Word art that reads: At the heart of it all.

Dive deeper into the history of the art on view, explore the behind-the-scenes workings of the Museum, and get down to the heart of it all with this monthly blog from the Utah Museum of Fine Arts! Explore topics like:

Art History
Stories Behind the Art
Community
BEhind-the-Scenes
Object Origins
Two people examine a a painting in a gallery.

Moving from the Periphery

By Sabita Bastakoti, University of Utah student and curatorial internand Whitney Tassie, senior curator This spring UMFA staff installed a special contemporary […]
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A painting of a Black female athlete in a white Tuskegee uniform, mid-jump, clearing a yellow bar against a bright blue background, with her fist raised and hair flowing.

From Harlem to Utah: Stories of Blackness | James Jackson, III

Hi, my name is James Jackson, III, founder of the Utah Black Chamber in Salt Lake City, Utah.   Hurdle after […]
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A man in a suit with an orange tie stands against a blue background, eyes closed, while swirling black smoke-like shapes encircle and rise around him.

From Harlem to Utah: Stories of Blackness | Matthew Sketch

Hi, my name is Matthew Sketch and I’m an artist from Houston, Texas. As I gaze at Kehinde Wiley’s Conspicuous […]
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A man in a patterned jacket stands beside a bicycle on a city sidewalk, holding a colorful mermaid kite in one hand and a bird kite in the other, with a building and sign behind him.

From Harlem to Utah: Stories of Blackness | Meligha Garfield

Hi, I’m Meligha Garfield and I’m the director of the Black Cultural Center at the University of Utah. This artwork […]
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Four hexagonal frames filled with colorful circular objects arranged in rows, forming a geometric pattern. Each hexagon has a diamond-shaped hole in the center, and the colors include blue, red, yellow, green, orange, and brown.

From Harlem to Utah: Stories of Blackness | Leslie D. Pippen

I’m Leslie D. Pippen, an experimental concepts artist originally from East Texas who has lived in Utah for 20 years. […]
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A black sculptural artwork made from intricately cut and layered recycled rubber, possibly from tires, sits on a white pedestal against a plain background. The piece features textured, organic forms and spiked, angular protrusions.

From Harlem to Utah: Stories of Blackness | Alexandra Barbier

Hello, my name is Alexandra Barbier and I’m a dance artist and educator living in Salt Lake City, Utah. I don’t love […]
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A painting of a person with brown skin, wearing a bright green suit and patterned scarf, sits cross-legged on a chair against a vivid yellow background. The style is bold and slightly abstract.

From Harlem to Utah: Stories of Blackness | Ruth Gooden

Hi, my name is Ruth Gooden and I’m a docent at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts from Park City, […]
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A rectangular piece of barkcloth displays hand-painted geometric patterns in brown and cream tones, featuring bold stripes, chevrons, and leaf-like shapes arranged in symmetrical rows. The edges are uneven and frayed.

Diaspora Blues in the Arts of the Pacific

Monique Ho Ching—advocate, future curator, community activist, lover of shoes, and proud Art Ambassador at the UMFA From a young […]
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A moonlit river scene with dark trees on the right, water reflecting the moonlight, a figure sitting near the shore, and another standing nearby; a small house with lighted windows is visible in the distance.

Art in a Time of Angst: The Antidote of Looking

by Alana Wolf, collections research curator The evidence that humans are hopelessly divided seems to be everywhere we look. Any […]
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A group of people protest in front of a large government building. One person holds a sign that reads, ASK ME HOW TO ARCHIVE YOUR SIGN. Others hold various signs in the background. The sky is overcast.

Women’s Work in the American West: Teaching with Primary Sources (Work-in-Progress)

By Julia Huddleston, graduate student, Department of History, College of Humanities The Fellowship in Collections Engagement in part of “Landscape, […]
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