And the winner is… Chakaia Booker’s sculpture “Discarded Memories”! The young Benefactors chose this piece at last night’s Annual Acquisition Dinner and Gala. Our $18,000 budget will be used (in part) to add this piece to the Utah Museum of Fine Art’s collection. Many thanks to Jessica Peterson and Jill Dawsey for organizing and bringing this event to fruition. Based on my table’s opinion, this piece won by a landslide.

The event brought many local collectors and art folks together; our new Salt Lake Art Center’s executive director, Adam Price, was at our table, as was Brent Schneider, who gave a very inspiring speech, challenging us to ask “what is art?” A few Gallery MAR collectors were in the house, so thank you for supporting the UMFA!

If you enjoy discussing modern and contemporary art, the Young Benefactors at the UMFA is a perfect fit for you. Don’t let the name fool you: there is no specified age range for membership and they welcome everyone. “Young” represents fresh, innovative ways of seeing and experiencing the visual world. I’ve enjoyed all of the opportunities that the Young Benefectors membership has provided me. My favorite event was the “Behind the Scenes” tour of the museum’s collection.

[From the UMFA website]:  Established in 2004, the Young Benefactors organization of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts is a leadership association for individuals dedicated to cultivating stewardship for the Museum and its collections. Young Benefactors use a portion of their combined membership dues to purchase a work of art for the UMFA’s permanent collection each year; making the group vital to the future of the UMFA, and to the cultural vitality of the community and the State of Utah.

Young Benefactors membership offers a unique opportunity to mingle with a diverse group of people who share a passion for learning about, and encouraging advocacy for, the visual arts. Group activities include a variety of educational programs and social events including curator and director-led tours of museum exhibitions, tours of private art collections and artists’ studios, and private receptions at area art galleries.

Tags: Adam Price, Chakaia Booker, Jessica Peterson, Jill Dawsey, UMFA, Young Benefactors
Posted in Utah Art News