Artists Against the Bomb opens Friday, October 16, 2026.
Artists Against the Bomb opens Friday, October 16, 2026.
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art has served the community since its founding in 1931. UMOCA moved its program to the current building site after completion in 1979. Since then, the physical site has largely remained unchanged, save some facilities upgrades that have sought to address persistent visibility and flow issues. These include adjustments to the entrance; movement of the staircase; blacking out of the windows at the plaza level; adding neon lights and glass enclosure; and the addition of a large brick structure on which the current signage is positioned. Despite these adjustments, interior wayfinding remains complicated and confusing (based upon recent target audience feedback) and the exterior remains nearly invisible despite the significance and importance of the location as a major corridor in the state.
While UMOCA has had minor exterior changes, the surrounding facilities have increased in height and prominence (the Salt Palace in 1996-2005, City Creek Center in 2001, Promontory Tower in 2011, and the recently built Hyatt Regency in 2022) obscuring visibility of the UMOCA site. Additionally, the design of an arts complex envisioned in 1979 has served to make the individual voice of the organization invisible as it sits nearly underground among its shared beige brick neighbors.
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