Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2023: Flamenco del Lago set to bring fire and passion to The Round

Katie Sheen-Abbott grew up in West Jordan and like many Utah children, took up dance, studying various forms such as ballet, tap, and jazz. Later in her collegiate training, she thought about exploring Flamenco as a hobby and while in graduate school in Maryland, she took a Flamenco class. “It was very intense, athletic but … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2023: Two contemporary dance titans – Repertory Dance Theatre, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company – set to perform

Two of Salt Lake City’s internationally known dance institutions return to the Utah Arts Festival stage this year.   REPERTORY DANCE THEATRE (June 25, 5 p.m., Festival Stage) Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) holds a special distinction in the history of the Utah Arts Festival. The historic contemporary dance institution has performed in every festival, save one (when … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2023: An opening day homecoming set on the Festival Stage for Tony Holiday and The Soul Service

There is a special brand of musical royalty in Memphis. City residents still remember Stax Records stars such as Isaac Hayes, who would tool around Memphis in a gold Cadillac. Others remember sitting in the congregation when Al Green preached at the Gospel Tabernacle Church on the city’s south side. But, in a music ecosystem … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2023: With six Utah artists, Circles of Influence to be featured City Library exhibition

For the 47th Utah Arts Festival, The Gallery at Library Square on the fourth floor of The City Library will feature Circles of Influence with works by six female artists (Sheryl Gillilan, Jaye Rieser, Kandace Steadman, Camille Wheatley, Virginia Catherall and Rebecca Klundt) who explore the natural world’s ubiquitous presence of circles in many forms. … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2023: Fear No Film marks 20th anniversary with superlative 59-film slate

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the centerpiece preview feature of the 20th Fear No Film program at the Utah Arts Festival. For a complete rundown of the Utah Made Film slate, see here. For a complete rundown of the Midnight film slate, see here. For a complete rundown of the Animation, Documentary, Narrative and Kids! Slates, … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2023: Fear No Film’s Utah Made Program features heavy-hitters, award-winning filmmakers

It is fitting that for the 20th anniversary of Fear No Film at the Utah Arts Festival that the Utah Short Film of the Year juried competition would involve heavy hitters. The bar has been set at its highest mark in Fear No Film’s history, most notably with the Utah Made Professionals division. There are … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2023: Two no-holds-barred programs of Midnight Shorts will be featured at Fear No Film

Mellus and his team take the thematic objective of Fear No Film literally and to heart, for the Utah Arts Festival. The 14 films that comprise the two Midnight Programs this year underscore this objective beautifully. These offerings are not for the faint-hearted but they epitomize what a director can accomplish when they emancipate themselves … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2023: A look at animated, documentary, narrative and kids short films in Fear No Film

For 2023, Fear No Film at the Utah Arts Festival will have one program in animation, one program in documentary, two programs in narrative and one Kids! program. Here are the films that will be presented in those programs, which will be screened in the City Library auditorium: Animated (Friday, June 23, 6 p.m., June … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2023: The ‘Great’ Demonio, Kian The One to bring their unique shows to The Round

THE ‘GREAT’ DEMONIO (June 23, 3:15 p.m.,The Round) At first glance, The ‘Great’ Demonio’s mask likely will creep out more adults than kids. When Javier Montelongo took up a friend’s suggestion to incorporate a mask into his magician’s identity, he designed with the trinity of his favorite things in mind: horror, music and magic. At … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2023: Be a part of the 10th 100 Artists/1 Image installation project, as Mason Fetzer puts color theory to the test

In the first year of the 100 Artists/1 Image installation at the Utah Arts Festival, the image was a Native American but since then every image has been an animal. Mason Fetzer, who has designed the project based on ideas from color theory that he has consistently tested over the years, normally prefers having those … Read more