Avard Fairbanks was a Utah native, honored internationally for his sculpture, and well known for his teaching. His sculpture may be seen in public places in Utah and across the United States, including the U.S. Capitol, the Utah State capitol, Hogle Zoo, etc., and is included in numerous museum collections.

Fairbanks created inspiring works, characterized by a fusion of classical realism and modern sensibilities. He studied art in the United States and Europe, and earned his doctorate in anatomy at the University of Michigan, where he was a professor of sculpture. A respected artist and arts educator, Fairbanks served on the faculties of five American universities and was the founding dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Utah.

During the course of his distinguished career, the artist created over one hundred public monuments dedicated to American leaders and historical events, four of which are located in the Capitol in Washington, D.C. The artist also dealt with themes of the West, the fantastic, and the sacred.

Noted Utah sculptor Silvia Davis earned a BFA degree in sculpture at the University of Utah in 1980. Her style has been described as a geometric realism; often her carved wood or cast bronze works have a wit and charm not usual in “serious” sculpture. Davis is represented in numerous public, corporate, and private collections in Utah. The subject work is a very good, typical example of her sculpture. She is represented by Phillips Gallery in Salt Lake City; by Torrey Gallery, Torrey, Utah; and by Coda Gallery in Palm Desert, California