By Joanna Ekenes
joanna@newsroom.byu.edu
The Mahonri Young exhibit at the Museum of Art gives students an opportunity to examine the largest collection of one of Utah's most important artists.
Thursday at 7 p.m. the Museum of Art is sponsoring a lecture in conjunction with this exhibit.
Dan Burke, director of Utah Office of Museum Services, will lecture on 'Utah Art of the Depression.'
Dan Burke is the author of a book by the same title.
The lecture will be held in the BYU Museum of Art Auditorium, and is free and open to the public.
The exhibit features around 120 works by Young, said Cheryll May, head of volunteer and public programs for the museum.
'One of the most remarkable things about this exhibit is that it demonstrates his mastery of virtually every major artistic media,' May said. 'He is a superb craftsman.'
May said that Young's work displays excellence in plaster and bronze sculpture, paintings, drawings, watercolors and various types of printed works.
She also said that one of the main themes to be found in his work is that of the dignity of the worker.
'Modern society has lost touch with a lot of the virtue of good hard labor, and this exhibit celebrates and emphasizes the dignity of work,' said Herman Du Toit, head of audience education and development at the museum.
May said that visitors to the exhibit will see beautiful scenes from many different cultures, including European, American and Navajo.
Some of Young's first major pieces were the Joseph and Hyrum Smith sculptures that are now on Temple Square.
He also did the seagull sculpture in Salt Lake City, and the 'This is the Place' monument.
'The most important reason to visit this exhibit is because it will be such a fun, uplifting experience,' May said. 'This is thrilling artwork, and he is the most internationally prominent artist to be raised in Utah.'
May said that Mahonri Young was the last grandson to be born to President Brigham Young before his death in 1877. Young was raised in the Avenues area of Salt Lake City, where he mentored with prominent Utah artists.
As a teen, Young worked as a newspaper illustrator to pay his way to Paris, where he studied art for several years, May said. He returned to Salt Lake to meet and marry his wife before moving to New York City.
'He spent most of his adult life on the East Coast, and he kept in close contact with his family in Utah, although he did not lead the life of an active Latter-day Saint,' May said.
'One reason this exhibit is so important is because it is the first to encompass the major collection of the museum,' Du Toit said.
'I think the BYU Museum of Art is a resource on campus that few students are aware of,' said Amber Meager, public relations assistant for the museum. 'Students should take advantage of the magnificent exhibits that the museum has and become more culturally well-rounded.'
May said that the museum's collection has over 5,000 works by Young.
Mahonri Young is also one of the artists featured in Depression Era Printmakers, an exhibition featuring nineteen Utah artists.
Du Toit said that among the well-known artists featured are Mahonri Young, James T. Harwood, Leconte Stewart and Elzy J. Bird.
'The work, which was created in the 1930s is unique because there is no real depiction of the effects of the poverty and deprivation the nation was experiencing at the time,' Du Toit said. 'It features carefully, lovingly depicted scenes of outdoor landscapes and rural homes.'
Du Toit said these appealing prints present a surprisingly positive view of life.
'Paul Anderson, the head of our design team, has found portraits of each of the artists and included a biographical sketch,' Du Toit said. 'This allows the viewers to relate the work to the artists.'
The printmakers exhibit contains 42 prints by 19 Utah artists.
Du Toit said that the art of printmaking includes etching, wood and linoleum printing, serigraphy (silk screening) and lithography.
The BYU Museum of Art is the fourth and last venue for this traveling exhibition created by the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum in Logan, Du Toit said.
Entrance to the museum is free to students on Mondays and Thursdays, otherwise admission is $1. For more information on the BYU Museum of Art or the exhibit, please call the information desk at (801) 378-8200.