By Lauren Walker
Maynard Dixon (1875-1946), 'The Hand of God,' 1940, oil on masonite, 21 x 39 1/8 inches. Brigham Young University of Art.
"At first glance, the former Provo post office seems like an unlikely place for an artistic rivalry. The mural gracing the top wall depicts a pioneer-era Provo alongside a 1920s Provo. But the contrast of the two eras isn’t the surprising part of the painting: it’s the fact that local Utah artist Everett Thorpe beat out premier artist of the American West Maynard Dixon for the commission..."