After many recommendations to visit, we finally made it to the UVU Museum of Art. The UVU Museum of Art is an art museum and a beautiful historic home in one visit. Admission to the museum is free and there are activities for kids, too. This is a great indoor adventure for families in Utah.
History
Lakemount Manor was the home of Melanie and Bruce Bastian. They divorced, but Melanie lived here until she passed away. Her children donated the home to the University for an art museum in 2018. It took four years to get the home set up for an art museum, but it is beautiful!
UVU Art Museum
When you first walk into the museum, there are two staircases and a large chandelier. It is amazing! The UVU Art Museum has two different levels, but there is an elevator, making this museum accessible for everyone.
The exhibits change throughout the year, so you will probably see different exhibits than we did. The first room in the museum was full of artwork by Utah artists. We loved reading about the artists, where they came from, and how they created their works. The views from this room are beautiful, too.
We enjoyed exhibit from the 125TH Anniversary Exhibition from the Utah Division of Arts and Museums. This is an exhibit that talks about the history of art through Utah, and pulls from the collection the the art division has collected over the years. There were many interesting items on display.
One of the benefits of the UVU Museum of Art is as you walk through the different art exhibits, you can also enjoy the mansion. We loved the music room that you could peek into. The high ceilings, large windows, and other features make the house so grand. The grounds are also nice, but we visited in winter, so we didn’t get to walk around much.
Hands-On
One of the most difficult things about an art museum is that it is a no touching place. Children need to keep their hands off the artwork. The UVU Museum of Art has a few different Art Education stations with an activity for kids. One was a scavenger hunt. They also have different Open Studio times on most Wednesdays and Art for All on the second Saturday of the month. I would try to plan my visit during these times, if possible, so my kids could enjoy creating their own art. Check this link for the calendar for Art for All and Open Studio programs for kids and families. Scroll to the bottom to see the current info.
Information
Hours:
Tuesday: 1 – 8 p.m.
Wednesday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed Sunday – Monday
Location:
260 W 1800 S
Orem, UT 84058
If you are in the UVU area to visit this museum, make sure to plan some time for the Roots of Knowledge stained glass display in the library. Also free to visit, and amazing!!!
