USU Brigham City to Host Restored Art Exhibition from Intermountain Indian School

BRIGHAM CITY, Utah — A collection of artwork created by students of the former Intermountain Indian School will return to Brigham City during a ribbon cutting event celebrating the history, art, and stories connected to the school.

“Coming Home to Remember the Past” will take place Sept. 11 at the Utah State University Brigham City campus. All community members are invited to attend, with a special invitation to all Intermountain Indian School alumni.

The artwork, which was salvaged and restored after years of preparation, fundraising and patience, was originally re-displayed at the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art in Logan from Jan. 25, 2025, through Jan. 17, 2026. The murals will now return to the site where they were created.

“We always planned to exhibit the restored murals where they were created to be enjoyed by the Intermountain alumni and community,” said Katie Lee-Koven, executive director and chief curator for NEHMA. “The former Intermountain Intertribal Indian School was located where the USU Brigham City campus is now. Alumni from Intermountain travel from all over to meet annually at the campus for their reunion.”

The exhibition will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a lecture, “Creating, Saving, & Preserving Art,” describing the Intermountain art experience, the art salvage efforts, and its restoration. Following the lecture, Dan Black, associate vice president of the Brigham City Region, will invite members of the Intermountain alumni reunion planning committee to participate in a ribbon cutting to officially open the “Coming Home” exhibit.

The exhibit includes six pieces of artwork, including large Intermountain murals, Sheila Nadimi photographs and individual student artwork that tells the story of Intermountain.

Students in art classes at Intermountain were encouraged by their teachers, including nationally renowned Chiricahua Apache artist Allan Houser, to create artwork depicting their native homes and cultures. Some students created large murals directly on the walls of the school.

When buildings associated with the school were demolished, individuals worked to preserve some of the murals, carefully removing them from the walls. Koven led efforts to determine whether the artwork could be restored, identify restoration experts, and secure funding from donors. Expert Scott Haskins and his lab restored the murals.

“It’s amazing to have the art come to the USU Brigham City campus,” Black said. “These were created in Brigham City, and we are happy to be able to showcase the art here. We hope that the alumni and descendants of the Intermountain School will find the opportunity to come and embrace the past by experiencing the restored art.”

Following the exhibit opening, guests can tour the exhibit at 7 p.m., explore art and craft activities in a restored historic building, and gather for a campfire and storytelling at 8 p.m.

USU also saved one of the buildings to preserve the history of both Bushnell Hospital and the Intermountain Indian School. The building remodel is now complete and is ready to become part of a traditional skills preservation program.

Returning the artwork to the campus where it was originally created provides a symbolic homecoming for the pieces and a connection to the history of Intermountain Indian School.

Schedule of Events (USU Brigham City - 989 South Main Street)

5:30 p.m.: Lecture— Creating, Saving, & Preserving Art

6:30 p.m.: Ribbon Cutting & Opening of Exhibit

7:00 p.m.: Exhibit Tour and Exploring Art & Craft Activities in the Historic Building

8:00 p.m.: Campfire & Story Telling at the Historic Building

With two locations in Box Elder County, Utah State University Brigham City and Tremonton offer students the personalized attention and small class sizes of a small-town college with the resources of a large university. With more than 100 degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees, plus technical education offerings, USU offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at brighamcity.usu.edu.