Poor Yorick's Studios is a complex of private artist studios in South Salt Lake, housed in a 16,000 sq.
ft. building. There is common show space for the popular semi-annual open studio event, as well as an outdoor
yard for larger projects. Poor Yorick is the only artist owned and operated studio complex in the Salt Lake valley,
committed to providing affordable long-term workspace and a stimulating creative community for serious minded Utah artists.
-from RED Magazine, March 25, 2004
It is workspace first, but the artists open their doors to the public two nights each year.
The hallways, however, are always loaded with art. The art usually comes from the curious
creators inside the walls, but they also extend their hand to "honorary members."
Poor Yorick artists cleaned away the workspace disarray for the equinox and the fifth
semiannual celebration on March 19, but the hallways still smelled deeply of mineral spirits and paint.
The two special nights they open are near the equinox and usually fall on gallery stroll Friday nights.
Poor Yorick was packed for the spring open studio exhibition. Art enthusiasts, collectors and friends cannot
escape the allure of the studios.
Because it is so rare an event and the work inside is never a disappointment, the chance to see always new,
inspiring work is a hard buzz in the Salt Lake City network. This is an event people don't miss.
Cars were parked around a three-block radius. The postcard sent out suggests, "Carpool if you can swing
it at all." The attendees who brought their postcards could finish the print on old presses from Athenaeum Press,
housed in the front of Poor Yorick.
Poor Yorick is the best of the gallery stroll experience. It is so many galleries in one and because the
work is always new, it’s never redundant.
"It’s great it’s only open twice a year. Then the work is always fresh," said Trent Call, a Poor Yorick artist.
"We would love to do more shows, but the truth is, we just can’t," said Slaugh. He feels if artists make
work too quickly then the quality can suffer.
The guts of art creation still linger. Figure studies line the walls next to finished works. Poor Yorick
is usually all work, no display. The ghost smelling of mineral oil, spray paint and ink cruises through the halls.
"I know why they only open it twice a year —it was a pain in the ass to clean this place up," Watson said.
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