We’ve long been grateful for the immense artistic talent to be found among SLC locals and, with our city’s museums and galleries continually upping their already incredible game, there’s rarely been a better time to peruse (safely, of course) bright, vibrant, soul-stirring works that, a decade ago, would have required a coast-bound plane ticket to see. A visit to any one of these exhibits is a surefire way to pass a sunny spring day…

1) Fragile Animals (440 W 900 S): Fragile Animals—the latest exhibit by local artist (and one of our very own COLLECTIVE agents) Mark Seely—is slated to debut on March 13th and is sure to include no shortage of emotionally complex, visually challenging pieces. As an artist, Seely is committed to finding “true purity through the suffering and degradation of both mind and material,” and we’re excited to see how he has made sense of the rampant upheaval of the past year. Click here for more information. 

2) A Gallery (1321 S. 2100 East): Allen and Alan always curate a striking line-up, and this year’s Spring Salon featuring over forty artists is no exception. With a wide variety of mediums and disciplines represented, this curation is rife with color, intrigue, and all manner of compelling pieces. The exhibition will be on display until April 30th. Click here for more information. 

3) Modern West Fine Art (412 S. 700 West): One of our favorite spots in which to peruse the works of both established artists and fiercely gifted up-and-comers, Modern West’s current assemblage is not to be missed. Represented among the talent is COLLECTIVE pal and remarkable painter Matthew Sketch whose work is equal parts intellectually compelling and visually immersive. For more information, click here. 

4) Phillips Gallery (444 E. 200 South): Since 1965, Phillips Gallery has been a stalwart supporter of local artists and their exhibitions slated for this spring illustrate as much. Through March 12th, the works of Steve Dayton and Tom Bettin will be displayed alongside the encaustic pieces of Elena Lawrence, and March 19th marks the opening of an exhibit featuring artists Sandy Freckleton, Emily Fox King, and Patrick McGean. For more information, click here. 

5) The Leonardo (209 E 500 S): An exhibition put on in collaboration with the Utah Black Chamber, Sorting Out Race is intended to engage the general public in conversations regarding social justice and economic equality throughout our state. Comprised of antique and vintage items containing racial imagery that have been taken out of thrift stores and placed in a setting where they can prompt dialogue, the exhibit is designed to inspire candid contemplation of past and present racial stereotypes. For more information, click here. 

6) Urban Arts Gallery (116 S Rio Grande St): According to the Urban Arts Gallery Facebook page, their March exhibit “showcases Utah artists working on the fringes of the creative spirit, whose expressions push boundaries and challenge expectations.” The pieces on display are markedly “bold, bizarre, or downright weird” and will hang between March 2nd and April 4th. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, click here. 

7) Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (20 S West Temple): As proud sponsors of the exhibit, if you haven’t already had your mind blown by the current installation of “Material Issues: Strategies in Twenty-first Century Craft,” we highly suggest you pay UMOCA a visit. The exhibit runs through June and focuses on artists whose work explores the intersection of privilege, power, and the democratized landscape of craft-based techniques. Click here for more information. 

8) Utah Museum of Fine Arts (410 Campus Center Dr): Now through April 10th, UMFA is featuring the acclaimed Black Refractions: Highlights from the Studio Museum in Harlem. The exhibit includes more than one hundred works by nearly eighty artists from the 1920s to the present, covering a century of work from artists of African descent. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For more information, click here.