Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2018: At the Art and Technology venue, everyone becomes a maker

The objective at Make Salt Lake is simple. Even if there are no detailed plans to make something, there is no reason to be dissuaded from a project. For example, Make Salt Lake’s Beth Sallay, the coordinator for the Art and Technology venue at the Utah Arts Festival, is not a musician but she wanted … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2018: Saad Haddad, youngest recipient ever of Utah Arts Festival’s composer commission award, with forthcoming premiere of Azwaj

Saad Haddad’s story is quintessentially American. A first generation American, he was born in Georgia in 1992. His mother is Lebanese and his father is Jordanian. His parents met in the U.S. but they have never visited their respected homelands since their respective families came to the U.S. As a child growing up in southern … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2018: City Library, Festival match up as perfect partners

Recently, the administration and staff of the Salt Lake City Public Library met to clarify its strategic roadmap as part of its long-range efforts to continue developing the civic cultural campus that includes the City Library in the heart of downtown. As Peter Bromberg, library executive director, explains, it’s continuing the efforts started 20 years … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2018: Urban Arts venue offers natural, complex harmonies, visually and musically

At the Urban Arts venue of The Utah Arts Festival (June 21-24), graffiti art, in its fully elaborated figurative and thematic forms, consistently is explored as the meaningful, liberated, provocative creative expression that is as relatable to the viewer as any other. This year, the venue’s artists and festival visitors will see graffiti art in … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2018: BANDALOOP raises vertical dance bar in artistic excellence

Since its last appearance in 2013 at the Utah Arts Festival, BANDALOOP has expanded its international portfolio of vertical dance works to breathtaking new levels of artistic altitude. Collaborating with GoPro, BANDALOOP has just released a new short film about its 2017 performance at the CAFe Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival (see below), which captures perfectly … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2018: Record-setting Artist Marketplace evokes stories, memories, emotions, unique appeal to audiences, potential buyers

The 175 artists who comprise the Artist Marketplace for the 42nd annual Utah Arts Festival came from the largest pool of applicants in the event’s history: 649. And an expert jury, led by coordinators Matt Jacobson and his assistant Sarah Baker Taylor, recommended artists not only on the basis of technical considerations such as details … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2018: Making friends, finding fresh twists in every festival venue

Before gates open on June 21 for the 42nd Utah Arts Festival, Karen Major, who worked as a paralegal for many years, already will have created a calendar of activities, performances, films and literary events that she and her husband, Steve Sayer, who retired after working as an executive with the Electrolux group, will hang … Read more

Forty pianists, 17 countries in next month’s 17th Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition

Next month’s 17th Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition in Salt Lake City unquestionably will be the most cosmopolitan representation of gifted pianists in the Foundation’s 42-year history. Forty pianists, ranging in age from 19 to 32, will represent 17 countries, as they compete in the quarterfinals that will lead ultimately to finalists who will … Read more

Ballet West National Choreographic Festival celebrates women

Debuting last year, Ballet West’s National Choreographic Festival introduces audiences to new works from around the country by inviting guest companies from around the nation to join Ballet West dancers. Spread over two weekends, the performances are divided into two individual programs allowing audiences to view a full six works if desired. Included in this … Read more

Downtown SLC becomes a unique stage for Hindsight, a new play by Sackerson, 3 Irons

Look at any display ad touting a city’s downtown district. The images focus less on a venue such as a restaurant, shop or bar than on the people’s faces. It is about the convivial, romantic experience of city life. The spaces of downtown are empty until they are filled with the stories of the people … Read more