Amber Foote

Young, edgy, and contemporary -- that's the kind of art visitors will see displayed at the new Sego Art Center in downtown Provo at 169 N. University Ave.

Sego Art Center is opening its doors to the public for the first time with a reception Friday from 6 to 9 p.m., in association with the Downtown Provo Gallery Stroll, on the first Friday of every month.

The Sego Art Center was launched by a group of local 20-something-aged students who recognized a lack of space and outlet for contemporary artists and art lovers in Provo.

Maht Paulos, a co-founder and executive director for Sego, explained the purpose of the new art center.

"It's going to be a contemporary art space with a studio space for artists, a sculpture garden in the back and then basically a multi-use arts facility for a number of different arts constituencies in the area, including literature, poetry and some forms of experimental music and dance."

The founders of Sego Art Center said they hope to display meaningful art from talented local and out-of-town artists that express a fresh angle and unique perspective through their individual styles.

The group also plans to provide the community with artistic educational resources, including workshops and lectures.

Sego is kicking off its inaugural show with "Genesis," an exhibition titled to proclaim the center's beginnings.

"The show represents not the beginning of good or relevant art in Provo, but the genesis of a significant, important, and necessary step in Provo's cultural history," Paulos said.

The works displayed in "Genesis" were intentionally chosen to encompass the style and scope of future artwork that will be exhibited at Sego Art Center.

Jason Metcalf, a sculpture major at BYU and the art director/curator for Sego, was responsible for choosing and arranging the pieces.

"The show is really symbolic of what we want to be as an art center," Metcalf said. "The artists that I looked at all have a broad range of media. As people come through the show, they can really get a sense of what we're going to be about, what kind of work we're going to show, and the quality and style."

"Genesis" will display works from nine emerging and mid-career artists including Valerie Atkisson, Ruel Brown, Brian Christensen, Jared Clark, Jeff Larsen, Jared Latimer, Hyunmee Lee, Ryan Neely and Chris Purdie.

The displays range from an abstract rice paper visualization of family history and genetic identity, to comic strip-style graffiti/street art. Vintage table lamps, a hybrid hand-revolver, snowballs, a painting titled, well ... "Untitled," and even the abominable snowman are a handful of the artistic representations that will be seen at the "Genesis" exhibit.

"We're looking to connect with the community as a whole to bring great contemporary exhibits to Provo that can be enjoyed by both young and old," Paulos said. "We plan on staying here for a long time and hope to leave a positive mark on the community, art-wise."