Harper and Midwest Kind, June 29, 2 p.m., Art Yard stage; 4:30 p.m., City-County Building Stage, and 9 p.m. Park Stage For someone born in the United Kingdom and who spent his formative years in Perth Australia and whose early musical experience included playing trumpet and euphonium in brass bands, Peter D. Harper has become one … Read more
Mountain Heart, June 28, 9:50 p.m., Festival Stage Capping an unprecedented day of Utah Arts Festival activities and performances showcasing the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association and top national performers in folk, bluegrass, and various acoustic musical styles will be two examples of the industry’s best: John McCutcheon (already featured here) and Mountain Heart – a … Read more
Friday’s headliners at the Utah Arts Festival carry impressive credentials across the board. Among the top performers scheduled are Angelique Kidjo, Blair Crimmins and The Hookers, and the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. Angelique Kidjo, 9:45 p.m., Festival Stage “Having a Fon dad and a Yoruba mom put me in a special place. It gave me access … Read more
Salt Lake City’s professional dance scene is extensive and nationally respected, a significant accomplishment in a city of this size. In additional to Christopher Ruud’s works premiere commission which will be performed by members of Ballet West, four dance companies are performing at this year’s Utah Arts Festival. Ririe Woodbury, June 27, 6 p.m., Festival … Read more
The stories of Ana Popovic and Cee Cee James are persuasive cases about music’s transcendental capacity as a universal language of communication. With careers gaining significant momentum recently, both women, who explore in their own ways the larger realm of blues and rock music, are bringing their super-kinetic performing styles to the opening night headliners’ stages … Read more
Japanese taiko drums, a collection of frying pans, mixing bowls and blenders, and a small Scottish island called Jura might appear to be a curious, even odd list. However these have become inspirational elements for this year’s world premiere commissions in chamber music, jazz, and dance at the Utah Arts Festival. The trio of artists … Read more
NOTE: This preview of the Literary Arts venue for this year’s Utah Arts Festival is written by Amy Childress, one of the well-connected young individuals in Salt Lake City’s literary arts scene. Since Melissa Bond organized the Big Mouth Stage in 1995, the Literary Arts program at the Utah Arts Festival has expanded into a venue of … Read more
There are some who suggest that boundaries are disappearing in a society more focused on globalization. They argue that boundaries certainly have become more permeable, perhaps even disappearing. However, boundaries — physical and symbolic, visible or invisible — always are stubborn despite what some narratives might suggest. The fences, lines and edges of boundaries are … Read more
This year’s Utah Arts Festival’s Artist Marketplace provides a great overview of how 21st century artists have come into their own careers. While many whose creative passion was evident from their childhood years fortified it with formal training and university art programs, others capitalized on their intensely personal motivations by teaching and training themselves, unfazed by … Read more
When the gates open on June 26 to Utah’s largest arts and cultural gathering in its central downtown location, festival visitors will see as many new faces as familiar ones in every single venue and event. There are familiar and new faces everywhere. For example, the artist marketplace will have 163 artists including 56 from … Read more