The sons of beloved philanthropist and community activist Melanie Bastian are providing a lasting tribute to their mother through the donation of her Orem home to Utah Valley University.
"Melanie was a lifelong supporter of arts and education. The gift is a tribute to her generosity. She built this huge, beautiful home, but she didn’t build it for herself — she built it for us and she built it for the community,” her son Darren Bastian said. “She wanted it to be used by people she loved, and for her that included a lot of people.”
As the new home of the UVU Museum of Art, Lakemount Manor offers an innovative, active learning space in a unique setting, and provides opportunities for the community to engage in a variety of public education programs and family events. “It’s exciting to realize that this lovely home is going to be utilized in a way that Melanie often utilized it — to be inclusive and to focus on that which is uplifting, beneficial, and beautiful, said Margaret Dayton, former state senator and friend of Melanie.
The new vision for the estate adds to a robust legacy of the family’s opening their home to Utah Valley University in support of education and the university’s mission. Melanie hosted numerous events and receptions on behalf of UVU. Her children say she wanted her home to be a place for the community to gather and share in cultural experiences. “It’s a place of inspiration and a place of welcome, and people will come here and enjoy being here. It’s a very inclusive space, and I think my mom intended it to be that way from the get-go. She wanted us to be here, and she wanted us to want to be here with other people. So, I think everybody will feel connected to this building,” said Darren.
The Bastian home will continue to be full of life as the UVU Museum of Art, with exhibitions and activities that involve the community. Robbie Bastian says it’s as his mother would have wanted it. “That's how I believe Mom treated this place. It was a place she wanted everyone to love, and everyone to enjoy, and she succeeded at that. This just seems like a great opportunity to keep that legacy going, and keep it a part of everyone's life,” he said.
Utah Valley University’s Museum of Art at Lakemount Manor is compatible with the mission and values of the university — expanding arts education and cultivating community appreciation for the arts through interdisciplinary exploration of ideas and experiences. “Lakemount Manor embodies the core themes of the university: Inclusive, Engaged, Serious, focused on Student Success. It expands arts education, arts appreciation, and arts participation in meaningful ways, and in a beautiful, innovative setting. It cultivates community, it fosters a sense of involvement in the arts, and it celebrates Melanie Bastian's legacy as a benefactor and champion of the arts and education,” said Stephen Pullen, dean of UVU’s School of the Arts.
“There's a fine tradition across the country of many museums that are situated in historic homes, or even modern homes, that offer a great backdrop for showing art. This particular home is already so well-suited to that purpose, because the family has a strong love and support for local art,” said Lisa Anderson, museum director and curator.
The Museum of Art at Lakemount Manor will become a cultural resource to all, while providing stewardship over the Bastian estate and museum collection. It is slated to open in 2020.
Video and photo links:
https://www.uvu.edu/newmuseum/
https://uvu.box.com/v/lakemountmanor