NEWS: The Last Fifty” Exhibition Opens in AliceGallery

The Last Fifty” Exhibition Opens in AliceGallery

Modern and Contemporary Works from the Utah State Fine Art Collection

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Arts & Museums announces the opening of the exhibition “The Last Fifty: Modern and Contemporary Works from the Utah State Fine Art Collection” in the Alice Merrill Horne Gallery, located inside theGlendinning Mansion. The show runs from November 26, 2012 to February 8, 2013, and gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Glendinning Mansion is located at 617 E. South Temple in Salt Lake City.

“The Last Fifty” is a selection of works by Utahartists from 1962 to the present. Although there is a chronological sequence apparent in the exhibition, the scope of practice is wide and varied. “Included in this exhibition are traditional natural and urban landscapes by LeConte Stewart and Richard J. Van Wagoner,” noted Margaret Hunt, Director of Utah Arts & Museums. “These pieces contrast with works influenced by modernist movements — abstract expressionism, geometric abstraction, minimalism — in the work of Lee Deffebach, Edward Maryon and Anna Campbell Bliss.”

The last quarter of the 20th century includes a range of Utah artists that address contemporary themes of place, spirituality, identity and environment. A subset of works from this exhibition will then travel to a variety of venues around Utah as part of the Traveling Exhibition Program. Details can be found athttp://utahtravelingexhibits.org.

Utah’s state-owned art collection began in 1899 under the leadership of Alice Merrill Horne, who ran for office on a platform of support for the arts. Once elected to the House of Representatives, she sponsored a bill to create a state arts organization and to establish a state collection of artwork. Thanks to the efforts of the Collection Acquisition Committee and generous donations from patrons and artists, the Utah State Fine Art Collection acquires new artwork by Utah artists every year.

Photos: LeConte Stewart, “The BlueMountain,” 1962

Lee Deffebach, “Brown Recluse,” 1991

About Utah Arts & Museums

Utah Arts & Museums is a division of the Utah Department of Heritage and Arts with a goal to promote innovation in and the growth of Utah’s arts and culture community. The division provides funding, education, and technical services to individuals and organizations statewide so that all Utahns, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or economic status, can access, understand, and receive the benefits of arts and culture. Additional information on programs and services can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov or by calling 801.236.7555.