Museums • Editor picks | The Salt Lake Tribune

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Winner

Utah Museum of Fine Arts • This is the state's showpiece for art, classical and modern. Lately, the focus has been on interesting modern art, whether it's Lawrence Weiner's text-driven artwork (now on display in the museum's main gallery), the "outsider art" of Arkansas photographer Mike Disfarmer (on display through July 14) or last year's exhibit of classic race cars and a fascinating retrospective of "Sun Tunnels" creator Nancy Holt.

First runner-up

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art • If you want to dare to be different, UMOCA is the place to do it. Now through December is the first-ever "Utah Biennial," featuring a wild and weird variety of Utah art — from Gianni Pettena's "Tumbleweeds Catcher" to the right-wing paintings of Jon McNaughton.

Second runner-up

Springfield Museum of Art • There's a reason they call Springfield "Art City" and this is it. A wealth of Utah artwork resides here, capturing the state's story in pictures and feelings. And, thanks to the quirky vision of emeritus director Vern Swanson, this Utah County town is the unlikely home to one of the biggest and richest collections of Soviet-era Russian art anywhere.