Welcome to a new episode! 

This time we have guest Alexandra Fuller here to discuss SUMA’s new exhibition, Salt Lines: Exploring Climate, Environment, and the Saline Influx. Alex is a Utah-based artist working primarily in photography, installation, and poetry, and is one of the artists in the Salt Lines exhibition. 

We chat about the exhibition, making it as an artist, the importance of salt, and the future of The Great Salt Lake. Whether you’re an aspiring artist or interested in the changing environment in Utah, there’s something in this episode for you. 

If you’d like to learn more about Salt Lines: Exploring Climate, Environment, and the Saline Influx, visit our website here, and if you’d like learn more about Alex, check out her website here.

Wash your brain with the ambient noise of Harry Bertoia’s sound sculptures in this special episode.

Bertoia was a renowned modern artist and designer, perhaps most well known for his 1950s suite of wire furniture. He spent his 40-year career experimenting with various materials and techniques, including decades working with metal in particular. During this time, Bertoia came to realize its great potential for unique sonic qualities. He sculpted beautiful tonals, gongs, and singing bars that would create an ambient sound environment when activated. 

SUMA recently hosted an exhibition of Bertoia’s work and wanted to bring the sonambient experience to all our listeners. 

Please enjoy 20 minutes of Bertoia’s soundscapes.

If you’d like to hear more, check out our YouTube channel where we have 20-minute, 10–minute, and 5-minute concerts.

Join us for a conversation with our Director of Curatorial Affairs, Becky Bloom, and Kelvin Yazzie, a ceramic artist and SUU alumnus. They dive into Kelvin’s origin story, beginning with his childhood on the Navajo Reservation in Church Rock, New Mexico, where he herded sheep, caught things on fire, and played with mud. As his story takes shape, Kelvin discusses how he finds fulfillment in the arts, as well as the impact special people had on his journey–mentors, students, his mother–each leaving their mark on his path as an artist. 

If you’d like to read more about Kelvin and his work, check out the article linked here.

Enjoy the episode!

This episode gives a behind the scenes look at the work it takes to produce our podcast, Observations & Conversations. For this episode, we sat down with Lisa Hardy, our student producer since August 2023. Lisa provides insight into her approach to tell stories through podcasting. We also talk about the unexpected moment we learned SUMA was selected to present at the virtual MuseumNext Digital Summit, in March 2024.

Lisa will be moving on to a position with the Center for Railroad Photography & Art in Madison, Wisconsin. We wish Lisa all the best in her future!

In this episode, we sit down with SUMA’s Executive Director, Jessica Kinsey, to discuss an important part of our permanent collection, The Stillman Sculpture Court. We chatted about the changes that have taken place since the opening of SUMA and The Beverley Center in 2016, including new sculpture additions and updates to the overall design and landscaping. These changes have created a place of exploration, discovery, and contemplation that allows visitors to think about how they might see themselves reflected in the art. 

The Stillman Sculpture Court guide can be found here.

Click the link for more information about the 2024 Director's Trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

A most sincere thank you to the many supporters who helped make the sculpture court a reality: Larry and Liane Stillman family, Cedar Band Corporation, Cedar Livestock and Heritage Festival, Friends of SUMA, Iron County, Southern Utah University, Allan Houser Foundation, and Donna Law. We are also grateful to SUU Facilities for their efforts to beautifully maintain the sculpture court. 

In this episode, we sit down with SUMA’s Graphic Designers, DJ Wilson and Emily Loertscher. Our discussion focuses on how our team plays a big role in creating work for SUMA that you see in our exhibitions, events, promotions, and more. You will hear about what our students are learning in the classroom at Southern Utah University, and how they apply it to the work they do at the museum. 

Our hope is that after listening to this episode, you’ll have a new appreciation for the work that our designers do everyday. Next time you come to the museum take time to notice the design work.

Making a museum accessible has become a popular topic of discussion throughout museums worldwide. In this episode, we share the varied accessibility efforts being made at SUMA. Our very own Alyssa Thomas, SUMA’s Coordinator of Visitor Experience, has done great work making our space more welcoming and inclusive for all visitors. Alyssa shares the importance of continuous advocacy for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which faced national legislative opposition in 2018, however, did not get enough votes to pass.

Join our host, Emily Ronquillo, and Alyssa, as they also discuss 'Breaking Barriers', a state-wide accessibility training in Utah (provided by the Utah Division of Arts and Museums), and why accessibility should be at the forefront of our efforts at SUMA.

We found the following articles to add additional context to our conversation. We’ve also included a link for information about the Utah Division of Arts and Museums training 'Breaking Barriers':

MuseumNext: Making Museums Accessible to Those With Disabilities

American Alliance of Museums: Museum Accessibility: An Art and a Science

NPR: The ADA was a victory for the disabled community, but we need more. My life shows why

Utah Division of Arts and Museums: Breaking Barriers

Learn more about the exhibition, L. Robert Gardner Architect: Cedar City Mid-Century Modern, by listening to this audio guide by curator, Dr. Becky Bloom.

L. Robert Gardner Architect: Cedar City Mid-Century Modern is on exhibition at Southern Utah Museum of Art through March 2, 2024.

Audio Guide –    

Introduction - 00:00.00 - 00:49.146

L. Robert Gardner, Architect -  00:50.056 -  02:53.506

A Modernist Campus -  02:56.115 - 05:19.970

Gardner’s Mid-century Modern Homes - 05.23.814 - 07:47.808

Thank You for Visiting -  07:48.000 

Follow along with SUMA’s Director of Curatorial Affairs, Dr. Becky Bloom, as she guides visitors through the exhibition BRUTAL DC, guest curated by Dr. Angela Person and photographer Ty Cole.

BRUTAL DC is on exhibition at Southern Utah Museum of Art through March 2, 2023.

Audio Guide –    

Welcome and Introduction - 00:00.00 - 00:55.127

What is Brutalism? -  0:55.799 -  03:25.007

Explore the Timeline -  03:26.284 - 03:39.681

BRUTAL DC, Past Present and Future - 03:41.374 - 06:58.149

Weaver Building  - 06:59.996 - 09:59.991

Lauinger Library - 10:00.994 - 12:37.481

Forrestal Building - 12:37.983 - 15:22.082

Euram Building - 15:23.819 - 18:21.706

FBI Headquarters  -  18:23.479 - 21:12.013

Hirshhorn Museum - 21:14.240 - 23:56.704

DC Metro - 23:59.227 - 26:48.625

Humphrey Building - 26:49.368 - 29:07.364

Thank You for Visiting - 29:08.429

Why would we want to discuss brutalism and mid-century modern architecture with an architect and two engineers? Because we believe in learning about approaching art and design from a variety of perspectives and backgrounds. Brutalism seemed like a perfect fit for us to bring in experts and find where connections could be found and also how we see art differently. Our hope is that listeners will be inspired to step outside their comfort zones and start having discussions of their own with people with different perspectives and expertise. We all walked away from our discussion with broader understandings of brutalism, and hopefully, you will too.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Becky Bloom, Assistant Director of Curatorial Affairs at SUMA, Dr. Matthew Roberts SUU Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Computational Sciences, Mark Harris Structural Engineer and Senior Principal with Reaveley Engineers, and Chad Neilson CEO, Design Principal, MHTN Architects.