(upbeat music) - A new art space with rotating exhibitions, educational programs, and community events is now open.

Chris Jensen is in our studio now to share a bit of what you can explore at the new Salt Lake Art Museum.

Welcome.

- Thank you for having me.

- Thank you for being here, and congratulations on the grand opening.

Tell me how things have been going at the museum.

- It's went really well.

We've had a really good public reception and people seem to really be enjoying the exhibitions.

- What makes you passionate about this place and the opportunity to provide a fresh art perspective to the people here in Utah?

- I think how we narrate our exhibitions is really special, and it's something new that we're doing.

We currently have a Bierstadt Utah exhibition, where he painted 40 landscapes of Utah landscapes, and you get to see the current landscapes next to it.

And it's really fun to see people come through and point out where their house is in that painting or where it would be.

- [Liz] And it's such a beautiful space.

We have some of the images on the screen right now.

Walk me through what people can expect when they visit.

- Yeah, so right now we have five exhibitions up.

You can see the Bierstadt Utah exhibition.

You get to see Pilar Pobil and her artwork through her life.

We even brought the colors from her house into the exhibition so you feel like you get a little bit casa Pilar.

And then we have the B'nai Israel Temple exhibition, which is about the museum's location and collectors.

And then the Julia Reagan exhibition.

- There's so much Utah pride kind of infused in this museum.

Why was that an important touchpoint to do?

- Because Utah has more artists per capita than any other state, and we really wanted to focus on Utah art and Utah communities.

And so we're really proud of that.

And I think Utah has a lot to be proud of when it comes to Utah art.

- Well, I was able to meet Pilar, and I know that she had a beautiful home filled with art.

And so I'm excited that other people will be able to walk through that at the museum as well.

Thank you so much for being here and sharing this information.

If you would like to learn more about the Salt Lake Art Museum, you can head to the website on your screen.

That's saltlakeartmuseum.org for more details.

I'm Liz Adeola, and thank you for watching "Contact".

(upbeat music) Philanthropy, Arts, culture.

It's what brings us together.

Hi, I'm Liz Adeola, the host of Contact, a show that connects you with local events and organizations that serve your community.

If you work for a nonprofit and would like to be on Contact, please visit pbs.org/contact