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Show they are decorations that were made to be beautiful. In time, when our perspective has changed, grape clusters may become as acceptable as are the crazy quilts (Fig. 89) which were made in much the same context one hundred years ago. An exhibit and catalog of folk art can at best take objects which might be passed over as common, old fashioned, or merely collectible out of their natural context and put them on display for thoughtful consideration. Our hope throughout this entire project was to gather together handmade, made-in-Utah objects which are most revealing in terms of a "Utah experience." Of course, our population is heterogeneous and Utah's history is not a simple one. The difficulty of defining a "Utah experience" is exacerbated by a native population whose prehistoric and historic past is overwhelmingly diverse and complex; by a nineteenth-century Latter-day Saint emigration of ethnics whose acculturation into an Anglo-American-based social structure was charged with pressures from a new and zealous religion; and by more recent newcomers to Utah who have brought with them a more typical blend of western American culture. Yet, in spite of the varied elements which contribute to a "Utah experience," we hope through this broad survey of Utah folk art to gain a deeper sense of a Utah aesthetic and to learn more about Utah's cultural history. I hope that this catalog will help further its readers' understanding and develop in them a greater appreciation for our heritage; I hope, too, that this general survey and study of Utah folk art will stimulate more specific, in-depth work. This project attempts to contribute new insights into the time, place, and people who came before, through its representations of Utah's folk art. Perhaps, through this process, we will also learn more about ourselves and the traditions which have made us who we are. Editor's Note. All the information pertinent to each artifact illustrated in the book is included in the captions accompanying the illustrations. In order to conserve space, the following abbreviations were used: L represents length, W width, D depth, and Diam diameter. In the credit lines, the names of two of the organizations most often cited were shortened to their popular initial forms: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints becomes LDS and the Daughters of Utah Pioneers becomes DUP. Hal Cannon. Folk Arts Coordinator for the Utah Arts Council. Graduate of the University of Utah and the Rhode Island School of Design. |