Blog
Ticket Tuesday with Empress Youth Theatre
July 11, 2017
Winners have been chosen for this Ticket Tuesday courtesy The Empress Theatre. Stay tuned for future giveaways!
Beyond your Demographic: Cross Over Films
July 05, 2017
I grew up in a rural town of Salt Lake County known as Riverton, Utah. It’s not a small town anymore, the urban sprawl has eaten up most of the open fields, but when I lived there cows were my backyard neighbors. Most of my culture came from the movies, television, and the occasional community play. I didn’t know any gay people growing up; at least none that were openly gay to me. My exposure to the gay community came in the form of 90’s television stereotypes, the quirky best friend that never gets the girl but never seems to mind, or the tough gal who fixes things and wears a leather jacket. I vividly remember after high school two young men from a restaurant I worked at took me to my first Salt Lake City PRIDE event. This is probably as a good time as ever, to come out and admit I’m straight. From that day forward I have been so impressed with the warmth of this community, they accepted me for me, didn’t try to change or recruit me, and have never looked down on me for my narrow-minded sexual identity. The more I hung out with these friends, saw their struggles and celebrated their triumphs, the more our differences faded away and they ceased being my gay friends, and me the straight girl, and we were just friends.
Nine years ago I began working for the Utah Film Center and one of my first major events was the Damn These Heels film festival, the only LGBTQ film festival in Salt Lake City. The festival celebrates its 14th anniversary this year and is an opportunity to honor our differences and relate to one another through the commonalities. Over the past nine years I have worked with numerous directors, producers, and actors as they tell the stories that they don’t see in mainstream media. If these films were shown at the multiplex, we wouldn’t need an LGBT film festival. But for reason’s I don’t care to dignify with a discussion, these films -- many award-winning films from international film festivals -- don’t see the widespread distribution that they justly deserve. Films like Pushing Dead, which will be shown Sunday July 16th at 12:15 pm. This film has received one the highest honors a festival can bestow on a film, the Audience Choice award, not once but four times, along with two Jury awards, and a Best Director award! Pushing Dead tells the harsh truth about what happens when you’re thrown off your Medicaid because the government thinks you make too much money. This topic hits home for many Americans but when you add that the character is HIV positive, we call it an LGBTQ film. (While the film might sound like a downer, truth can be funnier than fiction so don’t pull out your tissues just yet. )
In the film industry we call them “cross over” films -- films that appeal to wide audiences regardless of your sexual preferences and gender. As with the mainstream media we can’t pretend to know what films will resonate with each person or “demographic.” I’d hate to be contained in the white, heterosexual, woman in her 40s box. I want to see films that make me laugh, cry, or challenge the way I view the world.
In order to program for such a wide array of interests, Utah Film Center curates a community programming team to view hundreds of films and whittle the choices down to 35-50 films at which time our programming staff selects the best 20 or so films. This year’s line up is rich with talent, subject matter, international representation, narratives and documentaries. Chavela is one of the a documentaries at the festival, it screens Saturday July 15th at 10 am. The film traces the legendary Mexican singer Chavela Vargas whose beauty and charm gave her success worldwide but she couldn’t outrun her demons and only found happiness when she began to live her truth by coming out at 81 years young.
As parents, I know all we want is for our kids to be safe, healthy, and happy. This struggle is even harder when your kids are faced with discrimination and bullying and not just on the playground but by adults who should know better. In Raising Zoey, Ofelia Barba fights for her daughter to have a safe future where Zoey is free to pursue her happiness.
Raising Zoey screens Saturday, July 15th at 2:30 pm.
Whether straight, L.G.B.T. or Q these films don’t separate us, or categorize us, they are meant to bring us all together under the umbrella of humanity. No matter where you reside, or what demographic box you fill out, I hope you’ll join the Utah Film Center July 14-16th at the Rose Wagner Performing Art Center for the Damn These Heels film festival and then lets just all be friends.
-Mariah Mann Mellus
Mariah Mann Mellus is currently the Development Director for the Utah Film Center, but has previously held the title of Marketing Coordinator, Outreach and Membership Coordinator, and Education and Community Program Manager. When not at Utah Film Center Events she supports the community by way of the Utah Cultural Alliance, and multiple community boards. She and her husband Derek have two beautiful children whom they hope to raise to tell their own stories and to listen, serve, and support the community wherever needed.
Ticket Tuesday to SLC Jazz Festival
July 05, 2017
Winners have been chosen for this Ticket Tuesday contest courtesy Jazz Arts of the MountainWest. Stay tuned for future giveaways.
ZAP Kids Summer Passport Week 5-6
June 28, 2017
Welcome explorers!
We've had a great summer so far, and we're excited to continue exploring with you! With the 4th of July holiday coming up we have included opportunities for the next two weeks where you can earn stamps in your ZAP Kids Summer Passport (June 28 - July 11). Enjoy your experience or learn something new? Share it with us on Instagram using #exploreZAP!
Destinations are FREE unless otherwise noted.
Get in touch with the natural world
Wednesday, June 28 | 11 AM - 2 PM West Jordan Library
Participate in a drop-in, BioBlitz activity with the Natural History Museum of Utah . Bioblitz is an interactive citizen-science program where you can learn how to participate in scientific research by making your own observations right in your backyard.
Wednesday, June 28 | 4 PM Wasatch Community Gardens
Explore the Wasatch Community Gardens Tomato Garden and then learn what it's like to grow your own food in the city. Go on a tour of the gardens, meet our chickens, taste some fresh garden produce and make a take a seed pot while supplies last. Located at 800 S. 600 E.
Friday, June 30 & July 7 | 6:30 PM Midvale City Park
Midvale Arts Council is presenting free summer concerts in the park on Friday evenings with activities provided by the Boys & Girls Club, Copperview Community Center and the local library. Enjoy performances by the Utah National Guard 23rd Army Band on June 30, and A Western Variety Show on July 7.
Collect an art experience at the library
Saturday, July 8 | 10:15 AM Hunter Library Children’s Yard
The internationally renowned One Voice Children's Choir will perform a musical concert highlighting some of the incredible songs they will also be singing in France this year!
Thursday, June 29 | 4:30 PM Herriman Library
and Tuesday, July 11 | 2:30 PM Columbus Library
Learn to create funny monsters in the Line Monster Game with Visual Art Institute ! Using only pencils and sharpies, kids will create their own unique and colorful monsters all while playing an immersive game.
Tuesday, July 11 | 4 PM Sandy Library
Enjoy some improv with Youth Theatre at the U as they bring their KAZUM JACKSON'S HILARIOUS PLAGUE improvisation troupe to play creative and imaginative games with the audience.
Destinations you can visit all summer long
Earn stamps at any of these locations throughout the summer.
Conservation Garden Park is open to the public free of charge. Come walk through a water pipe, learn to make compost or identify plants. Explore the Garden any day of the summer and get a stamp in your passport! Garden hours are from 8 AM to 8 PM, Monday through Saturday.
Visit Discovery Gateway Children's Museum and explore educational workshops, programs and exhibits that inspire the whole family to discover the power of play together. Present your passport for $2 off the price of admission.
The Empress Theatre supports local talent to provide family-oriented fun for Magna and its surrounding areas. This summer's shows are Peter and the Starcatcher and Honk Junior. If you present the ZAP Kids Summer Passport to the box office, you will get in free with the purchase of an adult ticket ($12).
The Leonardo is a museum of creativity! Inside, you can discover the wonder of FLIGHT in their newest exhibit, delve into the mind-bending wonder of our exhibit on PERCEPTION, unleash your inner artist, scientist or engineer in one of our three hands-on laboratories, and even be moved by the exhibits in our Human Rights Gallery. Whatever you're interested in, The Leonardo will spark creativity and help you discover a whole new way to see the world. Present your passport for $2 off the price of admission.
Mundi Project offers free weekly group piano lessons for beginners of all ages. Drop in for hands-on music instruction at Salt Lake Public Library-Glendale, every Saturday beginning June 10 from 11 AM to 12 PM.
The Off Broadway Theatre offers original family-friendly comedies and musical parodies for parents and kids alike. This summer's shows are Pirates of the Carabeener, The Marx Brothers in A Night at the Imperial, and Utahoma! Present the passport and each member of the family will receive a $2 discount off the regular (Adult, Student/Senior, or Child) price.
Preservation Utah will provide children with a scavenger hunt of the art and architecture of Memory Grove Park. Passport stamp and scavenger hunt can be picked up at the Memorial House (375 North Canyon Road, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM).
Salty Cricket Composers Collective offers El Sistema Summer Camps that empower young people to become effective citizens. Mention your passport when you call or email to reserve your spot at the camp to get 15% off one week's tuition. Bring your passport on the first day of camp for a stamp.
Tracy Aviary has more than 135 species and 400 individual birds on display. Guests are encouraged to wander its 8 acres and appreciate the different colors, sizes and sounds of our feathered friends. Present your passport at the gate for a $2 discount on the price of admission.
Interested in receiving these weekly events in your inbox?
Ticket Tuesday with Taylorsville Arts Council
June 27, 2017
Winners have been chosen for this Ticket Tuesday courtesy Taylorsville Arts Council.
Stay tuned for future giveaways!
A Conversation with the Conservation Garden Park
June 22, 2017
The Conservation Garden Park is your resource to help you “localize” your landscape to work in harmony with Utah’s challenging climate. The 6-acre botanical garden is located at the center of the Salt Lake Valley at 8275 South 1300 West in West Jordan and is a convenient stop for any county resident wishing to enjoy the beauty of Utah in an artful environment.
While the Garden may be a “living museum” of Utah-happy plants, it’s different than other public gardens in that the plants and techniques shown here are intended to reach into your own landscape. During your visit, you’ll learn about design, irrigation, planting and maintenance for your own yard. If you want more assistance, you can access a wide range of classes, tours, and activities, as well as ask questions of our horticulture and landscape experts.
The Conservation Garden Park demonstrates how the arts can have a very real impact on important societal issues. Utah’s population is expected to double by 2060 but the water supply won’t. Data from Utah Division of Water Resources indicates that unless progress is made in water conservation and new sources are developed, Utah will not have enough water to meet expected future demands. Water conservation is a vital first step to ensure that Utah’s water supply will be able to support our own children and grandchildren.
Utahns agree that conservation matters. A recent study by Envision Utah (http://www.envisionutah.org/projects/your-utah-your-future) found that 85% of the more than 50,000 Utahns surveyed believe water conservation is a vital issue affecting the future of the State and we should reduce our use. However, putting that belief into action is a little more difficult—and that’s where the Conservation Garden Park fits in. Utahns have reduced their average use from the baseline year of 2000 but there is more work to be done if we are to achieve the state’s goal of 25 percent reduction in per capita use by 2025.
Visit:
A frequent question our staff receives from visitors is “Can you tell me where the waterwise plants are?” Most visitors are surprised to learn that a water-efficient landscape can also be lush and vibrant (not cactus, lava rock and cattle skulls). Visitors can enjoy a self-guided tour of the Garden and enjoy the various landscape education exhibits, some of which were made possible by the ZAP program.
As there is no charge for admission to the Garden, it’s a great place to bring
the family either as part of the ZAP Summer Passport program. You can take this
as a self-guided tour or check out one of our activity backpacks from the main
desk to keep kids engaged during the visit.
Hours of operation for the Garden change seasonally but we will remain open from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday-Saturday until September. Check the Garden’s website for more information.
Classes:
The Conservation Garden Park offers more than 50 landscape classes per season in our state-of-the-art education center. Classes are taught by our own expert staff and staff from Utah State University Extension. Each class addresses specific challenges homeowners experience when trying to create and maintain a beautiful landscape within the extremes of our climate.
Resources:
The Conservation Garden Park website offers free resources, such as a plant database of more than 1,000 plants. These plants have all been tested for Utah-friendliness in the Conservation Garden Park. We also offer free design plans that you can adapt to your own lot, as well as information on how to make the switch from a generic “blandscape” to a vibrant, beautiful Localscape. Learn more about Localscaping for any part of Utah on the Localscapes website: http://localscapes.com.
Events:
Our most popular annual event is coming up on Saturday, August 19. “Party in the Park” is a mix of fun, education and awe. The highlight of the event is the release of 500 butterflies over two different release times. The event is free and we encourage families to come and introduce their children to the wonders of nature in an exciting atmosphere.
In addition to the butterfly release, USU Extension volunteers will have activity booths to teach children about urban pollinators and a butterfly scavenger hunt. Enjoy games to learn about water conservation and treatment, watch live animal shows, and even tour a water treatment facility to learn how water works in Utah.
Party in the Park
- Saturday, August 19, 2017
- 4 pm- 7pm
- 8275 South 1300 West
- West Jordan, Utah
Admission to the event is free. Food is available for purchase from several food trucks. Follow Conservation Garden Park on Facebook for updates (http://facebook.com/conservationgardenpark) or watch our website for more information. http://conservationgardenpark.org.
Visit Today!
ZAP has made many of the exhibits and possibility of the Garden Park a reality. If you haven’t visited the Garden, we think you’ll like what you’ll find here. If you’re just interested in a stroll in a park-like setting or looking for great, Utah-friendly landscaping ideas, you’ll find it all at Conservation Garden Park.
-Cynthia Bee
Cynthia works to translate the technical nature of water conservation into public-friendly messaging as the Outreach Coordinator for the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Utah State University and over the past 20 years she’s been involved at every scale of land design and planning from large regional projects to residential landscape design.
ZAP Kids Summer Passport Week 4
June 21, 2017
How many stamps have you earned so far, and are you ready to earn more? This is a big week with lots of opportunities to earn stamps. Learn more about where you can visit, June 20-27. Destinations are free unless otherwise noted.
A little bit of everything
Thursday - Sunday, June 22-25 | 12 PM - 11 PM Library Square, Downtown SLC
Utah Arts Festival is free to children 12 and under. Experience live music, visual arts, literary arts and more during the 4 day festival. Present your passport at the Children's Art Yard Headquarters Tent to get a stamp during your visit.
Experience music & theatre
Opening Friday, June 23 | 7:30 PM Empress Theatre
The Empress Theatre supports local talent to provide family-oriented fun for Magna and its surrounding areas. Peter and the Starcatcher runs from June 23-July 8. If you present the ZAP Kids Summer Passport to the box office, you will get in free with the purchase of an adult ticket ($12).
Friday, June 23 | 6:30 PM Midvale City Park
Midvale Arts Council is presenting free summer concerts on Friday evenings with activities provided by the Boys & Girls Club, Copperview Community Center and the local library. Enjoy performances by Shawn Zumbrunnen and Joshua Creek on June 23.
Saturday, June 24 | 3 PM Whitmore Library
Experience a performance by musicians from the Park City Chamber Music Society/Beethoven Festival. The festival is presenting its 34th summer season and will bring together outstanding classical solo artists from around the world to perform.
Tuesday, June 27 | 10:30 AM
Enjoy some improv with Youth Theatre at the U as they bring their KAZUM JACKSON'S HILARIOUS PLAGUE improvisation troupe to play creative and imaginative games with the audience.
Craft your own creation
Thursday, June 22 | 6:30 PM Millcreek Library
Learn to create funny monsters in the Line Monster Game with Visual Art Institute ! Using only pencils and sharpies, kids will create their own unique and colorful monsters all while playing an immersive game.
Tuesday, June 27 | 2 PM West Valley Library
Create your own mini piñata and learn about its origins with Artes de México en Utah! Supplies will be provided for this bilingual visual arts workshop.
Destinations you can visit all summer long
Earn stamps at any of these locations throughout the summer.
Conservation Garden Park is open to the public free of charge. Come walk through a water pipe, learn to make compost or identify plants. Explore the Garden any day of the summer and get a stamp in your passport! Garden hours are from 8 AM to 8 PM, Monday through Saturday.
Visit Discovery Gateway Children's Museum and explore educational workshops, programs and exhibits that inspire the whole family to discover the power of play together. Present your passport for $2 off the price of admission.
The Leonardo is a museum of creativity! Inside, you can discover the wonder of FLIGHT in their newest exhibit, delve into the mind-bending wonder of our exhibit on PERCEPTION, unleash your inner artist, scientist or engineer in one of our three hands-on laboratories, and even be moved by the exhibits in our Human Rights Gallery. Whatever you're interested in, The Leonardo will spark creativity and help you discover a whole new way to see the world. Present your passport for $2 off the price of admission.
Mundi Project offers free weekly group piano lessons for beginners of all ages. Drop in for hands-on music instruction at Salt Lake Public Library-Glendale, every Saturday beginning June 10 from 11 AM to 12 PM.
The Off Broadway Theatre offers original family-friendly comedies and musical parodies for parents and kids alike. This summer's shows are Pirates of the Carabeener, The Marx Brothers in A Night at the Imperial, and Utahoma! Present the passport and each member of the family will receive a $2 discount off the regular (Adult, Student/Senior, or Child) price.
Preservation Utah will provide children with a scavenger hunt of the art and architecture of Memory Grove Park. Passport stamp and scavenger hunt can be picked up at the Memorial House (375 North Canyon Road, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM).
Salty Cricket Composers Collective offers El Sistema Summer Camps that empower young people to become effective citizens. Mention your passport when you call or email to reserve your spot at the camp to get 15% off one week's tuition. Bring your passport on the first day of camp for a stamp.
Tracy Aviary has more than 135 species and 400 individual birds on display. Guests are encouraged to wander its 8 acres and appreciate the different colors, sizes and sounds of our feathered friends. Present your passport at the gate for a $2 discount on the price of admission.
Interested in receiving these weekly events in your inbox?
Ticket Tuesday with Utah Film Center
June 20, 2017
ZAP Kids Summer Passport Week 3
June 13, 2017
Wondering what to do this week to get out and explore? You can visit any of these destination to earn stamps in your ZAP Kids Summer Passport from June 13-20. Destinations are free unless otherwise noted. And don't forget to document your passport adventures using #exploreZAP. We will be highlighting our favorites on ZAP's Instagram !
Take a backstage tour
Tuesday, June 13 | 10 AM - 1 PM Eccles Theatre
Wednesday, June 14 | 10 AM - 1 PM
Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center
Tuesday, June 20 | 2 PM - 4 PM Capitol Theatre
Salt Lake County Center for the Arts will be hosting backstage tours for explorers every hour on the hour at three different venues this week. Meet in the lobby by the ticket office. Present your passport for a stamp!
Rock out to a concert in the park
Friday, June 16 | 6:30 PM Midvale City Park
Midvale Arts Council is presenting free summer concerts on Friday evenings with activities provided by the Boys & Girls Club, Copperview Community Center and the local library. Enjoy performances by Gem Star Dance and Incenido on June 16.
Experience art and science at the library
Tuesday, June 13 | 2:30 PM
Enjoy some improv with Youth Theatre at the U as they bring their KAZUM JACKSON'S HILARIOUS PLAGUE improvisation troupe to play creative and imaginative games with the audience.
Wednesday, June 14 | 11 AM - 2 PM
Participate in a drop-in, BioBlitz activity with Natural History Museum of Utah . Bioblitz is an interactive citizen-science program where you can learn how to participate in scientific research by making your own observations right in your backyard.
Thursday, June 15 | 4:30 PM
Join Bad Dog Arts for art activities inspired by beloved children's books. FREE
Saturday, June 17 | 10:15 AM Hunter Library
Enjoy a youth performance by Salty Cricket Composers Collective El Sistema students, including repertoire of folk and classical music.
Monday, June 19 | 6 PM - 7:30 PM Riverton Library
The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium will travel to you for this fun and educational presentation. Get up close and personal with a few live animal guests and learn about our environment.
Tuesday, June 20 | 1:30 PM Hunter Library
Learn to create funny monsters in the Line Monster Game with Visual Art Institute ! Using only pencils and sharpies, kids will create their own unique and colorful monsters all while playing an immersive game. FREE
Destinations you can visit all summer long
Earn stamps at any of these locations throughout the summer.
Conservation Garden Park is open to the public free of charge. Come walk through a water pipe, learn to make compost or identify plants. Explore the Garden any day of the summer and get a stamp in your passport! Garden hours are from 8 AM to 8 PM, Monday through Saturday.
Visit Discovery Gateway Children's Museum and explore educational workshops, programs and exhibits that inspire the whole family to discover the power of play together. Present your passport for $2 off the price of admission.
The Empress Theatre supports local talent to provide family-oriented fun for Magna and its surrounding areas. This summer's shows are Peter and the Starcatcher and Honk Junior. If you present the ZAP Kids Summer Passport to the box office, you will get in free with the purchase of an adult ticket ($12).
The Leonardo is a museum of creativity! Inside, you can discover the wonder of FLIGHT in their newest exhibit, delve into the mind-bending wonder of our exhibit on PERCEPTION, unleash your inner artist, scientist or engineer in one of our three hands-on laboratories, and even be moved by the exhibits in our Human Rights Gallery. Whatever you're interested in, The Leonardo will spark creativity and help you discover a whole new way to see the world. Present your passport for $2 off the price of admission.
Mundi Project offers free weekly group piano lessons for beginners of all ages. Drop in for hands-on music instruction at Salt Lake Public Library-Glendale, every Saturday beginning June 10 from 11 AM to 12 PM.
The Off Broadway Theatre offers original family-friendly comedies and musical parodies for parents and kids alike. This summer's shows are Pirates of the Carabeener, The Marx Brothers in A Night at the Imperial, and Utahoma! Present the passport and each member of the family will receive a $2 discount off the regular (Adult, Student/Senior, or Child) price.
Preservation Utah will provide children with a scavenger hunt of the art and architecture of Memory Grove Park. Passport stamp and scavenger hunt can be picked up at the Memorial House (375 North Canyon Road, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM).
Salty Cricket Composers Collective offers El Sistema Summer Camps that empower young people to become effective citizens. Mention your passport when you call or email to reserve your spot at the camp to get 15% off one week's tuition. Bring your passport on the first day of camp for a stamp.
Tracy Aviary has more than 135 species and 400 individual birds on display. Guests are encouraged to wander its 8 acres and appreciate the different colors, sizes and sounds of our feathered friends. Present your passport at the gate for a $2 discount on the price of admission.
Interested in receiving these weekly events in your inbox?
Ticket Tuesday with BBoy Federation
June 13, 2017
Winners have been chosen for this Ticket Tuesday giveaway with the BBoy Federation.
Check back for future giveaways!