UTah Artist Hands was the brainchild of local “grandma” Pam O’Mara. After her 6 energetic children had grown to be amazing adults, while having had careers in interior design and graphic arts, Pam was looking for something special to do for herself and for her community.

In her design work Pam tried to use local art – and, over the years, became familiar with the vibrant local art scene. While on a river trip with her daughter,Molly through the Grand Canyon in 2001, Pam had a vision of a place that could showcase some of the amazing artists that she had come across. So, in February of 2002 she opened a store front, a gallery that specialized, exclusively in local art and artisans.

Beyond the wonderful painters, she found potters; sculptors; photographers; glass, wood, metal workers; jewelers and more. Pam turned a run-down, abandoned space on 100 south into a warm and welcoming “home” for scores of local artists.

In 2009 she added a coffee shop, The Artful Cup where people could get a cup of locally roasted coffee served in a locally made pottery mug. In hopes of attracting more locals, three years ago she tried her luck with moving her shop to Broadway.

During the last 15 years Pam has placed beautiful pieces in homes and offices throughout Utah and across the nation. Through Pam’s efforts, Utah artists have had their work shipped of to European countries, Asian countries, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. All that lovely photography on the walls along the moving walkway, and many of the paintings in the concourses at the Salt Lake International Airport are a representation of some of the artists that she promotes.

The art of Utah Artist Hands hangs in local favorite restaurant Caffé Molise – and that too, has exposed this vast talented artist’s population to even more people.

Pam says that her vision has turned out to be exactly like she imagined it would and she loves it as much today as she did back then.