The Salt Lake Tribune How much do you know about the wyverns in the State Capitol No, they’re not foes of the Cowboy Caucus.
Or some specialized group of lobbyists. They’re gargoyle-like figures — eight in all — that occupy points high in the Capitol’s vaulted atriums. “I didn’t even know they were there,” said Kaitlyn Sanders, a 16-year-old West High School student, who volunteered with a friend from the National Charity League to supervise a table where kids could create their own wyverns with moldable clay. But because of Capitol Discovery Day, which ran from noon to 10 p.m. in and around the state Capitol, Sanders has elevated her knowledge of the recently renovated building and its wyverns, mythological guardian figures with the front paws of a lion or dragon, the wings of an eagle and a snakelike tail. She did it with a few words of encouragement — “I just tell the kids to be creative” — and reviews of the finished products. “There are things I wouldn’t have thought of.” Wyvern molding was one of several hands-on activities designed to encourage Utah families to become better acquainted with the Capitol’s art and architecture, the branches of government that operate in its hallowed halls and to have a little free fun.
Besides sharing time with her granddaughter, Mitchell appreciated the chance to get better acquainted with the Capitol. “We had never been in it before,” said the recent newcomer to the state. “We had seen it from the outside, but never made it inside.”