SUMA Observations & Conversations

In this episode, Emily Ronquillo, Director of Marketing & Design, and Jason Moodie, Director of Learning & Visitor Experience, sit down with three SUU faculty members from different areas of the university to talk about how they engage with the museum in their courses. Kevin Koontz from Outdoor Recreation and Parks and Tourism tells us about how his classes visit SUMA to learn more about museum interpretation. Alex Bradshaw-Yerby from Dance shares how her students react to exhibitions through movement. And Susanna Herrmann from Graphic Design talks about how she uses the museum’s collection to teach typography and poster design.  We hope you learn more about how SUMA is an educational resource at SUU. If you want to bring a class for a tour at SUMA or learn even more about how to connect the museum to your syllabus, you can reach out to Jason at experiencesuma@suu.edu [experiencesuma@suu.edu].

For today’s episode, please welcome our very own Dean of the College of Performing and Visual Arts, Michael Schmidt. He and our Executive Director, Jessica Kinsey, sat down together to discuss the importance of campus museums. They talked about how these museums are a valuable resource for students, faculty, and the community and how they provide great opportunities for learning and starting conversations. If you enjoy this episode and would like to come visit us, visit our website here [https://www.suu.edu/suma/] to find more information.

Immerse yourself in our exhibition, Salt Lines: Exploring Climate, Environment, and the Saline Influx with commentary from our Director of Curatorial Affairs, Dr. Becky Bloom, and two of the participating artists, Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser. They discuss their artwork as they walk through the gallery, providing insight into each piece's process, inspiration, and intentions.  If you’d like to learn more about Salt Lines: Exploring Climate, Environment, and the Saline Influx and how you can see this exhibition, visit our website here [https://www.suu.edu/suma/exhibits/2024/salt-lines.html].

Welcome to a new episode!  This time we have guest Alexandra Fuller here to discuss SUMA’s new exhibition, Salt Lines: Exploring Climate, Environment, and the Saline Influx. Alex is a Utah-based artist working primarily in photography, installation, and poetry, and is one of the artists in the Salt Lines exhibition.  We chat about the exhibition, making it as an artist, the importance of salt, and the future of The Great Salt Lake. Whether you’re an aspiring artist or interested in the changing environment in Utah, there’s something in this episode for you.  If you’d like to learn more about Salt Lines: Exploring Climate, Environment, and the Saline Influx, visit our website here [https://www.suu.edu/suma/exhibits/2024/salt-lines.html], and if you’d like learn more about Alex, check out her website here [https://alexandrafuller.com/].

Wash your brain with the ambient noise of Harry Bertoia’s sound sculptures in this special episode. Bertoia was a renowned modern artist and designer, perhaps most well known for his 1950s suite of wire furniture. He spent his 40-year career experimenting with various materials and techniques, including decades working with metal in particular. During this time, Bertoia came to realize its great potential for unique sonic qualities. He sculpted beautiful tonals, gongs, and singing bars that would create an ambient sound environment when activated.  SUMA recently hosted an exhibition of Bertoia’s work and wanted to bring the sonambient experience to all our listeners.  Please enjoy 20 minutes of Bertoia’s soundscapes. If you’d like to hear more, check out our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@southernutahmuseumofart5750/videos] where we have 20-minute [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1PSrpTCMIo], 10–minute [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLuHcdSIu_E], and 5-minute [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOn7QOgdVL4] concerts.