“I think everything around us can be art if we really want it to be.” For Chris Jensen, executive director of the Salt Lake Art Museum, that belief extends far beyond what hangs on a gallery wall. It includes an old house and its craftsmanship, a classic automobile painstakingly restored, a changing landscape, a historic building given another life and, perhaps most importantly, the people and communities whose stories are embedded within them. It is an expansive way of looking at art, and one that has found an ideal home inside the former B’nai Israel synagogue, where the new museum is bringing together Utah art, history, and place in ways that Chris hopes will encourage people to see all three differently.

“Each object has a story. And we’re just a temporary steward.” For Micah Bleiweis Christensen, standing amid the extraordinary collection at Anthony’s Fine Art & Antiques, the word “steward” comes up again and again. It is how he describes his role in a business filled with objects that have already survived generations, crossed oceans, passed through families and estates, disappeared, and occasionally been rediscovered, only to arrive - sometimes rather improbably - in Salt Lake City.

“People have wondered how we could work together for forty years. But since we kind of do different things - even though they overlap - I have mIne and he has his. Some days are easier than others, but we have found a way to make it work.” Kelly and Majid Omana have built a life together in every sense - married since 1983, partners in Evergreen Framing Co. & Gallery since 1985, and still going strong.

“We didn’t start with a business plan or a brand. We started with trust and respect,” said Jorge Rojas. “And a shared belief that artists need each other.” That quiet foundation is what makes Material feel so different. Tucked into a modest building in Salt Lake City, the artist-run space opened with a clear and deliberate mission: to support, exhibit, and elevate other people’s work.

“I got my first set of oil paints when I was five years old. I’ve been making art ever since,” announced Stephen Teuscher, one of the trio that founded Studio-de-Verre (studio of glass). As for the other two, it was the illustrations in the Golden Braid books that got Kerry Transtrum hooked on art at age three. For Dan Cummings, he knew in the second grade, when he received all kinds of accolades for a saber-toothed tiger that he drew, exactly what he was going to do the rest of his life.

“I tried to bring a little piece of the Lower East Side to Salt Lake City,” Corey Bullough said, reflecting on what first inspired him to open Fice Gallery back in 2008. Deeply influenced by the street art and creative culture of New York City, Corey wanted to create something he felt the city lacked - a space where young, emerging artists could be seen, heard, and supported.

“I hope that in some small way, I am keeping alive the memory of the men who wore those helmets during WWII - giving them a fun second run.” Fred Conlon, owner of Sugarpost, did not plan to be a welder. He did not even plan to be a potter. But he always had an openness to life’s unexpected turns and a deep appreciation for pursuing what felt right, even if it did not make perfect sense at the time.

“I’ve always believed in the power of art to inspire, to challenge, and to bring people together,” said Shalee Cooper, director of Modern West. That belief is at the core of the gallery’s mission established under the vision of its founder, Diane Stewart.

“If I did it right, it should feel like home.” This simple yet profound statement from Mary Lindsey captures the essence of Everything Utah, the expansive yet charming boutique she owns in Salt Lake City. Mary’s journey to opening this business is as rich and varied as the products she offers, each carefully selected to represent the many facets of Utah.