WHERE AND WHEN: The Leonardo will open in the former main library building in downtown Salt Lake City. We have already made significant progress on the project. View a detailed project timeline to the right. Continue reading to learn more about where & why.
New Opportunities: Located across the plaza from a magnificent new City Library, The Leonardo will offer a completely new kind of visitor experience that is absolutely unique in the nation.
New Audiences: Targeting young people and adults, The Leonardo is an important “next step” in the area's educational resources, providing a real-world laboratory and outreach programs for the in-depth study of art, culture and science.
New Benefits: The Leonardo will be an economic asset, drawing visitors to the area, supporting a more creative, capable workforce and making Utah more attractive to new businesses.
The Leonardo will be a place where residents and visitors can gather to learn from and about each other in an atmosphere that encourages dialogue and respect.
Leonardo da Vinci’s motto was saper vedere, “knowing how to see.” With this unique approach to exploring the world, he created some of history’s most beloved artwork, made groundbreaking scientific observations, and designed fantastic inventions.
“All our knowledge has its origin in our perceptions”
Da Vinci’s genius, however, did not lie in the study and mastery of so many subjects. It resided in his ability to to see connections, and to envision the diverse knowledge he achieved across art and science as part of a unified whole.
Perhaps the most important factor in his enduring influence is that he documented the stories of his learning process and discoveries on thousands of notebook pages, and within the detail of his art.
Leonardo da Vinci stands as a dramatic example of what can be accomplished when, instead of compartmentalizing the world into art or science, left or right, logical or creative, we reach beyond traditional boundaries to discover “new ways of seeing.”
