Illustrations of Alice Kasai, Mignon Barker Richmond, and Seraph Young by Brooke Smart
Utah Women Making History
This exhibition, commissioned by Better Days 2020, features Utah women (and a few men) who worked throughout the 20th century to advocate for women and advance their communities. The collection presents a series of illustrations by Utah artist Brooke Smart.
Artist Brooke Smart started her career in fine arts before she found the opportunity to illustrate her books. Her work has been featured in children’s books, magazines, newspapers, and building walls. Smart emphasizes meaning and beauty within her compositions, with an added touch of humor, while focusing on women who make an impact.
Similarly, Better Days 2020 is a nonprofit dedicated to popularizing Utah women’s history in creative and communal ways. This exhibition, from Better Days 2020, celebrates anniversaries significant to women’s rights. In 2020, Utahns commemorated the 150th anniversary of women’s first votes when 25 women cast ballots in the Salt Lake City election on February 15, 1870. These Utah women were the first American women to vote under an equal suffrage law.
That same year celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. The 19th Amendment, which extended voting rights to women in the United States, was ratified on August 26, 1920. The Voting Rights Act, which provided needed protections for minority voting rights, was enacted by Congress on August 6, 1965.
Resources
- Utah Women Making History: http://utahwomenshistory.org
- Artwork with longer biographies: https://www.utahwomenshistory.org/bios/
- Champions of Change: 25 Women Who Made History written by Naomi Watkins and Katherine Kitterman; illustrated by Brooke Smart (released August 20, 2019)
- Downloadable press release
- Downloadable press photos
- Educational Materials
2024-2025 Traveling Schedule
July 11 - Aug 3, 2024, Marysvale Historical Society Museum, 89 South Main, Marysvale, UT 84750 Piute County,
2023-2024 Traveling Schedule
Snow College Library Oct 5 - Dec 9, 2023
Duchesne Library, Oct 6 - Nov 8, 2023
Wasatch Academy, Liberal Hall Museum, Nov 9 - Dec 12. 2023
Orem Public Library, Mar 4 - Apr 11, 2024
Cottonwood Arts Council, City Hall Gallery, Apr 1 - May 4, 2024
Wasatch Public Library, Apr 12 - May 30, 2024
2022-2023 Traveling Schedule
Delta City Public Library, Delta, May 4 - Aug 4, 2022
Park City Public Library, Park City, Jun 7- Aug 15, 2022
Escalante High School, Escalante, Sep 21 - Oct 25, 2022
Clark Johnson Jr High, Nov 10 - Dec 7, 2023
Kamas City Public Library, Kamas, Jan 11 - Feb 14, 2023
Museums at Union Station, Ogden, Feb 6 - Mar 9, 2023
Delta South Elementary, Delta, Feb 17 - Mar 17, 2023
Centerpoint Legacy Theatre, Centerville, Mar 10 - Apr 15, 2023
2021-2022 Traveling Schedule
Springville Museum of Art, Springville, May 3 - Aug 30, 2021
Old Dome Meeting Hall, Riverton, Jul 13 - Sep 20, 2021
Wasatch Elementary, Salt Lake City, Sep 1 - Oct 6, 2021
Rich Middle School, Laketown, Oct 7 - Nov 4, 2021
Southern Utah University Library,, Cedar City, Oct 13 - Nov 11, 2021
Hub City Gallery, Mount Pleasant, Dec 7, 2021 - Feb 23, 2023
Gallery East, USU Eastern, Price, Jan 3 - 31, 2022
Hanksville Elementary, Hanksville, Jan 31 - Feb 28
Tooele Junior High, Tooele, Mar 3 - Apr 1, 2022
Discovery Gateway Children's Museum, Salt Lake City, Mar 10 - Apr 21, 2022
Delta City Public Library, Delta, May 4 - Aug 4, 2022
Park City Public Library, Park City, Jun 7- Aug 15, 2022
2020-2021 Traveling Schedule
Bountiful Davis Art Center, Bountiful, 7/31-9/21
Orem Public Library, Orem, 9/21-11/2
Boulder Community Gallery 11/2-12/15
Weber State University Stewart Library, Ogden, 12/17-3/1/2021
Springville Museum of Art, Springville, 5/3-8/30