Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2016: Individual, team poetry slams always a huge audience draw

The art of poetry slams has enjoyed a solid base of popularity at the Utah Arts Festival and its strength has followed the growth of the literary art form. Many of the individuals who will be competing in the qualifying individual rounds (June 23) and then in the finals (June 26) epitomize the growth of … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2016: 14th annual Fear No Film presents Transitions theme in record international slate

The conclusion of Autumn Testament, Pablo Neruda (as translated by Alastair Reid) from Extravagaria (1957-58): From having been born so often I have salty experience like creatures of the sea with a passion for stars and an earthly destination. And so I move without knowing to which world I’ll be returning or if I’ll go … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2016: Change is the only constant in Fear No Film screenings on Transitions theme

For the 14th annual Fear No Film portion of the Utah Arts Festival, curator Topher Horman has crafted seven sequences of presentations in the most intriguing interpretations of the various sources and origins of transitions that drive the making of and response to each film. Each program is described below. PERSONAL TRANSITIONS (June 23, 2 … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2016: Utah Short Film of The Year competition as intense as ever

The Utah Short Film of the Year competition at the Utah Arts Festival has become one of the most anticipated and closely watched events and the City Library auditorium is packed every time. It has become one of the most coveted honors in the independent film making community, which, in Utah, is quite large relative … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2016: 40 Years New for festival city

Each year, the Utah Arts Festival is the most effective barometer of the strength, impact and potential of arts in the state. At 40, the festival is really a cosmopolitan miniature city in which more than 80,000 people will sample from the largest slate of programming, artists and performers ever presented at one time in … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2016: Utah’s historically significant dance companies to perform

In addition to the premiere of a dance composition by Ballet West’s Adrian Fry and performances by Christopher Ruud’s Stars of Ballet West (watch for a preview next week), three historically significant Utah dance companies will present performances to help commemorate the festival’s 40th anniversary. Many of the works were given either world or Utah … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2016: Utah Symphony returns to festival stage 1st time in 15 years

For pianist and conductor Rei Hotoda, the idea of the musician who is wholly committed to serving the community is as essential as rehearsing and learning new music. In Texas and Ilinois, she worked with local Rotary Club chapters, talking about upcoming concerts and initiatives. Programs with local chapters of The Boys and Girls Clubs … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2016: The ‘internationally acclaimed aliens’ of Neighbourhood Watch Stilts International

Having visited more than 40 countries in more than 20 years, the Neighbourhood Watch Stilts International members have become thoroughly versed in the curious and even sometimes bizarre intricacies of the bureaucracy underlying the process of obtaining visas for the purposes of international performance. However, for the group of seven performing artists who will be … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2016: Art and Technology venue puts the ‘A’ into STEM

Late last year, it took only a few hours for a social media controversy to erupt that would force the Old Navy clothing company to pull a line of T-shirts and sweatshirts which featured the tag “Young Aspiring Artist” with the word “artist” crossed out and replaced with “astronaut” or “president”. The controversy brought a … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2016: Urban Arts highlights graffiti, fat caps, giant 100/One community mural

Each year at the Utah Arts Festival, visitors to the Urban Arts venue try to guess early on what Mason Fetzer’s 100 Artists / 1 image community mural project will be as artists start painting 100 tiles in the 20-foot installation piece. His strategy worked as visitors unsuccessfully guess what the final image would be. … Read more