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Explorations by Sophia Esterman
Art Exhibit Reception
Wednesday, June 03
5:30pm - 7:00pm
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2026-06-03 17:30:00
2026-06-03 19:00:00
America/Denver
Explorations by Sophia Esterman
Opening reception for Explorations, paintings and prints by Sophia Esterman. Exhibit runs from June 1–June 27.
Marmalade Branch -
Opening reception for Explorations, paintings and prints by Sophia Esterman. Exhibit runs from June 1–June 27.
Artist's Statement
These artworks explore my relationship with life and death over the course of the last several years in which I have been a mother to young children and lost my own mother. The constraints of space and time involved in my daily life have created a certain restraint and density in this body of artwork. The artworks are multi-layered symbolic narratives that explore themes of motherhood and cycles of birth, life, and death. A number of them are also different iterations of the subjects and projects that I create with my art classes. I enjoy the challenge and opportunity of finding something new in the same material repeatedly revisited. Creating art opens the door to images that I often understand only later—the process gives them an opportunity to emerge.
Artist's Bio
I have always loved art. I grew up near Washington, DC, visiting the art
museums frequently and freely. I studied painting and printmaking at both Carnegie Mellon University, for 1 year, and Columbia University (BA 2004), as well as privately in New York City. I later discovered that I enjoy teaching art. I moved to Salt Lake City in late 2009, as I had fallen in love with the beautiful backdrop of the mountains in my daily life. I studied art education at the University of Utah (M.Ed. 2012), and that has been my profession since 2009, in SLC high schools since 2012. I currently teach art at West High School. I have continued to create my own paintings and prints all the while, mostly to explore my own experiences of life.
AGE GROUP: | All Ages |
EVENT TYPE: | Exhibits | Arts & Creativity |
Marmalade Branch
Hours
About the branch
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 features Lucky Ones Coffee, an incredible team of neurodiverse baristas offering up a full espresso bar, delicious paninis, and locally baked treats; 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; 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 hosts community feedback sessions, lively discussions and presentations, film screenings, and music recitals. 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).