Utah's History through Art

Embroidery is a venerable art form, dating back to 30,000 BC, used by many cultures for both practical and decorative purposes. The tapete pictured above is a remembrance for Esmerada Torres, who donated the scanned image, of her grandmother, Rosa Cordova Marroquin, who passed the skill down through her daughter and granddaughters. The piece is representative of Chiapas due to its specific style: silk thread on delicate tulle. This technique is traditional for the Chiapaneca dress and originated with the Zoque culture. Historically, the Zoque worked only on cotton, but they began using tulle as a result of Spanish influence.

From prehistoric cave paintings in 30,000 BCE to today, murals have been a powerful way to record history and communicate. After a major revival by 20th-century Mexican artists, it remains a vital public art form. Roots Art Kollective, a Salt Lake City public arts group started by muralist Luis Novoa and two friends, ensures this tradition continues. Novoa painted the design on the back of the jacket pictured above, which visually represents the evolution of his artistic style: from graffiti toward calligraphy. This work is symbolic of his identity, and because he often gets paint on his clothing, he chose to make the paint marks intentional and wearable.

Weaving is a deeply historical and sentimental art form for many Native American groups. For Mary S. Begay, a Diné (Navajo) woman, weaving was a large part of her family legacy, as she came from a long line of weavers and began the craft when she was young. Mary purchased this specific weaving tool in Rock Point, Arizona. It is used for pushing the weft down against the yarn. Mary's connection to Utah stems from her time attending the Intermountain Indian School in Brigham City. Today, her grandson, Ricky Begaye of Moab, Utah, keeps this tool as a cherished remembrance of his grandmother and his family’s enduring weaving tradition.

Creating food is truly an art form, especially when tied to the cultural and traditional customs of making chocolate. For Esmeralda Torres and her family, the process of cultivating and using cacao has been a continuous tradition spanning centuries. The Esquino/Torres family continues to process cacao—using it to create everything from chocolate drinks to savory moles—preserving their heritage from their homelands in Chiapas, Mexico to their current home in South Jordan, Utah. Torres created the above image to showcase the essential tools used to grind both cacao and corn, two fundamental foods for the Indigenous communities of Chiapas. These tools include the metate, metlupil, canasta, molinillo, and jicaras.

Art is more than just an illustration of the past; it is a key historical document. It helps us understand and connect with previous generations both emotionally and intellectually. This painting serves as a powerful reminder of the William Oscar Price family homestead, which was settled at Peter’s Point in San Juan County in the early 1900s. The family, according to Mike Price, probably moved away in the late 1920s. Painted during that period by Aunt Fern, the artwork features an unknown cowboy figure. This original piece, still in its initial frame, was given to the donor by his Aunt Maxie.

Art takes many forms and utilizes diverse media. A prime example is the Spiral Jetty, a massive land sculpture located on the Northern edge of the Great Salt Lake. Created by American sculptor Robert Smithson in 1970, the piece is constructed entirely of mud, salt crystals, and basalt rocks. It sees countless visitors annually, including Paula McGee’s parents (pictured above) when they visited Utah in 2008 from Eastern United States. Recognizing its cultural importance, the Spiral Jetty became Utah’s official land art in 2017.

Día de los Muertos (All Souls' Day) is a Mexican holiday that has been widely adopted in American culture, especially among Mexican Americans. Its iconic figure, La Catrina, was created in the early 1900s by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada. La Catrina became a popular symbol of the holiday after an exhibit of Posada’s calaveras (artistic representations of skulls and skeletons) was displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1944. Today in Utah, artist Clara Amezcua, owner of the piñata business Chubbinata, continues the tradition by creating Día de los Muertos displays for local events. Amezcua specializes in making ofrendas (collections of offerings to the dead) and custom Catrinas. Her Catrinas, like the one pictured, are constructed from paper maché, water, and flour—the same method she uses for her piñatas. This particular Catrina took two months to create.

Pablo Alaya, an artist specializing in visual media and painting, was born in Mexico and raised in Utah. As an artist, he deeply understands how art can serve as a powerful connection to one's culture and homeland. The belt pictured above holds great personal importance for Alaya. It was one of the few items he was able to bring with him when he left Guadalajara, Mexico, for Utah, and it is one of the last pieces he still owns from that time. The belt was hand-embroidered specifically for him by his father. It is made of leather and features a style of embroidery called Pita, which uses traditional designs and represents a traditional form of belt-making in Mexico.

Embroidery is a beloved pastime enjoyed by women across all backgrounds. Many have incorporated this art form into daily life, adding intricate stitching to tablecloths, clothing, and other household fabrics. For Fanny Guadalupe Blauer, the embroidered cloth pictured holds great sentimental value. Her mother, Maria Eugenia Vera Garcia, created the piece when Blauer was just eight years old. Blauer always found her mother's embroidery fascinating as a child and was delighted to receive this cloth as a treasured gift when her grandmother passed away in 2003. The cloth’s stains, discolored fabric, and torn threads clearly show its extensive use as a cherished household item. Even though the cloth was made and used in Mexico City, it now resides with Blauer and her family in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Like embroidery, quilting is a beloved craft enjoyed by people of all backgrounds. While its origins in Egypt and Asia established it as a practical technique for providing warmth and protection, today quilting is also recognized as a major art form with countless stylistic variations. This specific quilt was created for a new baby in the family, a common tradition. For Hazel Rodriguez Coppola, however, this quilt is deeply sentimental because it was made by her uncle, Rufino Rodriguez, shortly before his death. Tragically, Rufino never had the chance to meet the baby for whom he created the piece.