Art Barn records, 1920-1980s

The Art Barn has been lauded as Salt Lake City's first permanent art center. Prior to its existence, there was not a public art gallery in Utah's capital city. Conceived and founded by Alta Rawlins Jensen, the Art Barn promotes both the visual and performing arts. It houses a gallery and serves as a general gathering place for many artistic activities.

When Alta Jensen started campaigning for an art center to be built in Salt Lake City in 1930, she was met with some opposition due to the Depression. There did not seem to be enough money to build an art center and, in fact, many galleries across the United States were being forced to close their doors due to the lack of funding. With the help of the Chi Delta Phi Fraternity, however, a committee was formed to begin planning the art center. Under Alta Jensen's leadership, it was decided that the art center would need to be a place for all arts organizations, not just the visual arts, and that it needed full support from the community.

Once the foundation for the purpose of an art center was laid, a building needed to be secured to house such a project. Taylor Woolley, a prominent Salt Lake City architect, suggested renovating the "old Judge barn," located on South Temple and "J" streets, hence the name "Art Barn." This was agreed upon and monetary contributions from artists, organizations, and the community were then sought. Although support was not easy to find, the Art Barn organization elected officers and agreed upon articles of incorporation in February 1931.

Securing a long-term lease for the Judge barn proved difficult, however, and was finally abandoned. Instead, permission was granted by Salt Lake City commissioners to erect a building in Reservoir Park on 1300 East and University streets. Taylor Woolley was elected to draw up plans for the building to be built. However, funds again needed to be found for the project to go forth. With the aid of various artists, art enthusiasts, and the Works Progress Administration, flyers were sent out, pleas on radio programs were made, and a large fiesta was planned to attract further donations and publicity for the Art Barn. Enough funds were secured and ground breaking ceremonies were held in October 1931.

Fund-raising efforts did not stop there, however. Weekly musical teas, literary readings, and other social events were a constant; well-known Utah artists such as John Hafen were asked to donate paintings; and Alta Jensen and other members of the Art Barn constantly solicited organizations for their support. A popular fund-raising event was the annual Beaux Arts Ball.

In June 1933, the building was officially and fully completed. The name "Art Barn" was kept after a naming competition yielded results that nobody could agree on. Over time, the Art Barn no longer proved sufficient for all of the artistic activities it wanted to house. The Salt Lake Art Center on West Temple street was built during the 1970s to continue the legacy and activities established by the Art Barn. The Art Barn continues to promote the arts on a smaller scale.