Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2018: Saturday headliners include People Under The Stairs, Guy Davis, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, Azwaj premiere by Saad Haddad

Saturday’s headliners present many options for what historically are the largest crowds for single-day attendance at the Utah Arts Festival. And, with sunny skies and temperatures expected to be in the comfortable range of the mid-80s, every festival music stage will be packed. The Arts Fest Amplified Concert Series continues with People Under The Stairs … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2017: Saturday headliners include Mitch Barrett, Fruition, RJD2, The Sauce Boss, IAMA Millsaps finals

Saturday’s weather will be perfect and the Utah Arts Festival’s headliner slate is ideal for a summer evening. Among the highlights are performers marking the fourth annual IAMA Day for musicians and members of the Intermountain Acoustic Musician Association (IAMA). There will be the finals of the Susanne Millsaps Performing Songwriter Showcase competition (noon, Big … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2017: Intermountain Acoustic Music Association marks 4th year in festival partnership with songwriter academy, Susanne Millsaps songwriter competition finals

In its fourth year, the partnership between the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association (IAMA) and the Utah Arts Festival has blossomed and raised the profile of folk, bluegrass, Irish, Celtic and acoustic musicians not only at the festival but also the organization’s nationally juried songwriting competition. In addition, IAMA offers a songwriter’s academy open to musicians … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2017: City Library solidifies its place as strategically important venue

A venue that would be the envy of any arts festival organizer in the country, the City Library in downtown library has a dominant presence with the 2016-2017 Traveling Exhibition of the Utah All State High School Art Competition in the fourth-floor gallery, numerous visual arts and musicians’ workshops, performances of operatic arias, a collaborative … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2016: Closing day headliners include The Steep Canyon Rangers, Sierra Hull, Mingo Fishtrap, Cimarrón, Dine Krew

Closing night headliners at The Utah Arts Festival run the gamut, as they have on each of the three previous evenings. Among them is Cimarrón (see earlier feature), a Grammy-nominated ensemble from Colombia, will perform Joropo and Llanera music (June 26, 8:15 p.m., Festival Stage). The winner of the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association (IAMA)’s Susanne … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2016: City Library is hub of films, hands-on workshops, random performances

A tremendously diverse, logistically solid venue, the City Library will have perhaps its most extensive presence ever at this year’s Utah Arts Festival with the 40 in 117 exhibition featuring work from Utah artists representing the last 40 years from the state’s Alice collection established in 1899, numerous visual arts and musicians’ workshops, performances of … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2015: IAMA Day features John Gorka, The Kruger Brothers/Kontras Quartet, Songwriter Competition finals

After last year’s solid success at the Utah Arts Festival, the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association (IAMA) is once again sponsoring a day of performances tomorrow (June 27) by local and nationally know artists to demonstrate how interest in acoustic music and various musical niches and genres including folk, bluegrass, Irish, Celtic have grown in Utah … Read more

Backstage at Utah Arts Festival 2014: IAMA brings songwriter academy, songwriting competition to festival

Songwriters of every skill level, from beginner to professional, will have plenty of activities along with networking opportunities during the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association (IAMA) Day on June 28 at the 38th Utah Arts Festival. For the first time, IAMA’s songwriter academy, now in its 7th year, and the finals of the nationally juried Susanne … Read more

Backstage at Utah Arts Festival 2014: IAMA’s acoustic music events make grand entrance in festival collaboration

For this year’s Utah Arts Festival, The Intermountain Acoustic Music Association (IAMA) is bringing a large contingent of folk, bluegrass, Irish, Celtic and acoustic musicians along with a nationally juried songwriting competition and a two-day songwriter’s academy open to musicians from beginning to advanced. Many of the events will culminate on IAMA Day, scheduled for … Read more