Art and testimony
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A new exhibit at the Museum of Church History and Art demonstrates the combined force of history, testimony and art.
"Willie & Martin Remembered: A Tribute to the Mormon Handcart Pioneers," splices the words of those faithful and gritty men, women and children who experienced the trials and subsequent rescue of the ill-fated Willie and Martin handcart companies with contemporary artists who honor those pioneers through paint and clay.
Nearly all of the labels that accompany each of the 40 paintings and sculptures that form the exhibit were taken from the writings of handcart pioneers or their rescuers, said exhibit curator Robert Davis. Such histories, he added, are "personal statements of power."
The quotes and accompanying paintings and sculptures, "create a sense of compassion and reverence for these faithful people who endured horrific tragedies and who mustered incredible faith in God," Brother Davis said.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Willie and Martin handcart companies — a collection of devout Church converts who left Europe and walked across a portion of the United States, bound for the Salt Lake Valley. Many would die, succumbing to snow, hunger and horrific cold. Many more would be rescued by provision-laden teams dispatched by Brigham Young. Their shared story remains a powerful history of endurance, suffering, sacrifice and hope.
In his Oct. 1 general conference address, President Gordon B. Hinckley added his tribute to those artistic images now hanging on the museum's walls. The handcart pioneers' faith "is our inheritance," he said. "Their faith is a reminder to us of the price they paid for the comforts we enjoy."
The artwork found in the exhibit was created to illustrate the recently published book "Sweetwater Rescue: The Willie and Martin Handcart Story" by LDS filmmaker Lee Groberg and writer Heidi Swinton. Brother Groberg and Sister Swinton simultaneously collaborated on a TV documentary of the same name.
Many of the artists featured in the exhibit are direct descendants of Willie and Martin pioneers and rescuers. But museum visitors need not have a family connection to the handcart pioneers to be touched by the message of the exhibit, said Brother Groberg. All Church members have "pioneer" connections — be it in their own personal conversions or in the experiences and trials of their ancestors.
All can "take ownership" in the experience of the Willie and Martin handcart companies, Brother Groberg added.
The exhibit at the Museum of Church History and Art is loosely narrative, introducing visitors to members of the Willie and Martin handcart companies as they leave England and are outfitted in Iowa City, Iowa. Optimism and hope can be found in their faces during their walk across Nebraska. Subsequent works of art represent the dire realities of early winter's arrival as the wind-blown pioneers trudge through deep snow and bury loved ones who have died.
The exhibit's conclusion interprets the brave actions of those who were sent by President Young to rescue lives and hope.
More than 30 other artistic images from the book are on display in a companion exhibit at the Museum of Utah Art History (MUAH) located at 125 South Main Street in downtown in Salt Lake City. Seeing both exhibits offers a rich glimpse into the Willie and Martin experience, said MUAH curator Kandace Steadman. The artistic depiction of the pioneers shown in each exhibit allows visitors a view of "what they felt," she added.
The exhibit at the Museum of Church History and Art will be on display through Jan. 2, 2007. Admission is free. The companion MUAH exhibit will be on display through Oct. 31. Admission is free but donations are accepted.
The Museum of Church History and Art is located at 45 N. West Temple, just west of Temple Square.
E-mail to: jswensen@desnews.com
