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SPRINGVILLE — The Springville Museum of Art is hosting its annual 100 Dollar Show, an event aiming to connect the community with fine art.
The 100 Dollar Show is a free event showcasing 33 local artists who sell 25 original artwork for $100. The museum will host its eighth show Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Museum Associate Director Shannon Acor said there are always some “zealous patrons” who show up early at the museum and stand in line to get first dibs on the artwork.
“It’s a really festive, fun feeling. There’s a countdown and then we drop the ropes, then everyone kinda scatters around the museum. It’s like they’re winning the lottery,” Acor quipped. “All the galleries are filled and they’re bustling. People are standing in line waiting to buy art from the artists. It’s a very exciting night.”
The diverse artwork being sold ranges from watercolors and oil paintings to sculptures, ceramics and stained glass. The artists went through an application process to be chosen for the show.
Acor said a previous museum director always thought every home should have an original piece of art. The 100 Dollar Show is a way to help people accomplish that, making fine art more accessible to the community.
“That is a big goal of ours at the Springville Museum of Art, to really be a welcoming place for everybody from every background. And so to have access to art if you want it and to have it available and to have it affordable,” Acor said.
She said the show attracts a wide range of people from college students to art fanatics. Each year around 300 people attend the show and many of the artists sell most, if not all, of their artwork.
Art shows are great opportunities for local artists to get exposure and connect to the community. Acor said the museum has a strong commitment to support Utah artists and their original art by providing Utahns the opportunity to collect art at an affordable price.
The Springville Museum of Art is the oldest visual art museum in the state, Acor said. In the spring, the museum will celebrate its 100th spring salon show, started by Springville High School students.
“(The museum has) always been a community arts center for Springville, but it’s definitely now, just a treasure for all of the state,” she said.
Acor said the museum is a place people can feel peace, calmness and be grounded through art.
“I strongly believe art fosters beauty, contemplation, healing and connection,” she added.