GUEST: This is a painting from a local painter here that I acquired from a friend.

We've had it for eight or nine years.

My understanding was the painting was, um, from a view of the Capitol in Salt Lake City, kind of facing down towards Main Street, which obviously would have been a long time ago.

APPRAISER: And the artist?

GUEST: Gary Smith.

APPRAISER: This is an oil-on-board painting by one of the more well-known contemporary Mormon artists living today.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: He is from Oregon o, originally.

GUEST: Uh-huh.

APPRAISER: But he, he lives around here.

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: And he's painted around here a lot.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: And has done a lot for the temples.

He was actually director of the gallery at Brigham, uh, Young University.

The painting's not dated.

I think it, it's probably from circa 2000.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: The artist was born in 1942-- he's still active.

It could be topographical, but I think what it really shows is this artist at, at his best.

He's very well known for his use of simple composition, strong colors and forms, and imbuing a certain kind of spiritual sense... APPRAISER: into his landscapes, with ideas such as connection to God, connection to hard work, connection to the West and to the history of the American West.

A lot of artists, their ultimate goal is to achieve something a little bit more, a little bit higher, uh, something closer to the spiritual plane.

And, and, and in doing so, using their own medium.

I know that this artist has written about working in that way.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: But it's also something that's, you can see.

It, it has this vibration-- vibration of colors, vibration of movement, vibration of form-- that just altogether makes a, a, a really whole, complete artwork.

He's important.

He's important as a contemporary artist.

He's important as a Western artist.

He's important as a Mormon artist.

Have you, have you ever had it appraised?

GUEST: Shortly after I acquired it, I was offered $2,000, and said, "You know, no, "it's probably got a lot more meaning... APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.

GUEST: than $2,000."

APPRAISER: A conservative auction estimate on this would be about $8,000 to $12,000.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

Wow.

Way better than what I was offered.

APPRAISER: That’s great.

GUEST: It could go higher.

APPRAISER: Well, thank you.

It brings a lot of joy.