Utah Museum of Contemporary Art

History

The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art was first founded in 1931 as the Art Barn Association 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." 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. 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 Art Barn’s name changed 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. In 1979, SLAC moved to a new facility in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, the cultural center of Utah, designed by the Salt Lake architectural firm of FFKR Architects/Planners, for 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 a sculpture outside the center. The 24-foot stainless steel column, titled Column 24, still 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 function. Since then, UMOCA has expanded its exhibition and community programming, and has been a four-time recipient of funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation as well as a 2015 recipient 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 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 and an art shop, 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.

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, 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.

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. UMOCA also maintains several community partnerships, resulting in collaborations with fellow arts nonprofits, community gardens and more.

Exhibitions

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