By Sona Schmidt-Harris | [email protected]

Artist Chris Haggqvist’s exhibit “Tiny Portraits, Big Connections” opened Aug. 1 at City Hall.  Among the attendees were Haggqvist’s two enthusiastic daughters, Elsa (age 7) and Svea (age 2). Oh yes, and the mayor was present.

Elsa said she liked her father’s exhibit “because it’s someone I know. I like that they look different, except they look like them.” Quite perceptive of an exhibit that featured 100 tiny portraits painted in 100 days.

“We've been trying to identify artists of the month and then that I think kind of expanded into better utilizing our lobby space to highlight some of the local artists we've had, and it's been great,” Mayor Robert Dahle said.

Workers in City Hall also expressed enthusiasm for the exhibit, noting they simply have to walk to the main foyer to see good art.

Dahle noted the last exhibit at City Hall by artist James McGee featured large portraits, whereas Haggqvist’s exhibit featured small portraits. “So, I guess I'm just impressed by the fact that people have that talent — that they have it in them to use that skill to kind of communicate, and his is uniquely interesting because he's decided he's going to paint one every day — a hundred individual portraits that kind of struck him. It’s his unique way of communicating his art.”

Dahle believes having an arts council helps bring Holladay a stronger sense of community.  “Now, we've expanded to not only our shows that we do a few times here in the basement where we bring in all sorts of different art, but something like these displays here that are very personal, smaller and more intimate. I think it all just kind of combines to bring a certain personality and a sense of community to where you live.”

Haggqvist’s exhibit will be on display until Aug. 30.  

Holladay City Hall is located at 4580 South and 2300 East.