Museum Of Art

BYU MOA’s Family Arts Festival 2023: Tall Tales Will Feature Western-American Themed Art and Activities Designed For Children

Panelists Discussed Finding One’s Authentic Voice, How Caregiving Experiences Shape Their Art and Advice on Finding Success as a Woman in the Art World

Take Some Time Before Finals to Look at Art by Students and Masters

Former Poet Laureate and BYU Professor Shared His Love of Dixon’s Art Through Poetry 

Art History and Curatorial Studies Student Candace Brown Writes About her Experiences Working in the BYU Museum of Art

The exhibit was inspired by the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith’s First Vision in 2020

This new photography exhibit showcases the work of both Norwegian and American photographers—Rowley shares the surprising connection between the two

Twenty years after the piece first arrived, Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesda remains a source of peace and promise to viewers

Take a walk back in time to turn-of-the-century France with this new MOA exhibi

These photographs document an important piece of Utah’s history from the Great Depression to World War II

After a year of social distancing, families can once again participate in the Museum of Art’s annual Family Art Festival

Vik Muniz’s eclectic collection features unique perspectives on life through unconventional materials

It is an honor to announce the next director of the Brigham Young University Museum of Art: none other than our own Dr. Janalee Emmer! As the first woman to lead the Museum, she will officially begin in her new role on April 26. Jana has been with us since 2014, when she was hired as one of our curators and the Head of our Education Department. Last year she was appointed Associate Director of Exhibitions & Programming. She holds a PhD in Art History from Pennsylvania State University, as well as Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from BYU, and is an expert in the work of women artists. Her career includes work at distinguished museums and universities including the Getty, the Palmer Museum of Art, Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Tennessee, and Bucknell University. Here at the MOA, Jana has curated numerous exhibitions, including Embracing Diverse Voices: A Century of African American Art; Patrick Dougherty: Windswept; Danae Mattes: Where the River Widens; A Studio of Her Own: Women Artists from the Collection; and Far Out: The West Re-Seen, Photography of Victoria Sambunaris (on view until May 1). She has championed campus outreach by increasing the number and frequency of MOA educational programs, and she recently addressed the University as part of its weekly, campus-wide devotional series, wherein she discussed the transformative power of art. “I am incredibly honored to be stepping into this new leadership role at the Museum,” Jana said. “The BYU Museum of Art has a rich history of exhibitions and programming, and tremendous potential for the future with our dedicated staff, donors, and visitors.” Read the full article by Riley Lewis at moa.byu.edu.

Janalee Emmer, Associate Director of Exhibitions and Programming of the Museum of Art, delivered Tuesday’s devotional address. In her career as an art historian and museum professional, Emmer has learned secular and spiritual lessons from the art she has studied. Emmer started by quoting Rosa Bonheur, a female painter in the nineteenth century: “My whole life has been devoted to improving my work and keeping alive the Creator’s spark in my soul. Each of us has a spark, and we’ve all got to account for what we do.” While Bonheur used her spark to open doors for women who would follow her, Emmer asked what we are doing to keep the Creator’s spark alive in our souls and develop our divine gifts. “The truth is that this search for your place, for excellence and for your particular aptitudes will be a lifelong pursuit,” she said. “While not all of us are artists, all of us need both creativity and inspiration to find our way. I believe that the arts and the gospel can guide us as we go, providing fresh perspectives, new ways of looking and much needed reassurance.” Emmer pointed to the book 'Night' by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel as a formative piece of art that influenced her faith in God. Upon his arrival to Auschwitz, he and his father were separated from the rest of his family, and he witnessed firsthand the horrors of the Holocaust. The horrific circumstances Wiesel lived through affect how he describes his faith and relationship with God in his narrative. “Faith that is tested, wounded, but here, is a powerful, transformative kind of faith,” Emmer said. “That kind of faith recognizes that because we look through a glass darkly, we will still have questions. It is a faith that has battle scars but also enduring resonance.” Continue reading the article written by Kaylee Esplin on news.byu.edu.

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW A new exhibit will open up in the Museum of Art starting October 30 Victoria Sambunaris creates large-scale photographs that document the intersections of the natural and manmade within the American landscape. Each year, Sambunaris embarks on a lengthy journey on the road, using a large format wooden field camera to document what she encounters. With her photography, Sambunaris tries to capture the way in which humans inhabit the landscape, as well as highlight the beauty of the land and human interaction with it. Combining in-depth planning and research with a laborious mode of shooting and developing—sometimes waiting days for the right conditions—Sambunaris’s photographs communicate a deeply layered sense of place. Since 2002, Sambunaris has come to Utah numerous times to photograph the vast, complex, and beautiful terrain. This exhibition focuses on her photograph of Utah and the Western landscape. The large scale of her work simulates the actual environment, allowing minute details to materialize, subtle colors to emerge, and the viewer to feel as if they are standing in the place of the artist. This exhibition was made possible through the generosity of the: Marriott Daughters Foundation Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York The Lannan Foundation, Santa Fe, New Mexico Andrea and Patrick Lannan Michael Reynolds James Kelly Contemporary View more details at moa.byu.edu.

Home builders. Survivors. Trend-setters. Fighters. Standing in the gallery of BYU’s Museum of Art, students can almost hear them whispering from the walls. They are 58 remarkable female artists, and their messages of inspiration and hope are featured in the MOA’s “A Studio of Her Own” exhibit, which closes this week. “We had no idea that 2020 would be such an unexpected and unprecedented year with the pandemic, and with earthquakes and fires and racial unrest,” exhibition curator Janalee Emmer said. But in the paintings, she said, “there’s a lot of relevance for today’s moment.” “A Studio of Her Own” celebrates 110 works by female artists of diverse backgrounds and faiths. Some of their pieces celebrate racial diversity, like the vibrant quilt “Subway Graffiti #3” by prominent Black artist Faith Ringgold, who grew up in Harlem. The piece features superstars like Diana Ross and Michael Jackson as well as the faces of Ringgold’s own friends and family members. Emmer said the unique piece “Blanket Stories,” which features a tower of colorful handwoven blankets, speaks to the universal struggle for identity through the experiences of its creator, Marie Watt, the daughter of a native Seneca mother and a rancher father.

The American dream is often associated with the idea that anyone can make it in America.

BYU’s Museum of Art (MOA) welcomes Danae Mattes to discuss her current exhibition, “Where the River Widens,” with students, faculty and members of the community. The lecture will take place Thursday, March 14 at 5 p.m. Like most of Mattes’ work, “Where the River Widens” is composed of natural materials. This specific piece explores how water and earth mix and the human reaction to that phenomenon. “I have come to view my work as a synthesis of the experiences I have when walking through landscape; a culmination of my observations and perceptions of nature,” said Mattes. According to the MOA’s website, Mattes feels that a river’s state of flux is “a metaphor for life, as change is a constant of the human experience.” This flux is demonstrated in her piece, which transformed over a few months as the water evaporated and the materials settled. Not only will Mattes’ lecture explore “Where the River Widens,” but it will also give attendees insight into her journey as an artist — a journey that has taken her and her art across the world, including to Germany, Chile and Japan. For more information about the lecture, visit the MOA’s Facebook page, where the lecture will be livestreamed.