Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve gave the dedicatory prayer at the Springville Museum of Art’s Stewart Sculpture Garden dedication on Monday. 

Elder Oaks was invited because of his unlikely connection to one of the artists featured in the sculpture garden, Cyrus E. Dallin.

“My tie to this museum goes back to 60 years,” Elder Oaks said. “My mom brought me and my siblings to this museum every year even though we lived in … Idaho.”

Elder Oaks explained to the audience that he was named after Dallin after his mother heard him speak days before Elder Oaks’ birth.

Dallin’s “The Spirit of Life” (1918, bronze) is the focal point of the Stewart Sculpture Garden. The sculpture is of a robed woman raising her child to the heavens. 

“[The garden] is in homage to Cyrus Dallin,” said Vern Swanson, the Springville Museum of Art director, “Utah’s first great sculptor.”

Dallin has said his greatest honor is that he came from Springville.

Dallin studied art in Massachusetts. One of his better known sculptures is of Paul Revere and the Angel Moroni atop the Salt Lake City Temple.

Dallin participated in the first dedication of the museum in 1937, where President David O. McKay gave the dedicatory prayer.

“We have seen the full fruition of President McKay’s original dedication,” said Jay Knight, the Museum Association board president, “that this place be ‘a sanctuary of beauty and a temple of contemplation.’”

Vern Swanson, Springville Museum of Art director, attributes the completion of the garden to the many volunteers and donors.

“This former field of weeds has been transformed by those who believe in its mission,” he said. Diane Stewart, one of the garden’s founders, recounted when Swanson introduced her to the project, about four years ago.

“When Vern first brought me back to this empty lot full of weeds and debris and shared his vision of a sculpture garden,” Stewart said. “It took me less than a minute to say yeah, this should be a sculpture garden".

Gary Anderson, Utah County commissioner, is grateful for the people who “put their money where their mouth is.”

He explained to the audience that this garden was not the result of Utah tax payer’s money.  It was funded through a tourism tax and generous donations.

These generous donations were especially appreciated during this time of economic recession.

“They built the museum during the Great Depression,” said J. Brent Haymond, the project manager. “And here we are to dedicate the sculpture garden during a time of depression at the sacrifice of so many.”

At the dedication, Swanson was said to have made great sacrifices for the Springville Museum of Art.

“With Vern’s direction, the art collection has become one of the finest in the United States,” Haymond said.

Leaders and civilians alike recognized Swanson.

“I think Vern Swanson is first class,” said Karen Breau, who attended Springville High School before the lot was transformed into the museum known today. “He’s done a fabulous job with the museum.  I think he really loves this place.” 

Lieutenant Governor of Utah, Gary Herbert, also gave his remarks at the dedication. He shared his own personal experience of how art has benefited his own life.

“We are better people because we have museums in our communities,” Herbert said.   
He then explained the benefits of art to the community.

“We have a community that is becoming coarser, less refined,” Herbert said. “We’ve become less personal. Life is tough enough without appreciating some of the finer things in life.”

Later in the event, Dallin H. Oaks explained the reasons for a dedication.  

He explained that dedications are meant to set apart a place for a specific purpose. 

The purpose of the museum is found in its mission statement:  to “refine minds and build character through the visual fine arts.”

“Now that’s a mission statement we can all say amen to,” Herbert said.

Swanson looks forward to the future developments of the garden.

“This garden will never stop growing,” Swanson said. Ashlee Whitaker, the museum’s assistant curator, agrees.

“The number keeps growing of the number of sculptures in the garden,” she said. “At last count we had probably 29 in the garden.”

The Springville Museum of Art and its newly opened Stewart Sculpture Garden is open Tuesday 10-5 p.m., Wednesday 10-9 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 10-5 p.m., and Sunday from 3-6 p.m.

lisamw2@gmail.com