Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Larsen.
Hi Emily, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
The first time I walked into the Springville Museum of Art, I was an eighteen-year-old high school senior. I had driven the 90 minutes south from North Ogden, Utah, to interview for an internship with then Associate Director Natalie Peterson. I had always loved art and history and knew from an early age that I wanted to work in a museum. I had applied for a high school internship at a museum in Florida and was devastated when they didn’t select me for the position. That early rejection lit a fire under me, and I became determined to find a local opportunity. Fortunately, the Springville Museum of Art took me on as an education intern that summer. For the next 2 years, I volunteered and interned multiple times a week at the Museum while working at the BYU Museum of Art. I started full-time as the registrar in July 0f 2014 and worked at the Museum over the next 9 years in different positions until I was appointed Director in January 2023.
I didn’t know it then, but it’s fitting that my journey at the Museum began as a high school student. The local high school students in Springville started the Museum. In 1903, two famous artists, John Hafen and Cyrus Dallin, each gave a work of art to the students of Springville. The students kept collecting art and, in the 1920s, had the idea to start an annual art exhibition — The Spring Salon. They hosted the first exhibitions in the halls and auditorium of their high school! Their annual exhibition was a huge success, and they became so famous for their world-class collection and exhibition that the community in 1937 built them a Museum for their art. This year, we are celebrating the 100th Annual Spring Salon at the Springville Museum of Art and the legacy of the students who began this program in the 1920s!
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
I’ve been fortunate in my career, but there have been some hiccups! The first time I applied for a full-time position at the Museum, they went with someone else. The following year, I worked an accounts payable job at a local corporation and waited at a diner on the weekends and in the evenings. It was exciting when I received the full-time offer and could quit my waitress job! Though I did miss serving coffee to the regulars. A few years into my career, I knew that if I wanted to continue to grow and earn promotions, I would need to go back to school for my master’s degree. I didn’t want to leave my current position, so I started my M.A. in the Fall of 2018 and worked on it part-time for 3 years while I continued to work full-time. Working in museums is full of chaotic and fun challenges. I often joke that every day feels like an episode of Parks and Recreation — especially at a community museum like ours. There are always challenges, but we always come together as a team to determine the best solution. I am lucky to have a team of the most amazing coworkers who all believe in the vision and mission of the Museum.
We’ve been impressed with Springville Museum of Art, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share about what you do and what sets you apart?
Springville Museum of Art, Utah’s first museum for the visual arts, is a testament to the local community’s commitment to beauty and contemplation. It’s not just a museum, but a bridge between history and contemporary art, preserving and sharing the rich history of Utah’s art. Housed in a stunning 45,000-square-foot Spanish Colonial building, the museum is a beacon of artistic inspiration, inviting visitors from all walks of life to experience the transformative power of art.
The museum hosts 4 juried exhibitions a year in addition to multiple curated exhibitions of temporary works and our Permanent Collection. Our 4 juried exhibitions are the Annual Spring Salon, Quilt Show, Spiritual & Religious Art of Utah exhibition, and the Annual Utah All-State High School Art Show. Our Permanent Collection includes 2600+ works of art in our three collecting areas:
- Nineteenth and twentieth-century Utah art
- American art (mainly works collected and exhibited by the historic Springville High School)
- Soviet Realism
We show more art by living Utah artists each year than any other institution in the State! Come to the museum anytime, and you’ll like to see a work of art by an artist who lives in your neighborhood or city.
This year, we are celebrating one of the most unique aspects of our history — the history of the Spring Salon and the students that built “Art City” as we celebrate the 100th Annual Spring Salon. In honoring this legacy, the museum pays tribute to the students and community members who started this exhibition, which has become an integral part of Utah’s artistic identity and history for a century.
Founded by Springville High School students and faculty in the 1920s, this juried exhibition showcased famous artists like Walt Disney, Norman Rockwell, Edward Hopper, and Georgia O’Keefe. Students purchased artwork from each year’s Salon to build their permanent collection of original art, forming one of the most impressive and famous high school art collections in the Country. The community’s dedication to art propelled the annual Salon from the high school’s halls to a full-fledged museum in 1937, shaping the artistic landscape of Springville and Utah forever.
Until the late 1960s, the students and faculty of Springville High School hung and organized the annual exhibition, which regularly recorded over 50,000 yearly visitors. For 40 years, it has become the premier art exhibition by living Utah artists, featuring 200+ works by some of Utah’s top artists in various mediums, styles, and subject matters.
Mark your calendars for April 27, 2024, as we kick off the 100th Annual Spring Salon at the Springville Museum of Art. This year-long celebration will feature a curated selection of 100 artworks collected from the past 100 Spring Salons, offering a unique opportunity to explore the rich history and enduring legacy of this iconic event. We invite you to join us for exhibitions, a documentary film, publications, and a series of special programs and events that will bring the history of the Spring Salon to life.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
One of the most important lessons of my career is to be generous and abundant. Success begets success, and the moment you start working out of a scarcity mindset, you start making bad decisions. In creative communities, nonprofit communities, or any professional community, it can feel like there needs to be more money, visitors, artists, or fill-in-the-blanks to go around, and you have to hold on tight to what you have. But the opposite is true: the more generous you are with others, the more it returns to you. Be generous with your skills, time, expertise, and connections. Say yes as often as you can. A higher tide lifts all the boats. I have “collaboration, not competition” written on the whiteboard in my office, which I genuinely try to live by and make decisions by. I have seen magic happen through focusing on collaboration, following momentum, making decisions out of abundance, and being kind and generous. Some of my biggest career regrets are when I let fear and scarcity cloud my decision-making.
Pricing:
- Free admission!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.smofa.org/
- Instagram: @springvillemuseum
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpringvilleMuseum
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyalarsen/
Image Credits
Photos 1-4 and 8,9 – Photographer: Clark Clifford, Photo 5: Custom Mural “100 Years of the Spring Salon” by Hayley Francis, Photo 6: 1965 Springville High School Yearbook Spread
