Fanciful award-winning artwork on display at Lee Library - BYU News Skip to main content
Intellect

Fanciful award-winning artwork on display at Lee Library

A series of fanciful art forms by a Brigham Young University student artist who won a major art grant from a Park City ski resort will be on display at BYU's Harold B. Lee Library.

Beginning April 15 and running through June 28, John Gumaelius' "Guppets" will be presented in the Auditorium Gallery on the Lee Library's first level. His presentation will include five performances of his sculptures April 15 at 7 p.m., April 18 at noon and 7 p.m., April 25 at 7 p.m. and June 27 at 7 p.m.

There will also be an opening reception April 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission to the performances and exhibit is free.

Gumaelius and fellow BYU student Chelsy Smith were the winners of the Canyons Resort's public arts contest "Earth, Wind, Water and Fire." Their life-size works of art will be displayed at the Canyons Resort.

Smith and Gumaelius received nearly $4,000 for materials needed to construct their sculptures. Upon completion of the projects, Smith and Gumaelius will also be awarded with $4,000 each.

Criteria for the pieces required that they be life-sized, about six-feet tall and constructed of weather-friendly materials.

Gumaelius describes his sculpture designs as a "three-headed puppet dragon bird." Because he is skilled at creating mechanical puppets, each head will be connected to a lever with a chain.

"You can pull on the lever, and it'll open and close the beaks," he said. "Then on top of each head are propellers that spin in the wind.

Smith's design for the resort incorporates the mountains illustrated in the Canyons logo, stacking the mountains sideways and vertically, transforming from mountains to human-like figures.

Writer: Elizabeth B. Jensen

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

BYU’s 2025 awards season honors student standouts

May 15, 2025
Rise and shout! Across various disciplines, BYU students have been recognized for their world-class accomplishments.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Student inventors help BYU rank as a top U.S. university for newly-issued patents

May 12, 2025
Brigham Young University was just ranked as one of the Top 100 universities in the nation for most issued patents. But the new ranking from the National Academy of Inventors isn’t the story for BYU; it’s who holds the patents.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

BYU research: Your beliefs about money may reveal clues about your relationship

May 07, 2025
Everyone holds their own beliefs about money – what it’s for, how much we need and how to use it. But a new study from researchers at BYU says personal beliefs about money also shape the health of your relationship.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=