Museum good for downtown

Many Utah museums tell pieces of the state's rich history. There are also museums and public buildings that display the works of the state's finest artists.

But none is devoted solely to the history of Utah. That will change when the Utah Museum of Art & History, to be located in downtown Salt Lake City, opens its doors. It will weave Utah stories using visual art, historical artifacts and archives now in public and private collections.

For instance, one of the planned displays will feature a shell brooch made by a Japanese-American woman held at the Topaz internment camp during World War II. The brooch will be the starting point of her story and the larger issue of holding "enemy combatants" during military conflicts.

The concept of the Utah Museum of Art & History, or MUAH, is exciting because it may serve as a catalyst for further revitalization of downtown Salt Lake City. It will provide a central location to display many of the art and history treasures that belong to the people of Utah and are maintained by state archivists, historians and the Utah Arts Council. These are mostly held in storage because there is not an adequate or common place to show them to the public.

In 1998, Bonnie Stephens of the Utah Arts Council, Jeff Johnson, then of the Utah State Archives and Records Service, and Max Evans, then of the Utah State Historical Society, embarked on a project to meld elements of Utah's art and history. The original project was called the Utah Cultural Center.

The project eventually evolved into the MUAH, which will be directed by Thomas F. Rugh, who brings a broad art background and considerable business acumen to the position. Rugh, a former senior vice president at Zions Bank, was chairman of the Brigham Young University Museum of Art National Advisory Board and vice-chairman of Art Access in Salt Lake City. Rugh holds a doctorate degree in art history from the University of Chicago, has taught at Notre Dame University and teaches a class in museum studies at BYU.

Although MUAH is a nonprofit organization, Rugh makes no bones about running the museum as a business. To supplement fund raising and traditional revenue sources, the museum will also be available as a boutique meeting space for conventioneers or other groups that need an intimate setting for meetings or gatherings.

Rugh's passions are art and museums. Through personal and professional connections, he has assembled an impressive national advisory council on behalf of MUAH, including the directors of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Getty Research Institute.

The museum is located at 125-127 S. Main. Formerly, the buildings at that address housed State Savings and Loan and Inkley's. The bank building was built in 1864. Establishing MUAH's primary location in that building gives a lovely historical structure a new lease on life, which is an added bonus of the project.

MUAH will be a welcome addition to Utah's cultural and educational landscape and an important player in the revitalization of Salt Lake's Main Street. We look forward to its scheduled opening in late 2004 or early 2005.