With the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) closing until next spring to update the building’s insulation and reimagine its floor plan, it might seem like quality art by professionals is completely out of reach for U students.
But while the UMFA might out of commission for a while, there are still places students can see modern and classical art for free in downtown Salt Lake. From small, locally-owned exhibit spaces, such as Finch Lane Gallery, to larger, internationally-focused spaces, such as the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, there isn’t a shortage of places to enjoy while looking at paintings, installations and everything in between.
It just might take a little extra walking to get there.
Finch Lane Gallery
Finch Lane Gallery is located conveniently close to campus on 1340 East and 100 South. The proximity makes it a great alternative gallery to frequent during the UMFA renovations. Finch Lane is a quaint spot — the building looks as if it used to be somebody’s home, with blue siding and small windows. Inside, the gallery is open, and each exhibit flows well in the small space.
The gallery is part of the Salt Lake City Arts Council, which is the council in charge of events like the Twilight Concert Series and the Living Traditions Festival. Finch Lane features exhibits by local artists year-round. The artists are selected annually by members of the council and other artists in the community.
Currently the gallery is featuring exhibitions by Tess Cook, Larry Revoir and Grant Fuhst, which will run until Feb. 26. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free of charge. The gallery also participates in the Salt Lake Gallery Stroll, which takes place on the third Friday of every month from 6 to 9 p.m. Next time you are on campus and feel the need to stroll through some art, take a walk over to Finch Lane Gallery and check out the work of talented local artists.
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art
Although it has gone by a couple of different names in its nearly-85-year history, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) has remained one of the premiere locations to see works that break the mold of what a piece of artwork can really be. For instance, how would you react to seeing a wall of cat pictures culled from the Internet, a video featuring the existential thoughts of a refrigerator and sculptures that don’t look much like anything at all?
Featuring artists from around the globe, the UMOCA pushes boundaries and challenges expectations of creative expressions. Whether you prefer these artistic styles or you’re just curious to see a more revolutionary side of the art world, the museum is a perfect place to spend an afternoon with your friends and family. The wide, open floor plan makes all of the displays accessible to parents who need to push their children in strollers or for visitors in wheelchairs, with an elevator to allow for easy access between the gallery’s two levels. More permanent works of art are scattered between these two floors, with visiting pieces, like the upcoming multi-channel video installation Oracle by Yoshua Okón, are placed in between them.
Located at 20 South West Temple, the building is easily reached by the City Center, Temple Square and Arena Trax stations.
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