Opening reception for Whispers of the Colorado Plateau, photographs by Virginia Gontika. Exhibit runs from September 1–October 9.
Artist's Statement & Bio
Virginia Gontika is a landscape photographer whose work is deeply rooted in a lifelong love for wild, ancient landscapes. Originally from Greece, she felt a powerful connection to the American Southwest, particularly the Colorado Plateau, and eventually made Utah her home. Now based in Salt Lake City with her beautiful family, Virginia draws daily inspiration from the rugged desert terrain that surrounds her.
After picking up a camera in 2016, she immediately fell in love with photography. What began as a creative outlet soon evolved into a deeper calling: to document and protect the desert landscapes that had captured her heart. In 2024, she founded Golden Crown Photography and began pursuing landscape photography professionally.
Her work is more than aesthetic, it is a form of advocacy. Through her images, Virginia seeks to educate others on the fragility, dangers, and profound beauty of the Colorado Plateau. Each photograph tells a layered story of geological wonder, ecological sensitivity, and cultural richness. Her mission is to raise awareness of the environmental threats facing the region and to inspire deeper care for these irreplaceable lands.
Virginia’s photography is grounded in reverence. She sees the camera as a bridge connecting viewers to the land and encouraging a sense of awe, respect, and responsibility. Her compositions highlight powerful skies, subtle textures, and sacred spaces that invite both wonder and reflection.
Virginia shares the beauty and urgency of the Colorado Plateau with a growing audience, one print, one story, and one landscape at a time.
AGE GROUP: | All Ages |
EVENT TYPE: | Exhibits | Arts & Creativity |
The Salt Lake City Public Library's Marmalade Branch is the anchor of a mixed-use project developed as a key part of the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) of Salt Lake City's master plan for the Marmalade/West Capitol Hill area of the city. The neighborhood serves as a gateway to Salt Lake City from the north, and the Marmalade Branch is both a hub for neighborhood gatherings and an important welcome for visitors, highlighting a focus on development in the area. On-street parking is available on 500 North and 300 West, and UTA routes offer service with stops immediately in front of the Library on 300 West.
The two-story Marmalade Branch, designed by Blalock & Partners Architectural Design Studio and completed in early 2016, provides 18,600 square feet of new construction to support a thriving and growing community. The first floor includes the Moka Cafe, featuring local coffee and chocolate; a Creative Lab with the latest maker technologies like 3D printing and music-making software as well as "old school" tech such as sewing machines and a turntable; a flexible Children's area; and the very popular Music and Movies collection. The second floor includes the Adult collection, study rooms for a range of group sizes, and a large, flexible multi-purpose room with tiered seating to allow for a wide variety of events. The multi-purpose room has already been very popular with the community, hosting community feedback sessions, film screenings, TEDx events, music recitals, and the highly-popular Coffee and Chocolate Society. The second floor also features a wrap-around terrace offering views of the Capitol Building to the east, Salt Lake City's picturesque skyline and landscape to the south and, to the north, views to a public plaza and open green space as part of a new mixed-use development.
The project utilizes an exterior shading device along the west-facing glass to minimize solar heat gain yet still promote a dynamic interaction with the street and passersby. Its compact footprint reduces land use and allows for a high-performance building envelope. The use of LED lights, lighting control systems, occupancy sensors, and daylight harvesting reduce the amount of electrical energy consumption while the flood of natural light creates an inviting interior environment for patrons and an efficient, balanced workplace for staff. In honor of these sustainability features, the Marmalade Branch was awarded the LEED Silver certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
