03/21/12 UMFA Announces New Director of Public Programs and Educational Services

01/12/12 UMFA Announces Collaboration with Dia Art Foundation and GSLI

06/07/11 UMFA Receives Highest National Museum Recognition

05/26/11 UMFA a Proud Blue Star Museums Participant

UMFA Announces New Director of Public Programs and Educational Services

Salt Lake City, UT - The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) at the University of Utah is pleased to announce Ms. Kerry O'Grady as the organization's new Director of Public Programs and Educational Services. O'Grady will assume her newly appointed role at the Museum immediately.

As Director of Public Programs and Educational Services, O'Grady will take a leadership role in planning and developing integrated educational programs on behalf of the UMFA. She will manage arts outreach initiatives for the general community, school children, educators, and the University of Utah campus.

"We are delighted to welcome Kerry O'Grady to the UMFA staff," says executive director Gretchen Dietrich. "She brings to our team a deep understanding of how a campus art museum can be a fascinating resource for students, faculty and staff. We look forward to working with Kerry to strengthen the UMFA's impact on campus and the community."

O'Grady brings to the UMFA a strong background working with university-based arts organizations. From 2007 to 2010, she served as the Director of the Student Union Art Gallery for University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she oversaw the development of exhibitions and programs designed for a diverse university and regional audience. O'Grady then served as Director of the Seton Art Gallery at the University of New Haven, where she managed all facets of gallery operation, developed curricula for exhibition development courses, and integrated the gallery into the university's museum studies program.

A trained artist and educator, O'Grady holds a master's degree in studio art from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, as well as a master's degree in art education from Tufts University/School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She taught students of nearly every age group along the East Coast, and worked as a lecturer at the University of New Haven for two years. While at New Haven, O'Grady created new art syllabi for the Introduction to Art and Introduction to 2D Design courses.

O'Grady is a drawing specialist and served artist residencies at the Vermont Studio Center and Burren College of Art. Her work has been featured in dozens of group exhibitions across the East Coast, and recently she had a solo exhibition called Perception & Performance at the Orison Project in Essex, Connecticut.

"I am thrilled to be joining the UMFA team and I look forward to continuing the inspiring work of the PPES department," says O'Grady. "I plan to work with my colleagues to help museum visitors and students throughout Utah to make meaningful connections with the Museum and its collections, exhibitions, and programs."

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The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is located in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building on the University of Utah campus at 410 Campus Center Drive. Admission is $7 adults, $5 seniors and youth ages 6-18, free for children 5 and under, University of Utah students, faculty, staff, higher education students in Utah, and UMFA Members. Free admission offered the first Wednesday and third Saturday of each month. Museum hours are Tue - Fri 10 am - 5 pm, Wed 10 am - 8 pm, Weekends 11 am - 5 pm; closed Mondays and Holidays. For more information call (801) 581-7332 or visit www.umfa.utah.edu.

UTAH MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ANNOUNCES COLLABORATION WITH DIA ART FOUNDATION AND THE GREAT SALT LAKE INSTITUTE

Collaboration will ensure the long-term
preservation of Robert Smithson's iconic artwork, the Spiral Jetty

A community information session with participating institutions will be held
Thursday, February 2, 2012, at 7 pm at the Salt Lake City Public Library

NEW YORK, NY- Dia Art Foundation will work with two Salt Lake City-based organizations, The Great Salt Lake Institute (GSLI) at Westminster College and the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) at the University of Utah, as part of its ongoing stewardship of the Spiral Jetty. Dia, GSLI, and UMFA envision a collaboration that builds on the existing and complementary relationships between the institutions that date back to 2008.

The monumental earthwork the Spiral Jetty (1970) was created by artist Robert Smithson (1938-1973) and is located off Rozel Point in the north arm of the Great Salt Lake. Made of black basalt rocks and earth gathered from the site, the Spiral Jetty is a 15-foot-wide coil that stretches more than 1,500 feet into the lake. Its exceptional art historical importance, unique beauty, and remote location have drawn visitors and media attention from throughout Utah and around the world.

Since acquiring the earthwork as a gift from the artist's estate in 1999, Dia has leased the land upon which the artwork sits from the State of Utah. When the lease expired earlier this year, Dia and the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands negotiated a replacement through a noncompetitive process, which was signed December 22, 2011.

As the State of Utah continues its Comprehensive Management Plan for the Great Salt Lake, Dia is formalizing collaborations with two prominent Utah-based organizations that have previously supported its stewardship efforts of the Spiral Jetty. Such local representation will ensure the concerns and needs of this iconic American artwork are met.

"Dia and the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands share the same goal-maintaining the integrity of an iconic work of art," said Philippe Vergne, director of Dia. "As Dia continues and deepens its stewardship of the Spiral Jetty, collaborations with local institutions establish a presence ‘on the ground.' Both the UMFA and Westminster's GSLI have been great advocates for Robert Smithson and the Spiral Jetty, and we look forward to working with them to make sure that the earthwork, as well as Smithson's larger oeuvre, is more available to audiences."

Within this collaboration, Westminster's Great Salt Lake Institute will spearhead the vast biological and research opportunities that surround the Spiral Jetty. GSLI is active in promoting the Great Salt Lake as an important resource, and Westminster faculty and students frequent the Spiral Jetty as part of ongoing education, research, and preservation efforts. The GSLI's hands-on experience and close physical proximity make it an ideal collaborator for Dia, particularly with regard to environmental issues, maintenance, and site accessibility.

"For 15 years, students and faculty from Westminster College have been traveling to the Spiral Jetty to research the science of the Great Salt Lake," said Dr. Bonnie Baxter, director of GSLI. "What we never anticipated is how the artwork would draw us in. This is the power of land art-the Spiral Jetty makes a statement about the nature of the environment in which it exists."

Working closely with Dia, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts will develop a cultural presence for the Spiral Jetty in Salt Lake City, at the museum and on its website. Additionally, the UMFA will uphold the cultural reputation of the Spiral Jetty within Utah, collaborating with Dia on projects or curricula that develop around the artwork at the University of Utah and across the region.

Gretchen Dietrich, executive director of UMFA, said, "As the State of Utah's official art museum, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts cares deeply about the Spiral Jetty. It is one of the most important artworks in the world, and is truly a state treasure. The UMFA is delighted to be partnering with Dia and the GSLI to ensure that the Spiral Jetty remains cared for and protected, now and forever."

The Spiral Jetty Community Information Session:

WHAT:

The Future of the Spiral Jetty: Community and Collaboration Panel Discussion

WHO:

Dr. Bonnie Baxter, director, The Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College

Gretchen Dietrich, executive director, Utah Museum of Fine Arts

Philippe Vergne, director, Dia Art Foundation

Moderator, Jennifer Napier-Pearce, journalist, KCPW

WHEN:

Thursday, February 2, 2012, at 7 pm

WHERE:

Main Library Auditorium, Salt Lake City Public Library, 210 E 400 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

For more information, visit www.spiraljetty.org

Dia Art Foundation:

A nonprofit institution founded in 1974, Dia Art Foundation is renowned for initiating, supporting, presenting, and preserving art projects. Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries, opened in May 2003 in Beacon, New York, on the banks of the Hudson River as the home for Dia's distinguished collection of art from the 1960s to the present. The museum, which occupies a former Nabisco printing factory, features major installations of works by a focused group of some of the most significant artists of the last half century, as well as special exhibitions, new commissions, and diverse public and education programs. Dia:Chelsea is located on West 22nd Street in the heart of New York City's gallery district, which it helped to pioneer. Currently open for artist lectures and readings, Dia is developing plans to expand its presence in Chelsea.

Dia also maintains long-term, site-specific projects. These include Walter De Maria's The New York Earth Room (1977) and The Broken Kilometer (1979), Max Neuhaus's Times Square (1977), Joseph Beuys's 7000 Eichen (7000 Oaks) (1988), and Dan Flavin's untitled (1996), in Manhattan; The Dan Flavin Art Institute, in Bridgehampton, New York; De Maria's Vertical Earth Kilometer (1977), in Kassel, Germany; Robert Smithson's the Spiral Jetty (1970), in the Great Salt Lake, Utah; and De Maria's The Lightning Field (1977), in Quemado, New Mexico. For additional public information, visit www.diaart.org.

Utah Museum of Fine Arts:

As Utah's official state art museum, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) at the University of Utah is the primary cultural resource for global visual arts and culture in the region. The UMFA has long served as a bridge from the University of Utah campus to the broader community, working to engage visitors in making meaningful connections with the world of art. The Museum's permanent collection spans more than 5,000 years of human creativity and features over 18,000 works of art. An ambitious special exhibition program and a variety of educational events are scheduled year-round to foster dialogue and discovery. The UMFA is located in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building at 410 Campus Center Drive on the campus of the University of Utah. For more information, call 801 581 7332, visit www.umfa.utah.edu, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College:

The Great Salt Lake Institute (GSLI) is dedicated to supporting research, education, and stewardship of our unique Great Salt Lake. In achieving this mission, we foster interdisciplinary collaborations that engage students, teachers, scholars, artists, and the public.

Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences, and its vibrant campus community. Westminster's unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. For more information, visit www.westminstercollege.edu or follow WestminsterSLC on Twitter.

Media Contacts:
Dia Art Foundation: Katie Sonnenborn at 212 293 5598
Utah Museum of Fine Arts: Shelbey Lang at 801 585 1306
Westminster College: Krista DeAngelis and Arikka Von at 801 832 2682

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Utah Museum of Fine Arts Receives Highest National Recognition

During 10th Anniversary of Marcia and John Price Museum Building

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Shelbey Peterson, 801.585.1306
shelbey.peterson@umfa.utah.edu

Salt Lake City, UT - The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) is pleased to announce it has been granted reaccreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM). Accreditation is the highest national recognition a museum can receive. This reaccreditation coincides with the UMFA's tenth anniversary of operation in the award-winning Marcia and John Price Museum Building, and is indicative of the museum's commitment to excellence over the past decade.

About AAM Accreditation

Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 40 years, AAM's museum accreditation program is the field's primary means of quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability. Awarded after a rigorous, multi-year examination process, accreditation recognizes a museum for its commitment to excellence in the areas of governance, collections stewardship, public programs, financial stability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement.

In 1972 the UMFA was the first university museum west of the Mississippi to receive accreditation after the program began in 1971. Reaccreditation has occurred every ten years, and the Museum began a self-study in 2008 to examine every aspect of its operations in preparation for reaccreditation in 2011.

Of the nation's estimated 17,500 museums, 775 are currently accredited. The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is one of only five accredited museums in Utah, and one of only two accredited museums in Salt Lake City, according the AAM website.

"Accreditation assures the people of Salt Lake City that their museum is among the finest in the nation," said Ford W. Bell, president of AAM. "As a result, the citizens can take considerable pride in their homegrown institution, for its commitment to excellence and for the value it brings to the community."

About the 10th Anniversary of the Marcia and John Price Museum Building

The UMFA's reaccreditation coincides with the tenth anniversary of the award-winning Marcia and John Price Museum Building, which officially opened to the public on June 2, 2001.

"Over the past decade it has been a pleasure to see the beautiful UMFA grow in stature and begin to fulfill its promise," says benefactor Marcia Price. "It has been a privilege to work with the University, the Director, and the fine staff and board to continually meet new goals of excellence."

Made possible by generous private gifts, including a leadership gift by Ambassador John Price and Mrs. Marcia Price, the 74,000 square-foot building has enabled the UMFA to facilitate meaningful connections between hundreds of thousands of museum visitors and the world of art, making a variety of exhibitions, programs, and collections accessible to Utah's diverse communities.

• Special Exhibitions: The UMFA has presented dozens of special exhibitions over the last decade. Among marquee exhibitions are: Rodin: Sculpture from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Collection (2001); Dresses for Humanity (2001); Athletes in Antiquity: Works from the Collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum (2002); Edward Hopper and Urban Realism (2003); Travels in Time and Space: The Art of Robert Sabuda (2006); Dream America: Prints by Andy Warhol (2007); Monet to Picasso from the Cleveland Museum of Art (2008); Splendid Heritage: Perspectives on American Indian Art (2009); salt (series premier 2010); and The Smithson Effect (2011). The UMFA will open its next major exhibition, LeConte Stewart: Depression-Era Art, in July 2011.
  
  
• Public Programs: The UMFA serves as a teaching, learning, and research resource for the University of Utah and the broader community, providing engaging public programs to encourage dialogue and discovery. In the last ten years, the UMFA's public programming reach has grown exponentially. In addition to hosting educational lectures, tours, films, and artist talks on-site, the UMFA created its groundbreaking Art in a Box program in 2004 to provide in-classroom visual arts education to schoolchildren throughout the state. Since its inception, Art in a Box has served over 51,000 students and teachers in Utah.
  
  
• Collections: The Marcia and John Price Museum Building houses the UMFA's permanent collection of over 18,000 art objects from around the world. The collection, which spans over 5,000 years of human creativity, gives visitors the opportunity to experience different ideas, values, and cultures all year round. In 2010 the UMFA launched a comprehensive database to provide online visitors with access to all objects in the UMFA's permanent collection (www.collections.umfa.utah.edu).

"We are proud and honored to have received reaccreditation from AAM," says Gretchen Dietrich, executive director of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. "Appropriately, it was a strenuous process, ensuring we met best practices in the museum field. I am so very optimistic about the future of our wonderful Museum, where we strive to make great art and great ideas come alive for our visitors. With this reaccreditation comes our pledge to uphold the public trust, and continue to be a place where new ways of thinking and seeing captivate and transform."

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The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is located on the University of Utah campus in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building at 410 Campus Center Drive. The UMFA's mission is to engage visitors in discovering meaningful connections with the artistic expressions of the world's cultures. General admission is $7 adults, $5 youth and seniors, FREE for U of U students/staff/faculty, UMFA members, higher education students in Utah, and children under six years old. Free admission offered the first Wednesday and third Saturday of each month thanks to the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks Fund. Museum hours are Tuesday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Wednesdays 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Weekends, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; closed Mondays and holidays. For more information call (801) 581-7332 or visit www.umfa.utah.edu.

UTAH MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS A PROUD BLUE STAR MUSEUMS PARTICIPANT

UMFA one of more than 1300 museums across America to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer

Embargoed for Release on 5/23/11
Contact: Shelbey Peterson, 801.585.1306,
Shelbey.Peterson@umfa.utah.edu

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is pleased to announce their second participation in Blue Star Museums, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and more than 1,300 museums across America. Blue Star Museums is designed to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2011. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families, and the complete list of participating museums is available at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

The Utah Museum of Fine Arts has taken this effort a step further by providing active duty military personnel and their immediate family members free general admission all year round. This program is available to any bearer of a military ID who is an active member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, or Reserve. Some special or limited-time museum exhibitions may not be included. Families can visit www.umfa.utah.edu for museum hours and information.

"The UMFA is delighted to again welcome military families free of charge," said UMFA Director of Development and External Relations Lisa Arnette. "We were so honored to provide this benefit in summer of 2010 that we jumped at the opportunity to offer the service on a year-round basis. We hope that in some small measure this effort rewards the service our military personnel and their families offer us all."

"Blue Star Museums may be the program at the NEA of which I am proudest," said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. "Blue Star Museums recognizes and thanks our military families for all they are doing for our country, and simultaneously begins young people on a path to becoming life-long museum goers."

"Last year the success of the inaugural year of the Blue Star Museums program showed that partnerships between the nation's museum and military communities are a natural," said Blue Star Families Chairman Kathy Roth-Douquet. "We are thrilled that 300,000 military family members visited our partner museums in the summer of 2010. We hope to exceed that number this year as the military community takes advantage of the rich cultural heritage they defend and protect every day. We appreciate the NEA and the nation's museums who chose to partner with us. We also are grateful to our friends at the MetLife Foundation, the lead supporter of the Blue Star Museums outreach initiative, whose generous donation helps make our work possible."

More than 1,324 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative, including more than 500 new museums this year. Museums are welcome to join Blue Star Museums throughout the summer. The effort to recruit museums has involved the partnership efforts of The American Association of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Children's Museums, and the American Association of State and Local History. This year's Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science museums, history museums, nature centers, and 70 children's museums. Participants include The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine in Portland, Maine, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa, the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles, California, the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington, the Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, and the Utah Museum of Fine Arts in Salt Lake City.

About Blue Star Museums

Blue Star Museums runs from Memorial Day, May 30, 2011 through to Labor Day, September 5, 2011. The free admission program is available to active-duty military and their immediate family members (military ID holder and five immediate family members). Active duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve members. Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this free admission program. For questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum directly. To find out which museums are participating, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. The site includes a list of participating museums and a map to help with visit planning.

Museums that wish to participate in Blue Star Museums may contact bluestarmuseums@arts.gov, or Wendy Clark at 202-682-5451.

This is the latest NEA program to bring quality arts programs to the military, veterans, and their families. Other NEA programs for the military have included Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience; Great American Voices Military Base Tour; and Shakespeare in American Communities Military Base Tour.

About the Utah Museum of Fine Arts

Utah's premier visual art museum, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) is located on the University of Utah campus in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building at 410 Campus Center Drive in Salt Lake City. The UMFA's mission is to engage visitors in discovering meaningful connections with the artistic expressions of the world's cultures.

The UMFA's permanent collection spans 5,000 years of human creativity and features some 18,000 works from across the globe. Special exhibitions make each visit a new experience, and a variety of public programs are scheduled year-round to encourage dialogue and discovery. Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy a light lunch of sandwiches, salads, coffee, and pastries in The Museum Café and are welcome to browse artistic keepsakes in The Museum Store.

General admission is $7 adults, $5 youth and seniors, free for U of U students/staff/faculty, UMFA members, higher education students in Utah, active military personnel and their immediate family members, and children under six years old. Free admission offered the first Wednesday and third Saturday of each month thanks to the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks fund. Museum hours are Tuesday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Wednesdays 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Weekends, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; closed Mondays and holidays. For more information call (801) 581-7332 or visit www.umfa.utah.edu.

About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including guard and reserve, with a mission to support, connect and empower military families. In addition to morale and empowerment programs, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life and works to make military life more sustainable. Membership includes military spouses, children and parents as well as service members, veterans and civilians.

To learn more about Blue Star Families, visit www.bluestarfam.org.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.

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