Bicentennial Art Story Gets New Telling

Great stories stand the test of time, and Weber State’s Storytelling Festival has given life to a great story — one that began in 1976.

While the nation was celebrating its bicentennial, local lawyer and philanthropist William “Bill” Critchlow AS ’50 had an idea to combine Utah artists and local history to tell little-remembered stories of the past. He commissioned 24 of Utah’s best artists to capture 64 scenes of Northern Utah history.

The art was displayed for the bicentennial and then donated to Weber State. It hung in the Stewart Library for many years before going into the art archives. WSU’s Storytelling Festival Board decided it was time to reintroduce audiences to the stories told on those canvases.

In 2017, with support from the Jerry & Vickie Moyes College of Education and the Department of Visual Art & Design, 20 paintings were selected and restored. In addition, Department of History faculty wrote short essays explaining events in the paintings. WSU history alumnus and award-winning producer Issac Goeckeritz BA ’12 combined the narration and historical images to create a visual documentary for each. The process continued this year with the restoration of the next set of 20 paintings.

You can check out the happy ending by visiting the McKay Education Building, where the paintings are on public display.