EXHIBITS

Intermountain Indian School: Fine Arts and Crafts

Fine Arts and Crafts

Arts were one of the areas where Native American culture was encouraged at Intermountain from the beginning. Students studied and practiced Native-inspired arts and crafts such as painting, weaving, and beading in their classes, often under the guidance of Native teachers. Over the years, many murals inspired by Native American themes graced the walls of the school and encouraged the students to take pride in their heritage.

In art classes, Intermountain students were encouraged to draw on their experiences and traditions as Native Americans.

The Intermountain Inter-Tribal School logo was designed by John Huskett, a Navajo artist and teacher at Intermountain. The eagle was the school mascot. It has significance in Native American cultures for its association with prayer, spirituality, healing, comfort, and beauty.

Many paintings and murals with Native American themes decorated the walls of Intermountain. Most were vandalized when the buildings sat vacant, but before the buildings were demolished, Utah State University (USU) staff made an effort to salvage those that were still intact.

“First Dates, Homesickness, and Desert Murals: Selected Works from the Intermountain Indian School, 1950–1984,” 15 Bytes, Artists of Utah, published June 12, 2019, http://artistsofutah.org/15Bytes/index.php/first-dates-homesickness-and-desert-murals-selected-works-from-the-intermountain-indian-school-1950-1984/.

Carlos Junior Guadarrama, "An Analysis of Murals Painted by Students at Intermountain Indian School in Brigham City, Utah” (master’s thesis, Utah State University, 2018), https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports/1246/.