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Sign this petition to show your support for Granary Arts purchasing buildings on Main Street!
Granary Arts has a unique opportunity to purchase buildings on Main Street in Ephraim (the Ephraim Relief Society Granary, the Ephraim Co-op, and the Bishop’s Storehouse). Currently, these properties are owned by the city of Ephraim, and we need a majority approval from Ephraim City Council for the purchase.
We are excited about the possibility of purchasing these beloved buildings and are dedicated to preserving their historical architecture while celebrating the unique history of our community. Our vision is to cultivate a downtown arts and culture district that will serve as an economic hub for our community and a destination for visitors. The Ephraim Co-op has long been a space devoted to the spirit of community, a history that Granary plans to honor and extend. This purchase will ensure that Ephraim Main Street remains a public gathering place for years to come.
Our organization, Granary Arts, has received national and international attention for our excellent programs, even being recognized by USA Today as one of the top art spaces in the country. As a designated Local Arts Agency in Sanpete County, we remain committed to serving our community by providing access to the arts and continuing to use our platform to promote Ephraim’s cultural landscape on the national stage.
Reason
You will be ensuring that historic buildings on Main Street in Ephraim (Ephraim Relief Society Granary, the Ephraim Co-op, and the Bishop’s Storehouse) remain a protected, valued, and beloved gathering place for years to come.
After WWII, the Ephraim Co-op and the Relief Society Granary buildings were left vacant and slowly deteriorated until 1990, when a group of local women and artists intervened to save them. Through the power of volunteers and fundraising, the buildings were renovated and became useable public spaces. However, in the last 30 years, the buildings have endured wear and tear, and are now in need of updated renovations and costly preservation work.
These buildings are truly the heart of Ephraim, but Ephraim City has limited funding and many demands on its resources. The buildings need extensive restoration work that the city simply cannot provide.
Granary Arts has proven itself an excellent steward of our building over the last 11 years, raising significant funding to put towards restoration and maintenance projects. We also strive to celebrate and honor the history of our building, and in 2019 Granary Arts put the Ephraim Relief Society Granary on the National Register of Historic Places.
We have demonstrated the vision, the drive, and the experience to see these buildings are maintained, improved, and enjoyed as a public space by future generations.
How You Can Help
Sign this petition.
Email Ephraim City mayor, John Scott, to voice your support of Granary Arts at john.scott@ephraimcity.org
Come to the public hearing on January 17, 2024 at 6 PM at the Ephraim City Hall.
About Us
In 2012, long-time friends Amy Jorgensen and Kelly Brooks proposed to create a new non-profit art center in the historic Ephraim granary building. They believed, as local residents, artists, and teachers, that an art gallery in Ephraim could be a creative driving force, educational resource, and valuable gathering place where art would become accessible to the community. A labor of love in the truest sense, Granary Arts grew from the desire to enrich the place Jorgensen and Brooks call home. Today, Granary Arts remains dedicated to our rural roots as we reach out to the local community and beyond.
Granary Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, whose mission is to support the arts through exhibitions, education, and cultural programming; and serve as an anchor for artistic activity and community. We support and exhibit regional and international artists; provide educational opportunities through programming, outreach, and cultural events; and foster collaborative relationships with individuals, organizations, and communities.
Learn More
Website: granaryarts.org
Email: info@granaryarts.org
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