Welcoming the World to Zion

The St. George Regional Airport is a portal to the wonders of the area including Zion National Park. Mounted on the wall above the airport exit, the painting “Temples and Towers of the Virgin” is the way many visitors first encounter Zion. In 2017 alone, nearly a quarter of a million visitors viewed one of Zion’s most iconic viewpoints as they walked through the airport. Originally installed above the desk in the Zion National Park Visitors Center, “Temples and Towers of the Virgin” is a five-panel 6 by 21-foot mural, which took more than 4 years to complete. It has been welcoming guests to Zion for more than three decades. It is a treasured piece in the Zion National Park painting collection and is on long-term exhibit in the St. George Airport.

This grand-scale work of art was created by Anton Rasmussen. A graduate of the University of Utah, Rasmussen is well known for his majestic paintings and landscape murals. His art is beautifully displayed in permanent collections throughout the state including the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the Salt Lake International Airport, and Southern Utah University. As Rasmussen explains of his landscape work, “Each piece captures a distinctive scene from Utah’s unique topography.”

In 2017, Zion National Park’s Curator discovered inadvertent damage that likely occurred during the installation of “Temples and Towers” at the airport. A condition assessment by a fine art conservator is necessary to ensure long-term protection of this important work of art. In addition to securing the structural integrity of the painting, this project provides funding to create additional signage that shares the story of Anton Rasmussen and his partnership with the Zion Forever Project who funded the creation of this work nearly 30 years ago. It also ensures “Temples and Towers” will continue to welcome the world’s visitors to Zion.