From Deseret News archives:
New museum wing houses growing artwork collection
Springville addition has been planned for 10 years
Completion of the George S. and Dolores Eccles Centennial Wing will be celebrated Saturday at the 28th annual Art Ball. The event also will mark the beginning of the 80th annual Spring Salon, one of the major Utah art shows of the year.
The George S. and Dolores Eccles Centennial Wing, built to match the original 1937 architecture, expands the museum to 40,000 square feet.
Springville's was the first art museum project of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration. The "art movement" in Springville started in the 1900s with the schools.
The museum owns 1,750 works of art, including the largest collection of Russian art in North America. It boasts more than 300 such pieces.
During construction, some $5 million in art has been donated to the museum, said Brent Haymond, president of the museum's board of trustees.
The addition, which encloses a courtyard, has a bookstore, an elevator to access all three floors and was designed so visitors can more easily view paintings, sculptures and photography on display. A new kitchen also has been built in the new wing.
Planning for the addition started in 1992, although drawings date to the 1980s.
"We decided not to build until we had enough money," said Vern Swanson, museum director. The state government chipped in $300,000. The Eccles Foundation gave $875,000. The rest of the money came from small donations by art lovers and Utah Valley residents, said Haymond.
Work on the addition, which pushed the number of galleries from 11 to 25, started in 1997. Youth galleries, dedicated to art education, are on the lower level.
There also is some reclaimed space, a basement dug out by six Boy Scouts and their troops working on Eagle Scout badges.
Dozens of artists have their work on display, including early Utah artists John Haven and Cyrus E. Dallin, who were founding artists of the museum.
Art by Minerva Tiechert also is displayed at the museum. Tiechert's painting "Touch Me Not," which depicts the resurrected Christ with Mary Magdalene, is being shown at BYU.
All the paintings in the museum are being digitized for the museum's not-yet-launched Web site.
In the future, patrons will be able to buy art prints on display over the Internet.
E-mail: rodger@desnews.com
Comments
- BYU prof chosen for state board 6:55 p.m.
- Developer looking to buy RSL share 6:36 p.m.
- FLDS man sentenced to 10 years 6:20 p.m.
- Charter helps kids discover talents 6:17 p.m.
- Herbert talks land issues in D.C. 6:15 p.m.
- Good Samaritans help make arrest 6:05 p.m.
- Get a little culture: Probiotics 5:45 p.m.
- What exactly are probiotics? 5:45 p.m.
- Emeril's success? 'Great people' 5:45 p.m.
- Limeade Pie is a quick, easy dessert 5:42 p.m.
- Utah group finds homes for orphans
- Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
- Jazz blow big lead, hang on
- Y. tight ends talented tandem
- Utes get extra motivation
- Senators want food tax restored
- BYU soccer incident still popular
- Lobo land like home for BYU lineman
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009
- U. hopes to keep clicking
- House passes health care bill
259 - TCU showdown has big implications
187 - Lobo suspended
184 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
155 - Senators want food tax restored
146 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
119 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
104 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
95
Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants nationwide will honor...
Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John...
That's not true - and if you'd called them you'd know that. The health...
Point 1 - wrong - there are anti-discrimination laws that prevent people from...
Here's a name for you... Kevin Durant. By seasons end he'll definitly be a...
Why are these mormons more important than other people since they are...
HA HA Thats a joke right? Sorry to say but i dont even know how he made it to...
Let's first get a new coach, but since Mr. Miller loves him so much Jerry...
oh yay we have another JD Books...
Must be an uneducated Ute fan!
There were no FLDS people on the jury.
wow all of these comments sound like the south sevier team before they played...




You can be the first to comment on this story.