State Capitol Visitors Center Unveils New Exhibit

Photo courtesy of the Utah State Historical Society

SALT LAKE CITY—One hundred years ago, a lumbering steam shovel bit into winter-cold soil on a hill just north of Salt Lake City. It was December 26, 1912, and Utah’s state capitol was finally being built—65 years after the arrival of the first pioneers and 16 years after Utah attained statehood. 

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Utah State Capitol, the Capitol Preservation Board is pleased to present a new Visitors Center exhibit, Step Back in Time: A Centennial Celebration of the Capitol Construction. Using a collection of striking historic photographs, this new exhibit breathes life into the fascinating stories behind the planning and construction of the Capitol.

“We are thrilled to provide a unique and educational opportunity for all Capitol visitors to experience the vibrant history of this wonderful building,” said Allyson Gamble, executive director of the Capitol Preservation Board.

The exhibit opens on January 24, and will be on view weekdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. On January 24, at 10:30 a.m., a special presentation will formally welcome the public to the exhibit.

Admission to Step Back in Time is free. Digital images used in the reproduction of the exhibit’s historical photographs were provided courtesy of the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library, the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the Utah State Historical Society, and the Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum.

For more information, please contact 801-538-1800 or showard [at] utah [dot] gov.

New Exhibit: People of Utah, 1892-2011

The Capitol Preservation Board is pleased to announce a new exhibit from the State of Utah Fine Art Collection/Utah Arts Council. The exhibit, located on the fourth floor of the Capitol, features a selection of portraits from the Collection. More than appropriate in the “People’s House,” these artworks reflect a beautifully diverse sampling of the people and artists of Utah

The State Fine Art Collection, also known as the Alice Art Collection, was initiated by Representative Alice Merrill Horne who served in the 3rd Utah Legislature in 1899. She sponsored the legislation that created the Utah Art Institute, now known as the Utah Division of Art and Museums, the first state-sponsored arts organization in the United States.

About the Artists

For more information about the featured artists and their works, please visit the exhibit webpage.

This exhibit is provided courtesy of the State of Utah Fine Art Collection/Utah Arts Council. Now through July 11, 2013, on the fourth floor of the Capitol. Admission is free. For hours and more information, please visit our website.

Holiday Choir Performances at the Utah State Capitol

Courtesy of t.spang at Flickr

This year, enjoy the holiday season at the Capitol by catching one (or more) of the many upcoming choir performances. During the month of December, choirs and professional choral groups perform in the echoing expanse of the Capitol rotunda. Whether accompanied by piano or sung a cappella, these performers are sure to please.

Thursday, Dec. 6
Preston High School, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Toole High School, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 7
Ability and Choice Services Choir, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Dixie High School, 3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 12
Paradigm High School, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 14
Butler Middle School, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. 

Murray High School, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. 

Pine View High School, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. 

Hurricane High School, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 21
Snow Canyon Choir, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Hark and the Holly Berries, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

In the Capitol Gallery: Threads of the Silk Road

The history of the Silk Road is filled with legendary explorers, wandering armies, pilgrims, spies, merchants, and mercenaries. Its vast 7000-mile network of trade routes from China to the Mediterranean existed for almost 2000 years, connecting the Far East to Europe. This collection of evocative photographs by Edgar Gomez-Palmieri, along with a selection of hats and headdresses, depicts surviving remnants of this great ancient highway and descendants of the historic peoples along its route.

About the Artist

Edgar Gomez-Palmieri worked in Asia as the director of international outreach for the Utah-based Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation. During his travels, he took thousands of photographs along the ancient caravan paths known as the Silk Road, from China through the Near East to Europe.

This exhibit is supported in part by Zions First National Bank, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by funds from the Utah Division of Arts and Museums. Now through December 20, 2012, on the fourth floor of the Capitol. Admission is free. Visit our website or call 801-538-1800 for more details.

Martha Hughes Cannon: First female senator in U.S.

News reports from yesterday’s election indicate that a record number of women will be serving in the U.S. Senate in 2013. But did you know that one of the first U.S. political barriers to be broken by a woman happened right here in Utah?

In 1896, Martha Hughes Cannon was the first women to be elected to a state senate seat in the United States. Born in Wales in 1857, “Mattie” came to Salt Lake with her family in 1861. Mattie had great ambition and determination, working as a schoolteacher and typesetter in order to earn money for college. She received a degree in chemistry from the University of Deseret in 1875, and she went on to attend medical school at the University of Michigan. In 1882, she received a degree in pharmacy from the Auxiliary School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. She also studied oratory, with the goal of becoming a strong public speaker on issues of health.

Mattie returned to Salt Lake City after graduation, where she worked as a resident physician of Deseret Hospital. Mattie was also actively involved in local politics, particularly on the issues of public health and women’s suffrage. In 1896, the same year Utah attained statehood, Mattie ran for state senate on the Democratic ticket. She was one of five Democrats running from Salt Lake County; her husband, Angus M. Cannon, was among the Republicans running for the same seat. Mattie won the election on Nov. 3, 1896, and she served two terms as a strong advocate for children’s welfare and public health.

For more information on Mattie’s fascinating life, please visit Utah History to Go and KUED.

Happy Halloween! Ancient critters at the Capitol

Halloween is a holiday full of mythical creatures and ancient symbols, from greedy ghouls to flame-lit gourds. But did you know that the Capitol has some of its own mythical creatures and ancient symbols?

The head of a ram adorns light fixtures throughout the Capitol, symbolizing solar energy and fire. Rams were valuable sacrificial animals in ancient times. When used classical architecture, they represent determination, leadership, and authority - fitting for a government building!

Can you spot the oval shapes underneath the light? This classical molding pattern consists of alternating eggs and darts, perhaps to symbolize the duality of life and death. Eggs are ancient symbols of new life, luck, and health; darts can be quite lethal.

Kids love finding the eight wyverns that crouch in the corners of the Capitol atrium. In medieval heraldry, a wyvern was a guardian figure with magic powers of protection for warriors serving a powerful lord in battle. The Capitol wyverns are fierce two-legged dragons with serpent tails and bright orange wings.

And check out the egg-and-dart molding underneath the wyvern!

Some scholars say that Halloween has roots in ancient Celtic harvest festivals. The pine cones shown above are ancient symbols of agricultural growth and bounty of the earth. In the architectural style of the Capitol, the pine cone stands for spring and rebirth.

While all of those symbols were purposefully included in the Capitol architecture, some appeared quite by accident. On the second floor, large panels of diamond-cut Georgia marble boast beautiful symmetrical patterns. These patterns are nothing more than the natural swirls and veins that develop during rock formation, but some people like to look for pictures in the marble.

Do you see anything peculiar in the marble pattern, above?

Photos taken by Joanna Oldham, Director of Visitors Services. Blog post inspired by Romy Mahyera, Capitol Docent.

See Utah landscapes all year with a 2013 calendar

The days in Utah are getting chilly and, believe it or not, 2012 is reaching its end. Even though digital calendars make the transition to a new year seamless, I still love printed calendars. Brilliant calendar photography can brighten up any home or office wall, and flipping the page each month (to a new, gorgeous photo) feels like a fresh start.

The 2013 edition of the Utah Life Elevated® Scenic Calendar is no exception. A colorful photo of Thor’s Hammer at Bryce Canyon National Park, taken by photographer Ed Riche, graces the cover. Nearly 80 images appear throughout the calendar, including all five national parks, national forests and recreation areas, many of Utah’s state parks, ski resorts, metropolitan attractions, annual events, and various outdoor activities.

Both professional and amateur photographers contributed to the calendar, and most of the production work was done "in-house" by the Utah Office of Tourism. 

Now in its 41st year, the Utah Scenic Calendar is recognized annually for design and photography by the National and World Calendar Awards competition. The 2012 and 2011 editions were honored with 13 awards in the competition, including a Gold Award for Best Graphic Design.

The gorgeous calendar is a great gift for clients, family, and friends - or a simple treat for yourself! Calendars are sold at Council Hall, and online at www.uotstore.com. 

If you have questions, please contact the Utah Office of Tourism at (801) 538-1900 or visit www.visitutah.com.

Utah Voter Education & Outreach Campaign

Yesterday was National Voter Registration Day, and with Election Day just 41 days away, the Utah Lt. Governor's Office launched its mass media campaign to encourage all eligible Utahns to register to vote and become informed voters.

"More than ever before, Utah voters have robust resources to educate themselves about candidates and issues on the 2012 ballot, as well as many options to cast their ballots," said Lt. Governor Greg Bell.

"We want to ensure that all eligible Utahns are able to participate as well-informed voters."

The Lt. Governor's Office operates vote.utah.gov, the state's premier source for election-related information. Utahns who visit the site can register to vote, view and update their registration information, request an absentee ballot, find their polling place, research candidates and issues, review a personalized sample ballot, see Early Voting locations and times in their county, and more.

Building on the momentum of its previous award-winning outreach campaign, the Lt. Governor's Office is utilizing a series of dynamic television, radio, and online ads, as well as billboards, to encourage Utahns to visit vote.utah.gov. Created by Salt Lake-based Love Communications, the campaign shows how anyone can be a "hero" by educating himself or herself about the 2012 election.

Important upcoming dates related to the 2012 election:

• October 9: Deadline to register to vote by-mail
• October 22: Deadline to register in person or online 
• October 23: Early Voting begins 
• November 2: Early Voting ends; last day to request a by-mail ballot
• November 6: General Election Day

Register to vote today!