Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints Art Competition

SALT LAKE CITY — From Peru to the Philippines and Ukraine to Uruguay come 151 works of beauty and deep feeling in the course of woodwork, sculpture, cloth and a diversity of other artistic mediums at the 11th International Art Contest at the Church History Museum.

The showroom, which is held every three years and runs March 14 through Oct. 7, highlights 151 pieces of art by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The selected works reflect this year's theme of "Meditations on Belief," drawn from Psalms 77: 10-12: "I will call back the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of onetime. I will meditate likewise of all thy work, and talk of thy doings."

A item of "Never a Murmur," a cast statuary sculpture past Craig Cunningham, is pictured in front of "Lights of Nighttime," an acrylic slice by Roland Thompson, during a media preview for the 11th International Art Exhibition at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 12, 2019.

Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Alan Johnson, manager of the Church building History Museum, explained that choosing a theme every three years is one of the museum's greatest challenges in planning the competition.

An internal museum team of four to 5 people brainstorm ideas and look for a theme that represents the mission of the museum, which is to give people the opportunity to reconnect to the history and growing artistic legacy of the church building.

"We felt good about that balance of inspiring, inclusive, welcoming and however very broad with the core theme of belief," Johnson said of this year's chosen theme.

Laura Hurtado, who was recently named the new executive director of the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, has served as the global acquisitions curator of art for the Church History Museum since 2013. She said the multifariousness of artists and pieces are the force of the showroom.

"I recollect what the competition really achieves well, is this kind of broadening," Hurtado said. "It'southward far deeper and more than nuanced in terms of the visual legacy and also in terms of these individual, devotional moments. I call back the work of each individual work is quite personal and really strong in its expression. I recollect those kind of individual stories are really powerful."

Micah Chistensen, founder of Zion Fine art Society, walks in front of "Lights of Night," an acrylic slice past Roland Thompson, while touring the 11th International Art Exhibition at the Church History Museum during a media preview in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 12, 2019.

Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Hurtado said the museum received 947 submissions from a variety of countries. Of those entries, a jury panel of 5 art professionals selected 151 works for the final bear witness. The 2019 jurors are: Herman Du Toit, retired head of museum research at Brigham Young University; painter and sculptor J. Kirk Richards, founder of Vision of the Arts Fund; Scottish creative person and educator Jean Richardson; Analisa Coats Sato, a doctoral candidate who has worked equally a curatorial research banana; and Elaine Thatcher, executive director for Summerfest Arts Faire in Logan.

This was Richardson's get-go year as a juror. She explained that nigh year agone, afterward the competition's deadline had passed, she began to evaluate each submission the artists compiled online. Forth with a picture of their artwork, each artist included a statement almost their submission.

"Reading their testimonies and reading (about) their bulldoze and desire to be part of this exhibition that (they) paired with their art was really dainty," Richardson said.

Jurors evaluated each piece on three criteria: artistic merit, innovation and thematic alignment. From the original 947 submissions, about 250 pieces fabricated it to the 2nd circular. Those pieces were sent to the museum and displayed for the 5 jurors, who then filtered the selections further. Three of the five jurors had to concur on a piece for information technology to be selected for the show.

A item of "Ask of God," by Janna Siebert, is pictued during a media preview for the 11th International Art Exhibition at the Church building History Museum in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 12, 2019.

Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Hurtado said it is standard for the museum to buy 15 works from the International Art Competition, while the museum has posted photos of all pieces from this year'southward showroom online at history.lds.org. The works are sectioned into the following categories: God'due south Creations; Adam and Eve; Old Testament Stories; Jesus Christ's Ministry and Mission; Faith and Conversion; Adversity and Hope; Clemency and Love; Marriage and Family; and Temples and Family unit History.

Museum patrons can as well share their feelings on the artwork. According to history.lds.org, visitors tin vote for their favorite art pieces using kiosks in the gallery space, and visitors' choice awards will be given at the conclusion of the exhibition.

"We just hope people come and enjoy the show," Johnson said. "Information technology'southward a wonderful international representation of so many different types of art. There's something for everybody."

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Source: https://www.deseret.com/2019/3/12/20668227/151-works-of-art-from-around-the-world-at-the-church-history-museum-s-international-art-competition

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