Blog
Funding Support for your Creative Placemaking Project
December 22, 2015
Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks is teaming up with Utah Division of Arts & Museums to welcome ArtPlace America to Utah!
ArtPlace America is a 10-year collaboration among 15 foundations, eight federal agencies, and six financial institutions who are dedicated to positioning art and culture as a core sector of comprehensive community planning and development in order to help strengthen the social, physical, and economic fabric or communities.
ArtPlace's program offers $50,000 to $500,000 to support place-based planning and development projects strengthening communities through arts and culture.
Since 2011, ArtPlace has invested $66.875 million, to 227 projects across 152 communities of all sizes within 43 states and the District of Columbia.
ArtPlace is specifically looking for successful Utah applications.
We urge you to attend on of two informational sessions on their National Creative Placemaking Fund:
- January 19 | 10 AM to 12 PM | Summit County Library, Richins Building, Room 133 (Lower Level) | 1885 W. Ute Blvd., Park City, UT 84098
- January 20 | 12 PM to 2 PM | Viridian Event Center, 8030 S. 1825 W., West Jordan, UT 84088 (A light lunch will be served)
Topics include:
- What is creative placemaking?
- What makes a competitive application?
- What does the application process entail?
- A discussion on how the arts have been used to "move the needle" to address relevant and challenging community issues.
Who should attend?
The event is free and open to the public! Anyone and everyone interested in learning about how you can be supported to creatively make change in your community! Artists, arts organizations, designers, community developers, planners, city and town administrators, community residents, business owners, faith and religious groups, philanthropists, and more are invited to learn more about arts-based strategies to community development. The National Creative Placemaking Fund will fund anyone regardless of tax-exempt status.
Consider these questions:
- Where will you work to address this community-based challenge or opportunity?
- Has the community identified a planning and development challenge or opportunity it wants to address?
- What role can arts and culture play in strengthening communities?
- Who sits at "the table" when planning and development decisions are being made?
These and other questions will be addressed at the workshop. We hope you'll join us.
This Holiday Season Gift the Arts!
December 01, 2015
It’s that time of year again! The lights are up, the snow is falling (well, some days), and we’re busy seeking out fun ways to enjoy the holiday season as well as searching for perfect gifts for family and friends.
As you go about your holiday shopping this year, consider gifting the arts! Tickets to a concert or performance by a favorite theater company can provide a lifelong experience to remember, and handmade arts and crafts bring daily inspiration. Not to mention it’s always fun to meet the artists that created them! You can do just that at one of the many holiday markets being hosted this December that showcase unique gifts made by local artists and crafters.
To help you plan your market-hopping experience and support our creative community this holiday season, we’ve compiled a quick list of some of the many arts & craft markets taking place around the valley. If we missed a favorite of yours, please feel welcome to share it in the comments.
Happy Gifting!
December 3-5
- Christkindlmarkt @ This is the Place Heritage Park, 11am-8pm
http://www.christkindlmarkt-slc.com/
December 4
- Holiday Boutique @ Murray Heritage Center, 10am-3pm
http://www.facebook.com/murrayheritagecenter/
December 5
- Holiday Market @ Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 11am-5pm, FREE museum admission
http://umfa.utah.edu/holidaymarket - Winter Market @Utah Cultural Celebration Center, 10am-6pm
http://www.culturalcelebration.org/winter-market.html
December 5-6
- Holiday Open House & Art Fair @ Red Butte Garden, 10am-5pm, FREE garden admission
http://www.redbuttegarden.org/holiday-open-house
December 5-6 & 12-13
- Holiday Bazaar @ Urban Arts Gallery, 2pm-6pm
http://urbanartsgallery.org/holiday-bazaar/
Dec 5 & 12 10am-6pm
- People’s Market Holiday Market @ Sorenson Unity Center
http://www.9thwestfarmersmarket.org/
Dec 5 & 19 10am-2pm
- Winter Market at Rio Grande
http://www.slcfarmersmarket.org/
Dec 5-21
- Holiday Craft Market @ Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Finch Lane Gallery
http://saltlakearts.org/32nd-annual-holiday-craft-market/
Dec 12
- Holiday Market @ Our Lady of the Snows Center with Alta Community Enrichment, 2pm-7pm
http://altaarts.org/events/ACEholidayartsale
Summer Night Lights: Cities Collaborate to Reduce Violence
November 20, 2015
Business robberies down 50%
Residential burglary down 48%
Simple assaults down 100%
Grand theft down 51%
ZERO homicides!
How would you like to report those statistics in your community?
That is exactly what the Midvale Arts Council is working for. We are partnering with Unified Police Department, Canyons School District, Midvale City, Copperview Recreation Center, and the Midvale Boys and Girls Club to create something based on a successful program carried out in Sacramento, California and other cities throughout the nation. Sacramento Summer Night Lights is a violence reduction program disguised as fun and is a product of multi-sector collaboration amongst various stakeholders in one of the city’s highest crime locations. By creating a safe environment, the program fostered community growth and trust which resulted in a drastic reduction in violence.
Midvale City is working with Moises Prospero, the founder and lead researcher of the Institute for Innovative Justice. Moises coordinates with police departments, school districts, social service departments and other groups to form multi-agency collaborations to implement specific, high-quality strategies to reduce gang violence and to implement proven practices for the prevention and early intervention of juvenile delinquency. The Midvale Arts Council (MAC) was brought to the table to work with these groups in enhancing the free summer concert series that is already in place. With the collaboration of these groups, MAC is looking to produce our greatest summer concert series to date. On Friday nights during the summer, community members throughout the valley can gather in a safe place to celebrate community, enjoy diverse styles of music and other various activities such as visual arts, dance, sports, storytelling and book give a ways. Plus, children will receive free meals.
We are looking for help.
Other communities in the valley would like to create similar programs. Magna, West Valley, and Salt Lake City are all exploring their options and would like help carrying out this massive undertaking. If you are interested in helping, please email Moises Prospero at MProspero@slco.org. You can help Midvale City receive funding to enhance our summer concert series through a national grant sponsored by Levitt Pavilions by voting for their proposal at www.levittamp.org. Midvale City is the only organization in Utah that is in the running for this grant. For more information visit www.midvalearts.com.Together we can make a difference!
-Suzanne Walker
Suzanne Walker was recently hired as the Executive Director of the Midvale Arts Council where she has been a volunteer for nearly 20 years. She has produced over 40 theatrical productions for the council and has also been privileged to be on stage and behind the scenes directing, choreographing, or costuming many of those productions. She enjoys watching her children play basketball, soccer and football. She also enjoys singing, playing the piano, sewing and cooking.
The Importance of Community Education
November 09, 2015
These days my desk sits in the Utah Film Center offices on Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City where I spend my time designing workshops to train public school teachers how to use film-making as a meaningful, in-classroom student engagement strategy.
An Educator’s Story
I came to Utah Film Center as part of the SHIFT team. SHIFT was an independent organization until this June, when it merged with Utah Film Center and became a program of their expanding Education Department. I worked for SHIFT for about three years before the merger. Now, as part of Utah Film Center I’m excited to continue both my personal and the organizational mission to empower teachers by putting digital media arts tools into their able (though sometimes trembling) hands. This is coupled with the philosophy that if we can inspire teachers and increase the use of creative technology integration, students—who are fluent in the language of the digital age—will respond and flourish.
My heart is in this. What I mean is that my heart is into using everything I have to help lift our education system out of its current siege. I won’t throw a lot of bleak statistics at you, but I will say that Utah is ranked about 36th across the nation in academic performance, a nation that is barely making the top twenty in the purview of global educational success. THAT, my friends, is a report card that would concern any parent. Despite this, I would like to add that I don’t pay too much heed to this ranking, though I do believe it is important to pay attention to pieces of what the leading nations (Finland, South Korea, Singapore, and Japan) are successfully doing; there are certainly some educational nuggets we can glean from them. But is it productive to make, for example, the Finnish education system the pie in the sky—and then hold our teachers and administrators accountable for not attaining the paragon? Are we comparing apples to apples when we compare and then censure those in the trenches trying to bake the same cake but with completely different ingredients? Just as a diagnosis doesn’t describe a child, nor does a statistic explain the creativity, hard work and, dare I say, genius happening everyday in our schools. To me, the solution is so clear. We need to support our teachers no matter what.
Moving, Doing, Learning
Parlez-vous français? I get asked that often when I tell people that I am from Canada. I arrived from Edmonton, Alberta, to Salt Lake in 1993 as a typical immigrant, to try my hand on the powdery slopes. It didn’t take me long though to gravitate to the core of the city where I began working with two nine-year-old girls, navigating the classroom with them a few afternoons a week. I saw those girls through junior high and it was during those years that I vicariously experienced what a day in the life of a teacher is like. And, I distinctly remember wondering if I should be painting a broader swathe and helping these teachers negotiate the 33 or so students, some of whom barely spoke English, others who were obviously just checking out, and more still who were acting out and creating a huge bullying problem in which I would intervene weekly. The disruptions to a conducive learning environment felt endless. To be honest, I didn’t really know how to help the teachers, so I stuck mainly to helping my two girls. They went on to high school and I pursued other ventures…all kinds of things from writing for a local newspaper, to archaeology digs; I moved on to pursue higher education, did documentary work in Southern Utah, and became senior producer of a science radio show. Inevitably, though, I came full circle back to where it all began.
Today
Twenty-some years have passed since I was sitting in the classroom with those nine-year-old girls, and though classrooms still have walls, they are far less opaque. Gone are the yellow-lined notepads and shiny, red apples that once sat proudly on a teacher’s desk, replaced by the even shinier Apple Macintosh (undeniably comparing apples to apples!). But one thing hasn’t changed: despite the shiny, new tools, teachers still need our support as much as ever, and that is what we have organized to do. This past June, SHIFT merged with Utah Film Center to create a robust Education Department headed by Rick Wray, whose vision and leadership has inspired me now for over a decade. The group of dedicated staffers that comprise the Education Department enthusiastically support teachers and their students in classrooms, using film and filmmaking as our method and engagement tool. I full-heartedly believe that it takes a community to educate one child, and I wholeheartedly agree with what ZAP Grant and Communications Program Coordinator Megan Attermann noted in a previous blog after she attended a conference in Chicago: community engagement cannot be done at a desk, but rather, it must be done face-to-face, through active listening and relationship building.
And so it is, I am back in the saddle, working for SHIFT, now a program of Utah Film Center, training teachers of all subjects in the art of filmmaking in order to inspire them and give them another skillset to engage their students. Meanwhile my education team colleagues are out in the classrooms inspiring students through presentations, introducing them to industry experts, and showing them the power of expression through film.
It Takes a Village
According to TED Founder Richard Saul Wurman, “Learning is remembering what you are interested in.” Well, I have been reminded and it feels equally fortuitous as it does inevitable that my job is helping teachers. For me, there is no question that at the heart of a good education is a good teacher, and I want to take part in a cultural *shift* where we ALL understand our responsibility and take not only a role in supporting teachers, but accept an onus to finding solutions to our educational woes. My position will be to continue to rally for and behind our teachers. Please join me.
-Suzi Montgomery
Suzi spends her days as the Utah Film Center SHIFT Program Director, writing and producing digital stories, and enjoying life both in Salt Lake and Chicago.
P.S. And yes, I do speak French, thanks to the Canadian education system going for broke with bilingual education programs!
Bringing Our Creative Community Together
November 03, 2015
Salt Lake has a thriving community of creatives who help make this a great place to live. This has been confirmed over and over as I’ve worked with individuals and organizations throughout our county and beyond as part of Utah Opera’s Creative Community program.
Opera is an art form that brings many different modes of creative expression together. On any given day at the Utah Opera Production Studios (downtown on 400 West) you’ll find a team of talented tailors, stitchers, drapers, and designers creating costumes for the opera. If you walk to the back of the studios, you’ll find painters and carpenters creating stunning scenery. The rehearsal hall is filled with singers, dancers, and actors who use their talents to bring stories to life through opera. Finally, when the opera production makes it to Capitol Theatre, the addition of the Utah Symphony orchestra members helps tie it all together.
The costume racks at Utah Opera's Production Studios store decades worth of work by artists in the costume shop.
At the heart of our Creative Communities initiative is this spirit of unity and of bringing creative people together surrounding a singular common interest: opera. But it has evolved into so much more – it has been a catalyst to connect creative individuals and build new relationships.
Utah Opera artist, Jessica Jones, performs alongside a fashion presentation prepared by Vanessa di Palma Wright.
For example, on opening night of Puccini’s Tosca, we partnered with Farasha Boutique and Vida Tequila to host a rooftop soiree on the outdoor terrace of Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. Costumes from Utah Opera’s costume shop were featured next to contemporary fashion as Utah Opera’s Resident Artists performed alongside a beautiful fashion presentation prepared by Vanessa di Palma Wright and Farasha’s designers.
Earlier in November, a lucky group of individuals attended a private dining event that was prepared by Red Kitchen. The three talented chefs who created this dining experience were inspired by the characters, story, and location of Tosca to create a five-course meal that was as beautiful as it was delicious.
The chefs at Red Kitchen were not the only culinary artists who were inspired by the opera. Bakers at So Cupcakes and Mini’s Cupcakes made delicious Tosca-inspired cupcakes. Mixologists at Bodega, Current, Finca, Handle, Pallet Bistro, OP Rockwell, Silver Star Café, and Takashi Sushi created Tosca-inspired craft cocktails through the Libretto & Libations promotion. At the Salt Lake Culinary Center, individuals took a class and learned to create a traditional Italian meal.
Sormani's stunning painted drops in Utah Opera's October 2015 production of Tosca.
And there has been more. During the Salt Lake Design Week , the community was invited to view the stunning artistry of legendary scenic artist Ercole Sormani’s painted Tosca drops up close to learn how perspective and lighting can be used in design. Those who visited Art Access during the October Gallery Stroll were treated to a performance by Utah Opera's Resident Artists. In August, the Nero Head from Utah Opera's costume shop traveled to Utah County and made an impressive appearance at StartFEST where I was able to have fascinating conversations with creative entrepreneurs in our community.
Utah Opera's Resident Artists perform at Art Access during Gallery Stroll.
As I’ve been reminded with Creative Communities, innovation can come from unexpected places, and we should be grateful for the high level of creativity and art in our community. The arts are incredibly important for our community because they encourage creativity and innovation. Art motivates us and touches our souls. It evokes emotions to encourage thinking and conversation. It helps us see the world differently. I couldn’t imagine our community without all the art and artists who help bring beauty and inspiration to our lives.
-Jon Miles
Jon Miles has been Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for Utah Symphony | Utah Opera (USUO) since 2011. In this role he oversees marketing, public relations, and sales for the organization. Jon joined USUO in 2007 as the Direct Marketing Manager and in 2009 became Director of Patron Development & Ticketing Services. He has a B.S. in Management with a Marketing Emphasis and is currently enrolled in an Executive MBA program at Brigham Young University.
Visit utahopera.org to see upcoming events associated with Creative Communities. If you have a creative idea and would like to get involved, please reach out to me!
Thank you to the many organizations and individuals who have generously donated their time and resources to support Utah Opera’s Creative Community program. Creative Communities is funded by The Getty Foundation through Opera America’s Building Opera Audiences grant program.
a tier ii update
October 20, 2015
It was a whirlwind year for ZAP Tier II! We got a record-breaking number of applications. We are grateful we're able to support so many of the amazing arts and culture groups in Salt Lake County. It really is a great place to live!
utah film center artistic director on founding tumbleweeds
October 20, 2015
It’s hard to believe the Tumbleweeds Film Festival is turning five this year.
It’s been half a decade of introducing kids to the joys of international cinema, collaborating with local organizations to present workshops and interesting activities for kids, and it feels like it only began yesterday.
I moved to Utah from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, after working with the Toronto International Film Festival Group in the early 2000’s to manage Sundance Institute’s Media Relations efforts and the Sundance Film Festival Press Office. I never planned on staying in Utah. Then I met a lovely woman and convinced her to marry me, and that was it—we were going to call Utah home.
What could I do?
After working the 2007 Sundance Film Festival I started to think about Salt Lake City and what I personally could be doing to make our community better. Having a background in film festivals and film-related events, I naturally gravitated in that direction. I reflected on my past experiences and thought about the most rewarding moments I had while working for two of the biggest film festival organizations in the world— Sundance Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
One of the most standout experiences for me through my career was the Sprockets Film Festival for Children (now TIFF Kids). Until my work with Sprockets, I didn’t really pay much attention to foreign language and independent films for kids. My first Sprockets festival experience was a revelation. I was at a film screening at 9am on a Saturday morning with a cinema full of 4-7 year olds, watching an animated film from Sweden, presented in Swedish with English subtitles, and enjoying it as much as they would enjoy a Disney movie.
Tumbleweeds is born.
The film was great, but the real take-away for me was how fully the kids in the audience embraced it, even with subtitles (read aloud over the cinema’s sound system). After recalling this time, it dawned on me that this was something we were missing in Salt Lake City. Our community has a wonderful and vibrant film culture, nurtured by Sundance, local film production, and film exhibition organizations like the Utah Film Center. But with all of this film activity in SLC, there wasn’t anything specifically focused on younger audiences -- and thus the idea for Tumbleweeds was born.
At the time, the only consistent cinema for younger audiences was what was being offered at the local multiplex. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a cinema snob. I love some of the movies coming out of Hollywood as much as I love indie and foreign films. I also love films from Disney and Pixar. It’s not about offering something better; it’s about offering something different. It’s about providing choice. And it’s about introducing young audiences to stories from different countries, in different languages, that transcend geographical, cultural, and language barriers.
With all that in mind, I started pitching the idea to people to get a sense of whether or not they thought this was a good idea. Most people I talked to reacted with skepticism and pessimism. Responses ranged from, “kids won’t like films with subtitles,” to “people have tried to launch something similar and it didn’t work.” Regardless of their reaction I was undeterred.
The idea of Tumbleweeds really started to become a reality when I met Geralyn Dreyfous, founder of the Utah Film Center, current Board Chair, and film producer extraordinaire, and talked with her about launching this program. She immediately embraced the idea and has been incredibly supportive ever since. She saw, as I did, that Salt Lake and Utah were missing this type of festival as part of the state’s arts and culture ecosystem. She offered to bring the Tumbleweeds idea into the Utah Film Center’s program and to dedicate resources to make the Festival a reality. After a couple of years of planning and fundraising, Utah Film Center launched the first Tumbleweeds Film Festival in April 2010.
Tumbleweeds is growing up.
Since 2010, we’ve shown 72 international and US feature films and 18 short film programs, featuring work from around the world, to almost 10,000 attendees. The Festival has become one of the Utah Film Center’s core programs. In addition to the annual film festival we’ve expanded our program to include monthly Tumbleweeds screenings at the Main Branch of the City Library, the Viridian Center, Sorenson Unity Center, Orem Public Library and the King Koal Theater in Price. We’ve presented films to over 19,000 students as part of our School Field Trip program, where teachers can bring their classes to a film at one of our screening venues. And last but not least, we’ve partnered with Sundance Institute for the last two years to present “Sundance Kids,” a program for kids at the Sundance Film Festival.
I apologize if I’ve bored you with these numbers, but it’s exciting for me to talk about how Tumbleweeds has evolved. I get even more excited about what this means for the future.
So, what’s in store for the next 5 years? Possibly launching annual mini-Tumbleweeds festivals in select communities around the state, like Utah Film Center did in Moab in 2014, expanding the locations of our monthly screenings, developing an industry component to the festival to encourage the production of indie kids films, and launching a film distribution arm to help bring some of the wonderful films from around the world that we’ve presented at Tumbleweeds, to audiences across the country.
I could go on and on about Tumbleweeds because it’s my passion, but I’ll wrap it up…for now…by saying thank you to all of the people who have supported, participated and sponsored the Festival including all of my colleagues past and present without whose efforts Tumbleweeds would not exist today.
Tumbleweeds is unique.
There are a lot of film options in Salt Lake City, but none other than Tumbleweeds offers kids (and parents) the chance to see a 3D film from France about a fierce struggle between two ant colonies, or a touching film from India about a young, blind boy and his journey to regain his sight, or a documentary about little league baseball players from Uganda. These are but three of the films we’re showing this year’s Tumbleweeds Film Festival and just a taste of what our programming has to offer. Come down to the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center to experience this all for yourself—I’m happy to share it.
See you at the movies!
-Patrick Hubley
Founder /Director - Tumbleweeds Film Festival; Artistic Director - Utah Film Center
The Tumbleweeds Film Festival runs September 25 - 27.
local stories local stage
October 20, 2015
Since 1991, Plan-B Theatre Company has developed and produced unique and socially conscious theatre with a focus on new plays by Utah playwrights.
We share stories with local points of view as well as global stories from a local perspective. We strive to create and nourish a pool of local playwrights to rival that found in any other city in the country.
As noted by the Dramatists Guild of America, Plan-B is the only professional theatre company in the United States producing full seasons of new work by local playwrights. We have produced 83 world premieres thus far in our history.
We believe the best way to serve our community is to reflect it onstage—to create conversation, to provide opportunities for patrons to think a little differently, to consider points of view that may previously have been foreign, to listen in a way they may not have before.
Every decision we make ties to/springs from our mission to develop and produce unique and socially conscious theatre with a focus on new plays by Utah playwrights. We are honored to be able to share stories we are passionate about in a place that we love.
And we have been feeling the love in 2015!
In April we were named ‘Best Theatre Company’ by QSaltLake for the 11th year in a row. In May we received the Governor’s Organization Leadership in the Arts Award. In June we received Salt Lake City’s Mayor’s Artist Award for Service to the Arts by an Organization. And just today, we received two City Weekly Best of Utah ARTs Awards for our world premiere of Carleton Bluford’s MAMA: Best Original Play (which we have won 8 of the past 10 seasons) and Best Local Theatre Production (which we have won 14 of the past 15 seasons).
Pretty heady, humbling stuff for a company operating on an annual budget of $250,000.
Our unique and innovative way of telling stories will be on full display with the four world premieres by Utah playwrights that comprise our 2015/16, Silver Anniversary season:
Eric Samuelsen’s THE KREUTZER SONATA, October 18-November 9 – A cautionary tale of rage, revenge and remorse interwoven with Beethoven’s sonata in a co-production with NOVA Chamber Music Series.
Rob Tennant’s BOOKSMART, December 3-13 – A dark comedy about working retail at the holidays and sticking it to The Man, provoking change and taking action—by doing nothing. In partnership with The David Ross Fetzer Foundation for Emerging Artists.
Elaine Jarvik’s BASED ON A TRUE STORY, February 25-March 6 – A tale of comfort, doubt and the power and perils of narrative. With time travel. And chocolate donuts.
Jenifer Nii & David Evanoff’s KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, March 31-April 10 – A quest for self-acceptance in a culture focused on perfection … and one Mormon housewife's desire to do it in drag. Plan-B’s first original musical.
Visit http://planbtheatre.org for details – see you at the theatre!
And below, just for fun, are some thoughts about Plan-B from artists who have worked with us:
Plan-B is part of my soul.
Jerry Rapier, Producing Director
Plan-B is the spark that lights the fire in me.
Cheryl Ann Cluff, Managing Director
Plan-B is home.
Kirt Bateman
Plan-B is a place where artists live, where ideas can thrive.
Bill Allred
Plan-B is a voice that’s relevant to where I live, when I’m living, and who I’m living with.
Stephen Brown
Plan-B means a home for Utah writers, a stage for Utah stories.
Julie Jensen
Plan-B means a life buoy thrown to a drowning man.
Eric Samuelsen
Plan-B is a spiritual home to me.
Matthew Ivan Bennett
Plan-B means theatre that never disappoints.
Carol Lynn Pearson
Plan-B is Utah’s home for socially conscious theatre.
Carleton Bluford
Plan-B is locally-sourced handmade artisanal theatre.
Rob Tennant
Plan-B is an incubator in which new stories and familiar characters can thrive.
Melissa Leilani Larson
Plan-B is the embrace of risk and the support of unique voices which means opportunity.
Susan Miller
Plan-B is family.
Mark Fossen
Plan-B is home.
April Fossen
Plan-B is home.
Stephanie Howell
Plan-B is essential to the community, pushing boundaries, has changed my life for the better, encouraged and nurtured me artistically . . . and they’re just a bunch of super sweet and generous people.
Camden Chamberlain
Plan-B is the opportunity to explore and challenge yourself.
David Spencer
Plan-B means making what was hope a reality.
Jenifer Nii
Plan-B means there’s always another way to see things.
Dave Mortensen
Plan-B means community.
Jay Perry
Plan-B means togetherness.
Daisy Blake Perry
Plan-B is a bold, daring and supportive home for SLC actors and playwrights.
Scott Smith
Plan-B means a place for challenging, engaging, and imaginative theatre. It’s a gem!
Bob Nelson
Plan-B is the best theatre company in Utah providing socially conscious theatre at an incredible value.
Benjamin Brown
Plan-B means fearlessness.
Jason Tatom
Plan-B means unbelievable opportunities.
Teresa Sanderson
Plan-B is thought-provoking and world-bettering.
Kevin Emerson
Plan-B is a theatrical amplifier exposing thought-provoking and original works by local artists to Utah audiences and beyond.
Teri Cowan
Plan-B is where anyone can learn to expand their mind, heart, and soul.
Sarah Young
Plan-B is theatre that makes me think for a week.
Jesse Nix
Plan-B is a work of art that challenges me.
Melissa Rasmussen
Plan-B makes me think, makes me feel, makes me laugh . . . and it makes me want to stay up late drinking Moscow Mules talking about theatre and serious shit (stuff).
Larry West
Plan-B means brave, new theatre.
Betsy West
Plan-B is a supportive team that puts story first.
Matthew Greene
Plan-B means challenging theatre – a force that moves you in the right direction.
Topher Rasmussen
Plan B is a homegrown product and one to be proud of. It assures me of good, intimate theatre with provocative new plays by local playwrights, performed by brilliant local actors, sets/sound/designs by sensitive local craftsmen, and directed by innovative local directors. And the price of the ticket is affordable. It doesn’t get better than that!
Anne Cullimore Decker
Plan-B is a generous and nurturing artistic environment that respects and stretches the artists and audiences that step inside.
Jason Bowcutt
Plan-B is part of the heart of our community. It brings joy, thought and hope.
Michael Aaron
Plan-B means opportunity and inspiration.
Lauren Byington-Noll
Plan-B is a place where theatre artists in our community can come together to make their very best offerings.
Christy Summerhays
Plan-B is an organization that takes its community role seriously, even to the level of young children. They have sponsored opportunities for young people to learn about and empathize with the condition of bullying in today’s schools. This is an essential role to play when so many kids are struggling with their emerging identities in a school system that struggles to understand, acknowledge, and affirm difference. Plan-B provides a forum for young adults to engage with the topic of bullying and reflect on their place in eradicating it.
Jim Martin
Plan-B is always thought-provoking scripts that are well acted.
Beth Bruner
Plan-B means exciting, innovative, and intimate theatre.
Debora Threedy
Plan-B means courage.
Logan Tarantino
Plan-B is an important part of my SLC.
Mike Thompson
Plan-B means mental stimulus to me.
Latoya Rhodes
Plan-B is telling stories without precedent.
Phillip R. Lowe
Plan-B means thought-provoking theatre.
Elaine Jarvik
Plan-B means enlightenment.
Jennifer Freed
Plan-B is theatre with substance.
Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin
Plan-B means life-changing experiences for me.
Jayne Luke
Plan-B means reshaping artistic and conversational boundaries for me.
Martine Kei Green-Rogers
Plan-B is creativity on steroids.
Kay Shean
Plan-B is the only socially-relevant stage to me.
Sean Sekino
Plan-B shows me the human condition in stories that I would not otherwise encounter. I have to think and stretch my mind.
Karen Duncan
Plan-B means I get thought-provoking theatre by local Utah playwrights and actors.
Brian Doughty
Plan-B means thought-provoking scripts, fearless acting, confident directing, innovative sets and always the experience of going home with new questions and answers, new thoughts in my head and new admiration for the theatre.
Colleen Baum
Plan-B is honest and artful storytelling.
Emma Munson
Plan-B means outstanding opportunities for actors, playwrights, artists, and audiences.
Charles Lynn Frost
Plan-B is a path to discovery.
Claire Wilson
Plan-B means home grown: local actors, local playwrights, global conversations. But mostly Plan-B means “Theatre Christmas.”
Kyle Lewis
Plan-B is inspirational.
Tia Byington-Noll
Plan-B is a relevant, artistic voice for our unique community and culture.
Tyson Baker
Plan-B means learning something new.
Michael Johnson
Plan-B means a delightfully unsettling theatre experience.
Chriss Meecham
-Jerry Rapier
Jerry Rapier has been Producing Director of Plan-B Theatre Company since 2000. He has directed 30+ productions for the company. He and his husband Kirt celebrate their 20th anniversary this December. Their lives are completely run by their soon-to-be-three-year-old son Oscar.
summer forever
October 20, 2015
Here in Utah, most of us appreciate the end of summer as much as we dread it.
It’s so nice to get a reprieve from the heat and get a cool night’s rest. At the same time, as the temperature changes, we feel fall in the air and are reminded of the fact that winter comes too soon. The shorter days and those cools evenings out on the
deck will soon be just a great memory.
I sometimes think I ought to move someplace that is warmer all year. Would I miss the change of seasons that much? Do I really need the fire pit and hot cocoa while we carve jack-o’- lanterns? Oh, and don’t forget that I love a white Christmas. Okay, so I’m not going anywhere really soon. I love living in Utah.
I also love working as a coordinator for the City of Holladay’s Arts Council.
Because of an amazing Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts and Parks Local Arts Agency grant and the city’s match of funds, I am able to rub shoulders with an amazingly talented and creative group of people. The arts council had their Blue Moon Arts Festival this year on an actual blue moon. And we somehow managed to have it without rain! The event was held in the heart of the city behind the city offices and was attended by double the anticipated number of people. The arts council really felt rewarded for all their efforts this year. The Blue Moon Festival was a one night event that included 3 local and international bands, food and dessert trucks, over 45 vendors and artists -- and it even ended with fireworks. The arts council and city worked hard -- along with 80 amazing volunteers -- to bring this growing event to the neighborhood in Holladay. And they have already started planning next year!
The Holladay Arts Council is going to stretch the summer fun into September. We will celebrate international Talk Like a Pirate Day, because “Summer Forever” sounds like a good idea, at least for a couple more weeks. We will be joining efforts with Holladay Library on September 19 from 10:00am to noon in the Pavilion at the City of Holladay. There will be crafts for the kids, readings, poetry contest awards, and all poetry entries will be on display. Wear your pirate costume or “walk the plank.” Enter the poetry contest at Holladay Library by September 12th. See our website for more information.
-Margo Richards
Margo Richards is the Coordinator for the City of Holladay’s Arts Council. She has had many years of experience in managing volunteers, accounting, fundraising and creating and balancing budgets. Her love of the arts and working with people in her community make this her dream job. She lives in Holladay with her husband, and she has two incredible grown children.
salt lake city through a dancers eyes
October 20, 2015
My name is Tiana Lovett, and I'm from California. I’ve been in Salt Lake City for a year now, and I’ve discovered something: Salt Lake is brimming with art, culture and dance in a way unlike what I’ve experienced in any other city. I am a ballet dancer and have trained in the academies of both Houston Ballet, and Salt Lake’s own Ballet West. Knowing this, you must understand why I was excited to see so many dance companies in Utah.
I have loved seeing shows from different companies and schools. Seeing as many as I have, I've noticed just how unique each company is. I’ve decided to highlight two companies: Repertory Dance Theatre and Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company.
Repertory Dance Theatre
Repertory Dance Theatre is a classical modern dance company located at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. I had a wonderful time watching them perform. The first time I saw them, the bill was very diverse -- with a mixture of serious and humorous pieces that really pleased the audience. It seemed like everyone fell in love with the company whether they had an artistic background or not.
The next time I watched their performance was at the Utah Arts Festival. This time the bill was targeted toward people with a greater understanding of art and contained fewer humorous pieces. The performance was amazing. It remained diverse in style and energy. They danced classics and explored new techniques. Overall, Repertory Dance Company is a diamond in the heart of Salt Lake, and I will definitely be getting season tickets.
Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company
Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company is a contemporary dance company also located at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. I've seen the company perform only once, but I definitely plan to go again. The bill contained two works: one from a guest artist and the other from the company’s artistic director Daniel Charon. The first was very unique; I could not even grasp the meaning of it -- which I really appreciated. The second piece was beautiful to watch. The music vibrated, and the dancers performed with so much energy and life.
I saw one of the Ririe-Woodbury dancers perform when Bradley Beaks put on his own show at the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival. I was incredibly impressed. His movement was so new and creative. Each piece flowed beautifully into the next, ending on an energetic work with dancers from The University of Utah, Repertory Dance Theatre, Ririe-Woodbury and more. I will be sure to look out for Ririe-Woodbury and its dancers in the future; they are capable of fantastic things.
After I compared the companies from the outside, I took a closer look into the everyday life of the dancers. I interviewed one dancer from each company and even sat in on one of Repertory Dance Theater’s rehearsals.
Tyler Orcutt (Repertory Dance Theatre)
How long have you been with Repertory Dance Theatre?
Tyler: I have been dancing with Repertory Dance Theatre for three years now and just began my fourth season with them this summer.
What do you do everyday at RDT?
Tyler: At RDT we work 9 A.M. to 4 P.M., Monday through Friday. A typical day begins with an hour and a half technique class. Until 1 P.M., we are either learning, rehearsing, or creating new dances. From 1 to 2 P.M., we have lunch, and then we rehearse more from 2 to 4 P.M. On a non-typical day, we will go out to elementary schools and high schools to perform for them and teach them movement-based classes as a part of our Arts in Education mission.
What is your favorite aspect working for this company?
Tyler: My favorite part about working with Repertory Dance Theatre is being given the opportunity to work with so many different choreographers. Each choreographer comes with their own style of movement and teaching which allows us to grow in many different forms of dance. In a single performance, an audience member may get to witness four to five varieties of modern dance before the night ends. As a dancer, it’s very exciting to get to be a part of that experience with the audience.
What choreography are you currently working on?
Tyler: We are currently working with Claire Porter, a comedic and text-based dance choreographer. She is creating a work on RDT that will premiere in our November performance. Our upcoming performance, “Ritual,” is October 1-3 at the Rose Wagner Theater.
What is RDT's mission?
Tyler: Repertory Dance Theatre’s mission is the dedication to the creation, performance, perpetuation, and appreciation of modern dance. RDT is the oldest and most successful repertory dance company in the United States. We preserve America’s historical dance roots while also maintaining a progressive nature with the creation of new and contemporary works. We believe in art that is profound and thrilling and art that also challenges you.
What is special about Repertory Dance Theatre that other companies might not have?
Tyler: There are so many special things I could say about RDT and my personal experience with the company. But if I could only pick one, I would say one of the most unique things about RDT is how we learn historical works. Whether we are learning a piece choreographed by José Limón, Michio Itō, or Merce Cunningham, we almost always work with and learn from someone who has worked directly with the choreographer themselves. We are also very blessed to get to learn so many of our historical works from our very own artistic director, Linda C. Smith, for this very reason. As a dancer, this helps me in ways I can’t measure because of how “close” the information is that is being passed down to us. This way of learning helps us maintain the integrity of any particular style so that when we do perform someone else’s work we honor it by doing our absolute best to perform it as close to the original as we possibly can.
Yebel Gallegos (Ririe-Woodbury)
How long have you been with RW?
Yebel: I am currently in my third season with Ririe-Woodbury
What do you do everyday at RW?
Yebel: Our typical work day is eight hours. We start with a contemporary technique class from 9 to 10:30 A.M. We then take a short break and move on to rehearsals. This is when we are either preparing for an upcoming tour, or a local performance. We take an hour for lunch at 1 P.M. After lunch, we often begin, or continue to work on, a creative process for a new piece by the artistic director Daniel Charon. However, two or three times a year, when a commissioned choreographer is in town setting a new work on the company, we dedicate full days solely to that artist-in-residence.
What is your favorite aspect working for this company?
Yebel: Ririe-Woodbury is really a gem among professional dance companies around the nation. It is one of the last few companies that continue to offer full-time contracts with health benefits to their dancers. RW also commissions at least two choreographers a year to set new work on the company. It is very exciting to be part of a company that maintains such a high level of professionalism and works with choreographers that are sought out for in places like Chicago, New York, and California.
What choreography are you currently working on?
Yebel: We recently finished working with Adam Barruch. He was with us for two weeks setting a new piece titled Prima Materia, which will premiere this September as a part of our fall season performance. Now we will be putting together an evening of Nikoli works that will be performed for an eight-run season at the Joyce Theatre this coming February.
What is RW's mission?
Yebel: Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company is committed to furthering contemporary dance as an accessible and valued art form through performance and dance education that raise the standards, deepen the understanding and promote personal connections with dance.
If you've worked with other companies, what is special about RW that you haven't experienced with another company?
Yebel: I worked with a professional dance company in Mexico for five years and it was a wonderful experience. Being in Ririe-Woodbury however, has expanded my knowledge and experience in dance education. Outreach, and taking dance to small communities, to places where children would not see live dance otherwise, has definitely made a mark on me. I realize now how important it is to continue dance education and share the same love that the company's founders shared with us dancers -- in getting dance out there and making it an accessible art form to everyone.
Both companies put on beautiful performances that are inspiring and mesmerizing. If you'd like to see their upcoming shows, you can find further information below.
Repertory Dance Theatre: Ritual, October 1-3, 2015
Ririe-Woodbury: Fall season, September 17-19, 2015
-Tiana Lovett
Tiana Lovett has trained in the academies of Houston Ballet and Ballet West. She was fortunate to train under Claudio Munoz director of Houston Ballet 2, Jeff Rodgers former principal dancer with Ballet West, and more. Tiana is also a grand prize winner of the Spotlight Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, in the ballet category.