museum |
| Accreditation | American Alliance of Museums |
| Architect | Machado Silvetti and Prescott Muir Architects |
| Public transit access | Red Line (TRAX) University South Campus station |
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) is a cool art museum located at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. It's a place where you can see almost 20,000 amazing art pieces! The museum is in a special building called the Marcia and John Price Museum Building. They often change the art on display, so there's always something new to discover.
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What You'll Find at UMFA
The UMFA is a top-notch museum, recognized by the American Alliance of Museums. Inside, you'll find a cafe and a store. There are also more than 20 galleries to explore. The museum's permanent collection has nearly 20,000 works of art. These artworks come from many different cultures. You can see art from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. There are also pieces from ancient times.
How UMFA Started
Early Days of the Museum
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts began in the early 1900s. It started as a small art gallery. This gallery was on the top floor of the University of Utah's Park Building. At first, it showed paintings by local artists. Over many years, the university's art department received many art gifts. Donors also asked for the gallery to become a real museum.
Becoming a Museum
After the gallery was updated, it officially became the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. This happened on May 6, 1951. The university's president, A. Ray Olpin, made it official. In 1967, Frank Sanquineti became the first professional director. The museum then started to grow a lot. This growth led to the need for a brand new building.
Moving to a New Home
The museum moved to a new location in 1970. A special fund was created to help buy more art. This fund has helped the museum grow its collections. It also helps offer art education programs. Many people have donated to the UMFA. These donations come from individuals, foundations, and the state of Utah.
The UMFA's collection now covers 5,200 years of art! It has grown from about 800 objects to over 13,000. This huge growth needed a much bigger building. Machado Silvetti and Prescott Muir Architects designed the new museum. The new building opened on June 2, 2001. It is named after Marcia and John Price. David Dee became the Executive Director the next year.
UMFA as a State Institution
Since its second move, the UMFA has grown a lot. In February 2005, the Utah State Legislature made the UMFA an official state institution. This showed how important the museum is for art, culture, and education in Utah. In 2010, Gretchen Dietrich became the new Executive Director.
Amazing Art Collections
As of 2017, the UMFA had almost 20,000 art objects.
European and American Art
You can see European art from the 14th to the 19th centuries. Famous artists like Filippo Lippi and Thomas Gainsborough are included. American artists like Benjamin West and John Singer Sargent are also represented. The museum also has modern and contemporary art. This includes works by Helen Frankenthaler and Yayoi Kusama.
Art from Around the World
The museum also has strong collections of non-Western art. This means art from outside Europe and America. You can find beautiful pieces from India, Polynesia, and Mesoamerica.
Returning Stolen Art
In 2004, the museum learned something important. An 18th-century painting by François Boucher was in its collection. It had been donated in 1993. However, this painting had been stolen during The Holocaust. The museum quickly returned the art to the family who originally owned it. The family praised the museum for its honesty and integrity.
Fun Events and Programs
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts offers many programs for everyone. There are activities for families, adults, and children. You can take tours of the galleries. They also have hands-on art projects, films, and talks.
Programs for Families and Kids
Family programs offer art activities on the third Saturday of each month. Children can also join special summer classes. These classes combine history with art making. There are even classes for parents and young children (ages 2–5). They can learn to paint and sculpt together.
Programs for Adults
Adult programs include painting classes and lectures. There are also film series about fine arts.
Past Exhibitions
The art exhibitions at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts usually change every two to three months. Here are some examples of past exhibitions:
- Power Couples: The Pendant Format in Art (2019). This show featured art from the 16th century to today. It explored how art can be presented in two parts.
- American and Regional Art: Mythmaking & Truth-Telling (2018 – ongoing). This exhibition looks at how art showed westward expansion in the 1800s.
- The British Passion for Landscape: Masterpieces from National Museum Wales (2015). This was a world-class show of landscape paintings. It included works by famous artists like J. M. W. Turner and Claude Monet.
- Splendid Heritage: Perspective on American Indian Art (2009–2010). This exhibit showed 149 cultural and artistic treasures. They came from the native people of the Northeast and Plains.
- Monet to Picasso from the Cleveland Museum of Art (2008). This exhibition featured Impressionist and Early Modernist paintings. It included 100 years of European masterworks.
- Suitcase Paintings: Small Scale Work by Abstract Expressionists (2008). This show had about sixty small but powerful artworks.
- Andy Warhol's Dream America: Screen prints from the Collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation (2007–2008). This exhibit included about 100 screen prints by the famous artist Andy Warhol.
- Cinderella: Masks, Magic and Mirrors (2007–2008). This exhibit explored themes from the story of Cinderella. It included items from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
- Picturing the West: Masterworks of 19th Century Landscape Photography (2007). This show featured 32 amazing 19th-century American Western landscape photographs.
See also
- Mormon art
