Alice Gallery Exhibit Showcases Utah, Salt Lake County Art Collections
SALT LAKE CITY — Collect, a collaboration between the Utah Division of Arts & Museums and the Salt Lake County Public Art Program, exhibits the recent and contemporary art acquisitions of both agencies.
Hosted in the state-owned Alice Gallery (617 E. South Temple), Collect is a collaboration that highlights works from the two collections, including many that have never been shown publicly. Collect will be on display from January 20th to March 3rd. A public reception will be held February 17th from 6 to 9 p.m. in collaboration with the Salt Lake Gallery Stroll. The Alice Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Utah is home to the first state-funded arts council in the nation, founded in 1898 and now known as the Utah Division of Arts & Museums. State Rep. Alice Merrill Horne founded the agency based on visual art collecting, exhibitions, and educational programs. Since that time, the state has continued to acquire artworks with the goal of supporting the careers of Utah artists and building a collection of the state’s artistic heritage. The Fine Art Collection now includes over 1,400 works of art in addition to actively maintained Public Art and Folk Art collections.
The Salt Lake County Art Program began in 1985, as part of the Percent-for-Art legislative mandate, to furnish the newly constructed County Government Buildings on 2100 South State Street with art. Since that time works have continued to be acquired through annual purchases and donations. The eclectic Salt Lake County Art Collection has more than 600 works of art exhibited throughout county-owned facilities. Every artist in the collection has lived or worked in Utah or is currently working in Utah.
Work included from the state collection include artists Trent Alvey, Kevin Kehoe, Ruby Chacon, John Bell, Daniel Everett, Lenka Konopasek, and Jean Arnold, among others. These works have yet to be show in public venues since their acquisition. They range from the 1980s to present day and include paintings, photographs and mixed media works.
Works from the county collection include artists John Owen Erickson, Namon Bills, Wendy Chidester, Don Doxey, Brad Greenwell, John O’Connell, Beth Krensky, and Jody Plant, among others.