#Salt Lake City #UMOCA #Great Salt Lake #Oscar Tuazon

UMOCA Unveils Salt Lake Water School

In an impressive blend of art and environmental advocacy, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) has inaugurated the Salt Lake Water School, a remarkable installation by conceptual artist Oscar Tuazon. This innovative project, positioned in the vibrant Abravanel Hall Plaza of downtown Salt Lake City, stands as a visual manifestation of the urgent discourse surrounding the declining Great Salt Lake.

A Fusion of Art and Activism

Tuazon's Salt Lake Water School is not merely an artistic endeavor but a powerful response to one of Utah's most pressing environmental issues: the future of the Great Salt Lake. Designed as a modular sculpture, this installation invites public interaction, prompting dialogue about the critical state of water resources in the region. Through the lens of Indigenous knowledge and a deep understanding of ecology, Tuazon meditates on the significance of water as a connector—one that links people to the land and their built environments.

As part of his larger Water School initiative, the installation presents water not just as a resource but as a vital element underpinning ecological systems, cultural heritage, and economic vitality. The design encourages visitors to engage with the space in a reflective manner, inviting them to consider how water flows through our lives—physically, metaphorically, and culturally.

Supporting Voices

The importance of this project is underscored by insightful remarks from Andrew Shaw, the lead of the Wake the Great Salt Lake initiative. He emphasized UMOCA’s critical role as a cultural hub in Salt Lake City, where art ventures beyond aesthetics to ignite conversations around urgent regional issues.