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SALT LAKE CITY — A quilt created by the Relief Society of the Salt Lake City 4th Ward in 1857 had blocks made by each member before it was sold at an auction to raise money. Now that quilt is part of an art exhibit featuring Latter-day Saint art.
Ashlee Whitaker Evans, a curator for a new exhibition at the Church History Museum for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said the quilt was cut in half so the original owner could give it to his two daughters; and, later, some blocks were given back to family members of the women who made them. About three months before the exhibit opened, Evans said they found the second half of the quilt, as the owner of the other half had tracked it down.
Making a quilt as a Relief Society, with each block displaying the talents of a different member, was not unique in the early days of the church. But Evans said part of what makes this quilt unique is the number of women involved who have a known history to pair with the quilt blocks — including Leonora Taylor and Phoebe Woodruff, wives of the third and fourth presidents of the church.
She said finding the bottom half of the quilt was a "last-minute surprise" ahead of the Thursday opening of the new exhibit, "Work and Wonder: 200 Years of Latter-day Saint Art."
Woodruff's square is at the center of the quilt, as Evans said she was the Relief Society president in the ward when the quilt was made. A kiosk near the quilt allows people visiting the museum to learn the history of the women who stitched each block.
"We could not be happier to have it together," Evans said.
In the last five years of curating this exhibit, she said she has learned a lot about Latter-day Saint art. Evans said they found themes that brought the art together, and different works "started to talk to each other," causing the exhibit to flower.
"I think all of us, professionally, felt like we had some sense of Latter-day Saint art before we started, but we all realized it's so much bigger. It's so much more dynamic and exciting than we could have even imagined," she said.
Evans said working on this exhibit has helped her have a wider view of the worldwide church. She pointed out art in one room of the exhibit from Mexican, Japanese and American artists. She said the works of art continue teaching her about the church's doctrines as she looks at the exhibit.
"There's so much dynamic individuality within the church, yet we're able to come together and bring all of our gifts to contribute to the cause. And we need every unique gift to make our church and our church's impact and benefit to the world really fruitful," she said.
Riley Lorimer, director of the Church History Museum, said sometimes there is a misperception that Latter-day Saint art is homogenous, but in reality, it is "global and varied."
"Latter-day Saint art is rich and worthy of study and inquiry, and Latter-day Saint art is powerful. It has (the) power to record our collective and individual experience of our faith, but it also has (the) power to grow our faith, to invite a spiritual witness of Jesus Christ, and to change our minds and hearts. We hope visitors will come to experience it for themselves," she said.
It is the first exhibit to show 200 years of Latter-day Saint art, and Lorimer said it is a "very small slice" of the art available. She said about half of the items belong to the museum, and others are on loan from BYU, Utah and individual collectors.
She said she previously saw digital images of most of the pieces, but seeing them in person is special. Lorimer said members of the church might see familiar art — including a photo of Jesus Christ that has been on display at the Salt Lake Temple — and art that might be new.
"We're thrilled to have people come through the doors and start to explore," Lorimer said.
Mykal Urbina, with the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts, which collaborated on the project, said the exhibit draws from a spectrum of creators around the world in its 118 original art pieces.
"This exhibit strives to showcase a diverse array of stylistic and conceptual approaches to themes that will resonate with Latter-day Saint belief and experience in a manner that reframes familiar, even iconic, works, while also introducing viewers to a more expansive view of Latter Day Saint-affiliated art," she said.
She said each selection in the exhibit has a history and a story. She expressed a hope that the pieces spark conversations.
"The works in this space are material records that have survived generations. They are cultural banners infused with faith and pride. They are testimonies of Latter-Day Saints expressing their faith and visually exploring what it means and looks like to be a Latter-day Saint," Urbina said.
The center is an independent nonprofit organization, providing exhibitions across the United States, but Urbina said this is the first time it has helped with an exhibit in the Church History Museum. She said she hopes people are able to see their faith in the exhibit.
"Art is very core to the expression of Latter-day Saint belief. … It's a way of processing what's important to us and articulating the things that we hold deepest," Urbina said.
Laura Paulson Howe, curator at the museum and the team lead for this exhibit, said the exhibit shows being a Latter-day Saint looks different around the world.
"Having 200 years of art history on display was just a fantastic opportunity ... we could really showcase the breadth and depth of what it means to be a Latter-day Saint," she said, pointing out a few specific pieces, including a Navajo rug depicting the Mesa temple with Navajo symbols, and a tapa cloth made by a Tongan Relief Society displaying pictures of Salt Lake City found on postcards for someone in the ward going to Utah.
She said the church believes in teaching the gospel in every language, and cultures within the church have unique visual languages too. She said the diverse artwork within the Church of Jesus Christ stems from its quick growth and early emphasis on worldwide missionary work.
"What you're really kind of seeing is an international fast and testimony meeting," Howe said, with each person speaking their language.
She said the museum has been collecting worldwide art over the last 40 years and could create 10 similar exhibits with all the collected art.
The Church History Museum is open Monday through Saturday at 10:00 a.m. A public grand opening of the exhibit will be held on Oct. 17 at 6 p.m.
The Sacred History exhibition, which includes items transferred to the church from the Community of Christ, will be closing on Oct. 26.
