A new exhibit at the BYU Museum of Art, “Block Plan Series: Provo,” captures the essence of Provo through a giant 3D blueprint of Provo City.
The MOA released internationally acclaimed artist Kim Schoenstadt’s five-month art project Nov. 7.
Schoenstadt created a wall drawing installation using three-dimensional objects, acrylic paint, vinyl and pen. The project displays buildings in the Provo area, from the Provo Power Plant to the J. Reuben Clark Law School building on BYU campus. Three-dimensional cubes, elaborate lines and shapes create an abstract “map” of Provo City. The exhibit is an ode to Provo’s industry and history.
“The exhibit is a mix of the existing and forgotten,” Schoenstadt said.
Creating the exhibit was a lengthy process full of research, sightseeing and volunteer work. Schoenstadt had already created similar drawings inspired by cities and places, and the curator of contemporary art at the museum, Jeff Lambson, wanted one for Provo.
“When I was introduced to Kim’s work at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., I thought what she does is perfect for this community,” Lambson said. “Her work is site specific. It’s about the location. I love her work because it’s about the place and the people.”
Schoenstadt came to Provo to tour the city and find the buildings, facts and stories that would drive the project. After drafting and scaling the project on her own, Schoenstadt and the MOA recruited members of the Provo community, BYU students and professors to help produce and install the exhibit.
“Inviting the volunteers from Provo to help out really brought the whole thing full circle,” said Hilarie Ashton, marketing and public relations manager of the MOA.
Schoenstadt hopes the community will come to the exhibit and see that it is a representation of technology, nostalgia and life in Provo.
“I hope they see the work and make a connection,” Schoenstadt said. “It would be cool if they could interpret for themselves what the piece means to them, and in general what art is or can be.”
“Block Plan Series: Provo” is on the second floor of the BYU Museum of Art and will be open to the public until April 18, 2014. For more information about the artist, visit www.kimschoenstadt.com.
