Doug Staker’s moveable art project — a walk-through “sacred space” he calls “Sanctuary” — is designed to celebrate belonging. Staker said he was motivated to create the project by personal stories from family and friends. “I have a brother who’s gay, and we were a very Mormon family,” Staker said.
“We just found this kind of conflict arising between family, and it was difficult assessing what that meant.” Staker, who grew up in Utah, is an architect who runs his own firm, Squaremoon Studio , in Salt Lake City and an artist. “I’ve always been interested in art and, really, that’s what got me into architecture,” he said.
“I just wanted to do art.” (Doug Staker) Artist and architect Doug Staker with his project, "Sanctuary" at The 2024 Utah Pride Festival. “Sanctuary” is an architectural art project that, according to the Squaremoon website , “was born from the painful experiences of friends and family dealing with the disconnects of the LGBTQ+ experience in religion and those who love and support them.
” On the website, Staker lists some of the stories that inspired him, like that of his brother Harry . The project — which was on display at Salt Lake City’s Washington Square Park during this month’s Utah Pride Festival — is constructed from cardboard, which is cut into square frames. The frames are put together into arches through which people can walk around.
The frames hold colored panels, which give the structure a rainbow g.
