The Manti Arts Center, which had its humble beginning about a century ago with the gift of an oil painting but has since accumulated hundreds of artifacts, was to have a home of its very own this month.
The Arts Center, which occupied the basement of the public library, was to take over sole possession of Main Street's two-story Old Town Hall Saturday.The move was to include the permanent art collection; recent paintings commissioned to develop the theme: History through Art, which tell the story of the city's crowning features; and hundreds of early photographs that depict the pioneer theme.
The permanent art collection has been obtained through gifts and purchases over many years.
Also making the move to the new quarters were a giant relief map of Manti, dividers, easels and furniture.
After some remodeling is completed on the building's first floor, the arts collections will occupy that area.
The second floor of the Old Town Hall may become home to a variety of activities related to the arts, according to Arts Council chairman Ibo Peterson. One suggestion is a wall mural of early Main Street.
The Old Town Hall, vacant now, was once the city's pride. According to records, it was built of oolite limestone during the 1872-83 decade of materials taken from the city quarry. Cost was about $10,000.
It's architectural style - Italinate, according to a state Historical Society researcher - makes it one of a kind in Sanpete and unique in Utah.
An early city administration had a stucco coat applied to the bare stone walls of the building. Perhaps that treatment was considered appropriate to the architectural style or possibly for cosmetic effect.
The move is expected to provide the Center with a better location, but it will have other benefits, including historic preservation.
And, the center's move from the library basement will provide space to relocate club rooms from the current city building to the library basement. The space occupied by the clubs in City Hall will then be converted into two office suits that will become available for government or private business
use. "The two suites will partially meet the urgent need for more office space," said Bill Mickelson, city business manager. "We're not playing a version of musical chairs with these moves but addressing a growth problem."
And he added that the city is now developing plans for the construction of a 3,400-square-foot office building that could be doubled in size as the need develops, between the Old Town Hall and the medical center.
"We're trying to adjust to change by making changes," Mickelson said.