Restoring History - Minerva Teichert Painting Gets a Lift
When the condition of the art owned by Cashe county was assessed, art appraiser Allen Dodworth was not very pleased. Very good works of art were deteriorating or worse. He wrote a memo to the Cashe County School, District superintendent - referencing a two-inch tear me candid words in a Minerva Teichert painting that he valued at $300,000.
“To allow it to remain suggests indifference to the painting, much the same as allowing graffiti to remain on a public wall invites more disrespect,”
Superintendent Steve Norton is aware of both the tear and the admonishment.
Untitled Minerva Teichert painting c1935. This art hangs at the Historic Logan Courthouse. Cash County owns 73 works of art by various artists. The entire collection has an estimated value of $1.1 million.
In June, the school board members were presented with an introduction to the entire artwork collection, providing them with insights into its contents and specific requirements. While a portion of the artwork is on loan, the majority is skillfully displayed in frames throughout the district office. However, there remains a batch of paintings stored within a basement closet at the district office, a situation that would concern art enthusiasts like Dodworth.
Dodworth noted that the space "beneath the stairs" is unsuitable for safeguarding delicate and valuable items, stressing that the stored artwork's condition will continue to deteriorate. He recommended a solution such as storing the pieces on vertical shelves at the very least, or, even more ideally, putting them on public display as an exhibition.
During the late 1970s, Brenda Anthony, the former President of the PTA Council, was approached by Nancy Calderwood and Madia Ashment, both mothers of school children. They raised concerns about the mistreatment of valuable artworks in school lunchrooms.
Upon receiving these concerns, Anthony took the initiative to discuss the matter with then-Superintendent Clark Puffer, who empathized with the situation. Subsequently, the school board made the decision to relocate the art pieces from the schools to the district office.
Given that a significant portion of the artwork holds historical significance, particularly regarding early Utah history and the Mormon pioneers, Anthony mentioned that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reached out to the school district. In this interaction, the church indicated its interest in specific paintings and negotiated their acquisition and compensation terms with the district. As a result, certain pieces were sold, and the funds obtained were allocated to the restoration and framing of other artworks.
Minerva Teichert Art Galery