Utah Arts Festival 2019: Utah’s rich dance artistry in diverse platforms to be presented in major performances

Dance is the empress jewel in the crown of Utah’s performing arts history. Accordingly, dance is represented in numerous ways at this year’s Utah Arts Festival. There are two world premiere dance commissions by Ballet West artists Katlyn Addison and Joshua Whitehead being performed by the RUUDDANCES company (June 21, 5:45 p.m., Festival Stage) and … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2019: For literary arts’ 25th year, a new name – Wordfest – signals wider path in creative expression

EDITOR’S NOTE: To read more about some highlights of this year’s Wordfest literary arts program, see the feature about Darius Atefat-Peckham here, Thatcher Elmer here and poetry slams here. For the 25th year of the Utah Arts Festival’s literary arts program, there is a new coordinator – poet Trish Hopkinson – and a new name … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2019: 17th annual Fear No Film brings new programming elements, record-setting slate of 88 short films

EDITOR’S NOTE: To read more about this year’s Fear No Film slate, see here, and the Utah Short Film of the Year competition, see here. There are many new enhancements in programming for the 17th annual Fear No Film program at the Utah Arts Festival. Following the outstanding curatorial leadership of Topher Horman, Derek Mellus, … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2019: Music headliners run the gamut of hybrid styles, virtually every genre

This year’s Utah Arts Festival brings to the various stages a spectrum of musicians, many of whom are new to the event, and who do not identify necessarily with just one genre or style.   THURSDAY, JUNE 20 Jail City Rockers, Amphitheater Stage, 8:15 p.m. From Ogden, Jail City Rockers are four members crafting their … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2019: Women Who Rock! Day to highlight music, literary activities, Fear No Film screening, CodeDevs workshop

This year at the Utah Arts Festival, June 21 (Friday) is dedicated to Women Who Rock!, with female musicians, poets, writers and spoken word performers set on various stages along with a Fear No Film program and a coding workshop for girls headed by two sisters who work locally as software developers and engineers. The … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2019: Brian Hennesy’s unique take on ‘Screw You Art’

Many artists have succeeded at turning upcycled materials into wonderful art pieces. Brian Hennesy (Booth 43), one of the record 177 artists at this year’s Artists Marketplace at the Utah Arts Festival, finds metal objects including screws, washers, nuts, and bolts and combines them into unique mirror frames and guitars. A musician as well as … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2019: Four commissions set to premiere in chamber and jazz music, dance

Four commissioned world premieres – chamber music, jazz and two in dance – are part of this year’s Utah Arts Festival. The Utah Review highlights each of the new works. KATLYN ADDISON, JOSHUA WHITEHEAD DANCE COMMISSIONS, RUUDDANCES — June 21, 5:45 p.m., Festival Stage For the annual dance commission concert at the Utah Arts Festival. … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2019: Ingra Draper’s contemporary pressed botanicals using flower petals work like paint to create designs

Ingra Draper, a Salt Lake City artist (Booth 129), works with contemporary pressed botanicals using flower petals, like paint, to create designs. Draper, who earned a fine arts degree at The University of Utah in lighting design for theater and dance, is among the 177 artists who was invited to participate in this year’s Utah … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2019: The maker spirit runs deep in the Art and Technology venue

As a kid, Michael Beck already was inspired to be a maker. “My grandfather was a cabinet maker and he taught me woodworking; my dad and grandfather got me into the try everything mindset,” he says. “I love taking raw materials and making something, be it a model train layout, knitting a scarf, or making … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2019: Alkahest Leather from Oregon among newcomers in Artists Marketplace

Many artists at the Utah Arts Festival‘s Artist Marketplace have unique stories to relate not only about their art but also about the creative and educational path they took toward becoming artists. Also, many now work full-time as artists. Among the 68 newcomers to this year’s Artist Marketplace, the largest ever for the Utah Arts … Read more