You're The Best! 

January 17 - March 7, 2026
Austin & Magda Jones Gallery

You’re The Best!, artist Bianca Velasquez reimagines what it means to win, to achieve, and to be celebrated. The exhibition was born from a massive collection of trophy parts salvaged from a now-closed Salt Lake City shop called Trophies (thanks to Clark Cahoon). Once shiny symbols of accomplishment, these pieces sat forgotten for years, stripped of their original meaning and waiting to be redefined.

The idea of hundreds of unused trophies sparks questions about how we measure success and the weight we place on recognition. In sports, school, and beyond, trophies can represent validation, but they can also become symbols of exclusion. The pressure to “be the best” often turns passion into performance, and accomplishment into comparison. This show looks at the potential toxicity of that cycle, how it can make people feel less valuable if they don’t come out on top, or pull them away from doing things simply because they love them.

By reconstructing and remixing these trophy parts with humor and playfulness, the exhibition turns the traditional “hall of trophies” on its head. Instead of a space demanding reverence, You’re The Best! invites laughter, curiosity, and connection. Each piece becomes a playful reminder that the real reward isn’t the object itself, it’s the experience, effort, and joy behind it. Here, everyone is celebrated. Everyone gets to walk away a winner.