HISTORY
OUR FOUNDING STORY
In 2012, long-time friends Amy Jorgensen and Kelly Brooks proposed to create a new non-profit art center in the historic Ephraim granary building. As local residents, artists, and teachers, they believed that a contemporary art center in Ephraim could be a creative driving force, educational resource, and frequented gathering place by making visual art engaging and accessible to the community. A labor of love in the truest sense, Granary Arts grew from the desire to enrich the place Jorgensen and Brooks call home. Today, Granary Arts remains dedicated to our rural roots as we reach out to the global art collective.
BUILDING AN ARTS COMMUNITY
Granary Arts is a Local Arts Agency, which is a designation through the Utah Division of Arts and Museums and a partnership with Ephraim City. We serve as an anchor for creative activity, providing access to diverse forms of art that facilitate public participation. We provide opportunities for artists, curators, makers, students, and educators to foster their creative vision. We also provide arts education to schools and the community through a variety of programs, workshops, public art projects, and other cultural events. Granary Arts is dedicated to placemaking by fostering the relationship between artists and the community through exhibitions and education.
PRESERVING THE ARCHITECTURE
The beautiful historic Ephraim granary has a long and rich history of women working to build dynamic communities. Built in 1876 by the Female Relief Society, a local women's religious organization, to serve the poor and store wheat, the building was saved from demolition in 1990 by a coalition of artists led by Kathy Peterson. With the help of community volunteers the coalition spent countless hours restoring the oolite limestone structure. Once the building was renovated, it was converted to a community arts space.