Blog
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!
It Changed Everything: A ZAP Success Story
June 07, 2017
My name is
Pilar Davis. I work in the Performing Arts and I wouldn’t be here without ZAP.
I grew up in Ogden. In the bad years. We were poor, hitting the stereotypical markers you’ve heard: public assistance, food assistance, single-parent household, brown, subsidized housing, sketchy neighborhood—you get the idea. My childhood was difficult; living in poverty is hard and full of sorrow, crushed dreams, and disappointments. When I was in the 2nd grade, my school offered the reward of a trip to Salt Lake (in the middle of the day!) to the Capitol Theatre to see a matinee performance by Repertory Dance Theatre. I was a good student and got to attend.
Beaux Arts Ball, 2014
#mindblown
– It was the first show I’d ever attended. It changed everything. I was hooked.
I remember the show was about science and germs—taught and conveyed through dance.
I had never seen ANYTHING like it, felt anything like being in the theater in
the dark with 1500 other kids, and I wanted MORE.
As I got older, I was so fortunate to have several more opportunities to attend final dress rehearsals or daytime school matinees from a wide variety of Salt Lake arts companies: Ririe-Woodbury, Utah Opera, Odyssey Dance, Ballet West, Pioneer Theatre, Utah Symphony. I saw the despair and sacrifice of Madama Butterfly’s final moments. I watched the devotion and heartbreak of Quasimodo’s love for Esmeralda. I learned about space and freedom through the movement of Doug Varone and Bill T. Jones. I learned about ancient rituals, stories and civilizations that we as the human race have been sharing with each other for millennia. I became a more well-rounded citizen, and I became a storyteller, too.
You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Weber State University, 1999
In high school, I threw myself into theater and dreamed of gracing stages all across the world as a performer, personality and storyteller. Upon graduation, I was awarded a scholarship to Weber State University and became one of the only people in my family to go to college. My first semester, I enrolled in a required basic stagecraft class and on the first day of class I found my place in the world. My professor handed out gel sample books and fireworks exploded in my head. I had never seen so many colors in one place all neat, and beautiful and full of possibilities. It a was a simultaneously quiet and provocative moment that happened in an instant—I would be a lighting designer.
RDT on tour at Mount Rushmore, 2016
I immediately changed majors. I transferred to the University of Utah and moved to Salt Lake City to be closer to the downtown arts scene and the greater opportunities therein. I worked a lot, and I worked hard. I met and worked with some amazing artists, professionals, and organizations. I graduated. I got married. In 2016, in a lovely poetic and full-circle turn of events, I got hired as the Production Stage Manager and Lighting Director for Repertory Dance Theatre, a position I continue to hold. I succeeded.
Lighting Director of Ailey II in his awesome hoodie, 2017
In the past 15 years, I’ve had the truly spectacular opportunities to work with national and global performance groups; I’ve created new work, new art, told new stories. I’ve laughed, cried, loved, lost—all inside the walls of the theater. I’ve lit plays, dramas, comedies, dance, musicals and opera. I’ve seen and been a part of things that are more beautiful, moving, and connecting than I could’ve imagined.
Silent Sky, Pygmalion Productions, 2017
The performances I saw and the backstage tours I was occasionally treated to would never have come to me without ZAP; what it provides to students across the state is invaluable. I meet students everyday who look like me. They come from where I came from and worse. They deserve a chance to see and learn and be moved by the amazing work being done by arts groups all across Utah. We owe it to them and to ourselves to keep doing the right thing: teaching each other and telling our stories to each other. It makes us all better and gives so many people the greatest gift of all: hope and the space to dream.
-Pilar Davis
Currently the Production Stage Manager and Lighting Director for Repertory Dance Theatre, Pilar graduated from the University of Utah in 2003 and has worked the last 20 years across the Wasatch Front in virtually every venue and arts organization. Journeyman Member IATSE-Local 99
ZAP Kids Summer Passport Week 2(1)
June 06, 2017
Ready to get started on the ZAP Kids Summer Passport? There is a lot of great stuff happening this week (June 6 through June 11). Visit any of these destinations to earn stamps in your passport.
Make your own masterpiece
Tuesday, June 6 | 4:30 PM
Bad Dog Arts at Millcreek Library
Thursday, June 8 | 3 PM
Bad Dog Arts at Holladay Library
Join Bad Dog Arts for art activities inspired by beloved children's books. FREE
Thursday, June 8 | 3 PM
Visual Art Institute at Herriman 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
Take in a show
June 8,9 or 12 | 5 PM
A Midsummer Night's Dream at Hale Center Theatre
Hale Centre Theatre is offering the first 250 passport holders to call a buy one, get one free admission to one of their three Teen Production performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream on June 8, 9 or 12 at 5 PM. Participants can call HCT at 801-948-9000 to make a reservation. Then, you can show your passport at will call to receive a Hale Centre Theatre sticker in your passport.
June 9-10 | 7:30 PM
Pirates of the Carabeener at Off Broadway Theatre
The Off Broadway Theatre offers original family-friendly comedies and musical parodies for parents and kids alike. Catch the "Pirates of the Carabeener" this weekend before it closes! Present the ZAP Kids Summer Passport, and each member of the family will receive a $2 discount off the regular (Adult, Student/Senior, or Child) price.
Celebrate the Year of the Rooster
Saturday, June 10 | 10 AM - 7 PM
Utah Asian Festival
Visit the 40th annual Utah Asian Festival , where you can discover 15 Asian countries. We're celebrating Year of the Rooster with make-and-take crafts, games performances and more.
South Towne Expo Center, 9575 State Street. 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.
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. June 9, 16, 23, 30; July 7, 14, 21, 28 and Aug. 4. Each concert starts at 6:30 p.m. at Midvale City Park.
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 ZAP Kids Summer 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.
#exploreZAP
Share your passport adventures using #exploreZAP for a chance to have your photo shared on ZAP's Instagram.
Interested in receiving a weekly update of events to your inbox?
We Are UMOCA
May 23, 2017
For the last 86 years, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art has been showcasing complex and highly impactful contemporary art in Utah. But UMOCA is so much more than the contemporary artwork displayed within our walls. We are educators, artists, and innovators.
Our goal is to inspire artistic experimentation, community enrichment and a connection to the world through engaging experiences. Our team is comprised of dedicated, passionate—and, albeit, entertaining—individuals who are mighty in our small number. Together, we help create the magic of the Museum, including designing and providing our free community art education programs that are necessary for the growth and longevity of Utah’s beautifully diverse arts culture.
Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company performs in UMOCA's Main Gallery (2015).
Why Contemporary Art?
Contemporary art is a mirror of right now: our ever-changing ideas, cultures, and societies. It allows viewers to connect with others through art by providing a platform to share their stories. We can learn from one another through the narratives and ideas presented in contemporary art. And as people, places, and technology evolve, so too will contemporary art be redefined in the future. Put simply: contemporary art is each of us—our languages, our relationships, our politics, our hopes.
The opening reception of Idealogue (2016).
UMOCA aims to provide galleries and programs that create open and inclusive dialogues that help people learn how to share their ideas and express their opinions in constructive, challenging, and creative ways. The beauty of contemporary art is that it allows us to examine and relate to aspect’s of today’s world that are greater than and outside of ourselves. And UMOCA believes this is necessary for creating global citizens who are engaged in worldwide issues. It is this belief, and our passion for contemporary art, that have guided us in creating award-winning educational programs that offer opportunities for community members to explore the role of art in their lives and the life of their community.
A Passion for Community Outreach
There is no “right” age at which you should begin or complete your art education. UMOCA’s educational programs range from family art-making projects to LGBTQ+ youth workshops to Art Fitness training for adults. Art education exists in many different forms, but the benefits of all of our community art programs are similar: they inspire the imagination, stimulate thought and transform society.
Museum-goers at UMOCA.
In particular, one of UMOCA’s outreach programs is the Art Truck. The Art Truck carries contemporary art from leading local and national artists all across the state, visiting individuals at schools and public venues who would otherwise have missed the opportunity to access UMOCA’s exhibitions or art education programs.
UMOCA’s Education Facilitator Madeline Savarese leads the Art Truck discussion and workshop.
The students we visit are bright and eager to explore art. The current Art Truck exhibition is whereABOUTS by Jaime Salvador Castillo and Michael Anthony García. whereABOUTS is an immersive and interactive installation that investigates location, identity, and community. Students received a guided tour of the Art Truck with a discussion led by a trained art educator, before diving into their own art creations. Connecting students from different communities, this exhibit allows them to learn about experiences that are different from their own, while also encouraging them to think critically about their identity and place in the world. Students explore their own communities through creative map-making of their neighborhoods and share them with the rest of the class. On August 12, a second, cumulative whereABOUTS exhibition will open at the Museum, featuring an installation of collected student artwork assembled by the acclaimed artists.
A student drawing during an Art Truck visit.
UMOCA’s programs create connections: connections to art, to other people, to other places. They also build connections through to new concepts and ideas. We hope that through our community programs, we create spaces that allow individuals to build positive social connections and share their experiences with others.
Supporting Local Artists
Our gallery spaces have held artworks by hundreds of acclaimed national and international artists, but what UMOCA focuses on is strengthening and supporting local artists. We offer residencies, exhibition opportunities, and workshops to meet the needs of artists living and working in Utah.
A photo from Family Art Saturday: Glorious Goo (2016).
Utah has a rich contemporary arts culture, with new and experimental artists emerging from nearby and local art programs, as well as established artists who have been working in Utah for many years. Creative Utahns distribute zines, post images of their work to social media, and run brick-and-mortar artist studios, organize creative activist interventions, and more. These artists create important dialogues across the state by sharing their visions through contemporary media. UMOCA offers opportunities for local artists to not only display their work in our gallery spaces but also build their local and national network of art lovers and art professionals by hosting panel discussions, receptions, and workshops.
UMOCA supports artists whose roots are grounded in Utah, so that we can continue to build the creative vibrancy of our state.
Supporting Utah Communities
UMOCA is proud to support local artists and communities, but we couldn’t do it without the support of our sponsors and donors, especially Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks. Strengthening the arts in our society is key to supporting the healthy growth of our communities.
Group photo from UMOCA’s 2017 Out Loud Opening Reception of Identities, Symbolism, and the Self.
Contemporary art will always exist, and will continue to flourish and grow with time. New artists will write and rewrite its definition endlessly, passing their notes, thoughts and mediums onto generations to come. Nothing could be more exciting to UMOCA than the opportunity to be a part of creative community building through contemporary art-making long into the future. UMOCA represents the spirit of innovation, experimentation, and dialogue surrounding the issues of our time.
-Alex Vermillion
Alex Vermillion is the Communications Coordinator at UMOCA, soon to attend the Yale School of Drama in the fall. In zir free time, Alex writes theatre reviews and interviews awesome locals for SLUG Magazine. On weekends, you can catch Alex performing with zir group of queer artists, or hiking around Utah’s beautiful landscape.