Welcome to the third installment of the Utah Transit Authority’s Art Crawl — Provo-Orem! This guide will take you from Utah Valley University to Provo Central Station (with a bonus stop at Springville Museum of Art).

At UTA, we believe that art has the power to inspire, connect, and enrich our communities. These art crawls are designed to showcase the remarkable artistic landscape of Utah and open your eyes to the possibilities for creating your own adventure on UTA’s transit system — we move you to work and to school but also to explore the city and experience beautiful works of art.

Enjoy this journey by bus, UVX, and your own two feet (or a scooter!) through Orem and Provo to experience some of the beautiful art and architecture these cities have to offer!

This guide uses step-by-step instructions to help you navigate the transit system. You can also plan your trip using the Transit app, the schedules and maps on our website, or our Customer Service phone line at 801-RIDE-UTA (801-743-3882).

1. Roots of Knowledge — UVU Fulton Library, 800 W. University Parkway

Photo courtesy of Trip Advisor

How to get there: Start at Orem Central Station — you can arrive by FrontRunner or bus, or you can park in the park and ride lot (free for people riding transit!). From the station, you have a handful of ways to get to the Fulton Library:

• Board Route 831 to ride through the Sunset Heights neighborhood of Orem and exit at the Fulton Library stop.
• Board Route 862 to ride around UVU campus and exit at the Fulton Library stop.
• Board UVX, exit at UVU Station, and walk through campus to the Fulton Library.
• Take the UVU Pedestrian Bridge from Orem Central Station to cross over I-15, then walk through campus to the Fulton Library.

Roots of Knowledge is located on the bottom floor of the library.

This breathtaking stained glass display was created over the course of 12 years by Lehi, Utah, company Holdman Studios in collaboration with 26 UVU faculty members, over 350 student artists, and 40 other local artists. It comprises over 40,000 individual pieces of glass in 80 windowpanes and tells the story of human knowledge and discovery, from our earliest mythologies through the rise of science and technology to the modern day and beyond, bookended by stunning depictions of the Tree of Life.

The Roots of Knowledge gallery is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to midnight, Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free.

2. “Osprey Hunt” by Joseph Toney — Al’s Sporting Goods, 643 E. University Parkway

Photo courtesy of Joseph Toney

How to get there: Once again, you have a few ways to get where you want to go. You can return to the Fulton Library bus stop and choose a bus route:

• From the Fulton Library bus stop, board Route 831 toward Provo and exit at UVU Station.
• Board Route 862 toward Orem Central Station and exit at UVU Station.

You can also walk through campus to UVU Station (701 W. 1200 S.)

Board UVX toward Provo Central Station. While you’re on UVX, keep an eye out for the artwork on each UVX station — these etched glass installations were designed to reflect local landmarks and plant life. Exit UVX at University Place Station. Cross at the crosswalk and make your way around the eastern end of the University Mall to Al’s Sporting Goods. “Osprey Hunt” is displayed on the northern exterior wall and is visible from the parking lot. Please exercise caution when walking in and near parking lots.

Created by Salt Lake City artist Joseph Toney, this mural uses sweeping dramatic lines and vivid colors to portray an osprey in flight, hunting a fish in a rugged mountain range. The timeless struggle of predator and prey is accentuated by the bright opposing colors of blue and orange. The osprey is a master hunter, making this the perfect subject for a sporting goods retailer.

3. Plexus No. 29 by Gabriel Dawe — BYU Museum of Art, North Campus Drive

Photo courtesy of Gabriel Dawe

How to get there: From Al’s Sporting Goods, head back to University Place Station. Board UVX toward Provo Central Station, which will take you up through BYU campus toward our next point of interest. Exit UVX at BYU Stadium Station, then walk east to 450 East. Turn right and head south past the Marriot Center Arena. Take pedestrian walkway and veer left at the first fork. At the next junction, keep going straight. Follow the bridge as it curves to the right to cross over North Campus Drive and take the spiral ramp back down to the sidewalk. Ahead and slightly to the east is the Museum of Art.

The museum includes variety of galleries hosting local, national, and international artists. Plexus No. 29, located in the main lobby, is one of the museum’s long-term installations and was created by Gabriel Dawe. Made of nearly 80 miles of thread, this sculpture was inspired by the refraction of light through a prism and is one of 38 site-specific variations on this theme.

The BYU Museum of Art opens at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Closing times are 9 p.m. on Monday, Thursday, and Friday and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. No hours on Sunday. Admission is free.

4. Provo City Library at Academy Square, 550 N. University Ave.

Photo by Ben P L, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons; cropped

How to get there: Walk back the way you came to BYU Stadium Station (Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can walk through campus to BYU South Station at 735 E. 900 N.). Board UVX toward Provo Central Station. Exit at Academy Square Station.

The historic Brigham Young Academy building was built in 1892. After standing vacant for nearly 30 years, this Queen Anne-style structure was saved from the wrecking ball in 1997 and restored as part of the new Provo City Library building. The library is home to two art galleries, the Anderson Art Gallery and the Gene Nelson Attic, which host exhibits by local Utah artists.

The library is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and until 6 p.m. on Saturday. The Anderson Gallery is open during regular library hours, while the Gene Nelson Attic is open Monday through Friday between 3:30 and 8 p.m. Admission to the galleries is free.

5. “How This Branch Twists and Turns” by Colby A. Sanford, 20 N. Freedom Blvd.

Photo by Amber Sorensen

How to get there: At Academy Square Station, board UVX toward Provo Central Station and exit at Center Street Station in historic Downtown Provo.

We’ll be spending quite a bit of time downtown, so if you don’t feel like walking, Provo has Bird scooters and bikes available for rent in the Bird app (scooters and bikes like these are a crucial part of first- and last-mile transit connections!). If you choose to scoot or bike, please follow all usage rules and regulations.

You’ll also find dozens of restaurants, cafes, and bakeries, so if you’re getting hungry, stop and grab a bite!

To get to this next mural, use the crosswalks to cross over to Provo Town Square on the northwest corner of Center Street and University Avenue, then head west toward Freedom Boulevard (200 West). You’ll pass some of Downtown Provo’s most spectacular 19th-century architecture on the way.

“How This Branch Twists and Turns” is located on the western wall of Joey’s and is best viewed from the courtyard of the Utah Valley Convention Center across the street. Framed by a trio of honey locust trees that seem part of the mural itself, this painting depicts two young children high in the branches of a tree, exploring the world around them with wonder. Using a simple color palette and inspiration from his own life, Sanford’s work captures the beauty in simple everyday moments.

While you’re at the Convention Center plaza, you can also check out “One Time in Provo” and three Explore Utah Valley travel posters, which all make great selfie spots.

6. Covey Center for the Arts — 425 W. Center St.

Photo courtesy of the Covey Center for the Arts

How to get there: Continue west along Center Street. Cross the street at 400 West to get to the Covey Center — but before you go inside, look back across Center Street to see the storefront of Pioneer Book, painted to look like a fully stocked bookshelf.

The Covey Center for the Arts is home to four art galleries, two theaters, and numerous theater, art, and dance classes. Currently, three of the galleries are home to the Center’s fall art showcase, an exhibit of art from 40 local artists; the Center Street Exhibit gallery houses a collection of photography by Rick Nye. The galleries are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

7. Earthmovers by Carol Jackman — 247 W. Center St.

Photo by Amber Sorensen

How to get there: When you’re finished at the Covey Center, head east on Center Street. This time, you’ll be walking along the south side, past more great restaurants and unique local businesses. At about 250 West, just past Taylor Maid beauty and theatrical supply store, you’ll see a small sculpture nestled within a hedge.

Earthmovers depicts a trio of swimsuit-clad kids playing in the sand — a familiar summertime memory for many of us. In the artist’s own words, the sculpture is “a tribute to the faith of children — they can do anything.”

8. “History of Provo” by Asen Balakchiev — 23 S. Freedom Blvd.

Photo by Amber Sorensen

How to get there: Continue east on Center Street to the end of the block. As you pass Joe Vera’s Mexican Restaurant, you’ll see “History of Provo” along the western wall of theFINDlab across the street.

This 75-foot mural shows the history of the city of Provo, beginning with Fort Utah, one of the area’s first pioneer settlements. The second panel shows the birth of industry with a woolen mill, and the third brings the arrival of the steam trains. The final panel depicts one of the first public schools built in the city.

9. Historic Utah County Courthouse and Grounds — 51 S. University Ave.

How to get there:Continue east along Center Street. Along the way, you’ll pass the “Gunnison Sage Grouse” mural by Louis Masai (163 W. Center St.), the Force for Good sculpture by Gary Price (by the Nu Skin building), and the In the Family Circle sculpture by Dennis Smith (on the grounds of the Provo City Center LDS temple). Cross University Avenue to the grounds of the Historic Utah County Courthouse.

Children of Peace and The Statue of Responsibility by Gary Price

 
Photos by Amber Sorensen

These two sculptures are located on the northwest corner of the courthouse grounds.

Gary Price is a local sculptor in Utah Valley who has created many pieces on display in the area — including four mentioned in this guide. Tucked into a flowerbed, Children of Peace depicts two children holding hands and releasing three doves into the air. Olive branches on the statue’s plinth drive the message home.

The Statue of Responsibility is located in a sidewalk rotunda just past the Children of Peace. The idea was inspired by Holocaust survivor Dr. Viktor Frankl, who imagined it as a companion to the Statue of Liberty, showing our responsibility to maintain the liberties we have been given. The clasped hands evoke our connection to one another — any one of us may be the hand reaching up for help or the hand reaching down to lift someone else.

Pediment Relief by Joseph Nelson and Joseph Conradi

Photo by Ben P L, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons; cropped

Walk closer to the courthouse main steps for a better view of the relief on the pediment above the entrance. This neoclassic building was completed in 1926 and served as the Utah County courthouse until the Fourth District Judicial Courthouse (which we visited earlier) opened in 2018. This relief was designed by Joseph Nelson and sculpted by Joseph Conradi. Lady Justice stands in the center, flanked on either side by figures representing Utah County and Provo City. The other carvings represent the arts, music, literature, industry, and agriculture. The building’s interior is also a work of art itself — have a look around!

The American Family by Avard T. Fairbanks

Photo by Amber Sorensen

This sculpture is located in the lawn on the southwest corner of the courthouse grounds.

Dedicated in 1980, this sculpture depicts a father comforting his barefoot son while the sober mother holds a young child in her arms. Parcels lie scattered at their feet. The American Family stands in honor of Utah’s pioneer heritage and the eternal solidarity of Utah’s families. Over the years, the patina of the bronze has only added to and emphasized this indomitably.

10. The Communion by Gary Price — Health & Justice Building, 200 S. University Ave.

Photo by Amber Sorensen

How to get there:Walk south along University Avenue. Cross 100 South and continue past the Health and Justice Building to the corner of 200 South and University Avenue.

This sculpture by Gary Price might be a prelude to The Statue of Responsibility, showing the moment just before the two hands are joined. In his own words, “This sculpture represents the very moment — that exact instant — when we have taken that incredible leap of faith, reaching out into the unknown in hope that we will find comfort, solace, peace, love and understanding.” This particular sculpture on the grounds of the Utah County Health Department is dedicated to the fight against breast cancer.

11. Two Greeters and Portal to Another Place by Don Mitchell — Provo Central Station, 701 S. 200 W.

 
Photos by Ricardo630, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons; cropped

How to get there: Once again, you have a few options here. Either way, you’ll be walking about two blocks:

• Continue south to the UVX 400 South Station.
• Head back to Center Street Station to board UVX.

Whichever station you go to, board UVX going to Provo Central Station and exit when you reach the station.

These whimsical figures greet transit riders and wish them bon voyage from the FrontRunner station platform. Mitchell’s imaginative style is sure to put a smile on your face and brighten your day — maybe even spark some creativity of your own.

If you’re headed back to Orem Central Station or further north, board FrontRunner here. UVX will take you back through Provo and Orem.

If you want to continue your art exploration, you can take a bus to Springville to visit the Springville Museum of Art.

12. Springville Museum of Art — 126 E. 400 S.

Photo courtesy of Explore Utah Valley

How to get there: At Provo Central Station bus bay C, board Route 821 toward Payson. This route will take you along University Avenue, Lakeview Parkway, and Utah State Highway 89 to Springville. Exit the bus at the 400 S / 195 E stop. Cross 400 South to Springville Museum of Art. The main entrance is on the east side of the building at the end of the parking lot.

This 1930s Spanish Colonial Revival masterpiece is home to a spectacular collection of fine art pieces from artists all over the world. At any given time, about 15% of the museum’s collection is on display. Exhibits range from sculptures to paintings to textiles, and visitors can easily spend several hours wandering the museum’s vaulted galleries. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free.

To get back to Provo Central Station from the Springville Museum of Art, board Route 821 toward Provo at the 400 S / 195 E bus stop.

Thank you for taking this journey with us! We hope you enjoyed this look at just a little bit of the beautiful art and architecture in Provo, Orem, and Springville and gained a deeper appreciation of where transit can take you.