For the past 11 years, Katie Lee-Koven, who serves as director of the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, has had one goal: to make the museum not a hidden gem — but a place that’s celebrated and welcoming for everyone.
And now, she says that vision has come to life.
Last month, the museum officially opened the Wanlass Center for Art Education and Research. The new facility will expand the museum’s academic and community outreach.
“The whole purpose of this building is to augment and expand the opportunities for engagement with art for students in the community,” Lee-Koven said. “And for us to be adaptive and think about learning and the 21st century.”
Lee-Koven says the $7.6 million cultural facility will help connect the public with NEHMA’s modern and contemporary American art collection — especially works from the American West. She says the 10,000-square-foot expansion doubles the museum’s collection storage.
“We're still really full,” Lee-Koven said. “We have about 5,900 objects in our collection. And so, this building was imagined not only for growing our collection but also sharing the collection.”
The new facility includes visible storage and flexible display areas so museum staff can easily access and show pieces for classes, researchers, and the general public.
It also features a study room, where visitors can view artwork on easels up close. There’s a research library with museum publications and artist archives, plus a computer station to explore the digital collection.
A new art classroom adds space for K–12 programming and hands-on activities. Shannon Erickson, the museum’s K–12 community director, says it’s a valuable space for local kids.
“For tiny, tiny Cache Valley, to have what we have is just a tremendous resource," Erickson said. "I just feel very privileged and lucky that every day I get to show up in an art museum of this caliber, and I am never bored. The kids are never bored.”
The new center is named after George Wanlass, who has played a key role in building the museum’s collection. He says he’s thrilled with the result.
“The result is stupendous,” Wanlass said. “It's a gift to the state of Utah. It gives a way for the children of the state of Utah to approach art and learn from art and develop their own creativity.”
