If you’re looking for a variety of great art in a historic setting, check out the St George Art Museum.
Tucked in a courtyard near the historic Pioneer-era St. George Social Hall and St. George Opera House, the St George Art Museum has a lot to offer to patrons of all ages.
St George Art Museum
As part of the Pioneer Center for the Arts complex, the St George Art Museum has its own bit of pioneer history. Perhaps not as glamorous, but a necessary part of life for the early settlers. The St George Art Museum was used for mainly for the storage of sugar beets. The structure was originally built in the 1930s. But never fear — the entire space has been transformed. It now houses two levels of gallery space and includes hands-on activities for children and other programs for the public.
Artists on display
There are currently several artists on display at the St George Art Museum. One in particular is Robert Perkins, whose display titled Paper Trail outlines his journey through life — and a specific journey he took via canoe down the Virgin River to meet the Colorado River. The actual canoe he used on this excursion is part of the exhibit, and is the only piece patrons are encouraged to touch. A film depicting pieces of his journey down the river is located upstairs in one corner of the St George Art Museum. His life sketch — laid out somewhat unconventionally with markers on butcher-style paper — is along the opposite wall. And a collage of pieces of art he created during his childhood is a focal point of that portion of the exhibit.
Downstairs the Layered Voices exhibit features pieces from the Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA). These fabric creations offer a unique perspective with surprisingly varied pieces.
The Layered Voices as well as the work included in Paper Trail will be on display through March 9.
St George Art Museum events
There are several opportunities in which to broaden your artistic scope at the St George Art Museum. And its never too early to educate young people through art.
For example, the Smart Saturdays program.
Smart Saturdays
Taking place the second Saturday of each month, Smart Saturdays encourages children ages 6-12 to take a deeper look at specific artists in a small group setting. Artists studied include Sonia Delauney, Yayoi Kusama, Vincent Van Gogh, Jacob Lawrence, Mary Cassatt and Pablo Picasso.
These one-hour classes include a short art lesson, as well as time and supplies to create their own masterpiece in the style of the artist studied that day.
The classes are capped at 12 students. The cost is $3 for the first child, $1 for each additional child in your immediate family.
Adult Study Center
For adults seeking a place to explore and learn more about art, the St George Art Museum has a place for that. It’s the Adult Study Center. A cozy, elegantly appointed table in the middle of the main floor of the St George Art Museum. Two book shelves offer a wide variety of texts discussing art. A table is a great place to pour over these books, or have a small group conversation about art.
The area is available to any museum patron. It’s cost is only the cost of the museum admission. Reference materials stay on site, but patrons are welcome to stay and study as long as they like during museum hours.
Art Conversations
The St George Art Museum hosts a monthly art conversation on the third Thursday of each month. The conversations begin at 7 p.m. and are led by various artists. Currently there is not a conversation scheduled for February or March, but will pick up again in 2019 in April with Margaret Abramshe, a member of the Studio Art Quilt Associates.
The conversations delve into a variety of topics. Those topics include landscape painting, a discussion on prints, creating unique works of art and more.
St George Art Museum Book Club
Come join the discussion on a wide range of books during the St George Art Museum book club. The discussions take place at 4 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.
Texts for this year include “The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell” by Janet Wallach, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” by David Grann, “Educated” by Tara Westover and more. For a complete list feel free to check out the City of St. George web site.
Family Discovery Center
Make art exploration a family experience by checking out the Family Discovery Center inside the St George Art Museum. According to the St George Art Museum web site, early arts education can provide numerous benefits.
A bright, colorful area gives families the chance to build children’s cognitive skills, fine motor skills, imagination and more.
Access to the Family Discovery Center is included in the museum gallery admission.
Other events
There are several other annual events at the St George Art Museum. In 2018, the museum hosts a fashion show; there was also the For the Love of Art Tour, and a Winter Solstice Celebration. Other events of similar kind may be scheduled in 2019 as well. More details will likely be posted on the organization’s web site.
For example, Vista School’s advanced orchestra will perform in the St George Art Museum at 6 p.m. Feb. 11.
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