what happened to our front porch
Posted By Salt Lake County ZAP
October 20, 2015
Patrick Overton, in his book Re-Building the Front Porch of America: Essays on the Art of Community Making states:
“We used to gather together on the front porch – families, friends, and neighbors. Not for any special reason, just to be together, to converse with each other. That was enough. This is where we shared news about our lives, talked about the events going on around us, and caught up with each other as family, friends, neighbors, and community. This was how we shared life and how we made meaning. This was also how we made community. It was intentional. It was spontaneous. It was fun.”
“We are losing our front porch. We are losing our gathering place. It is being replaced with decks in the back yard and contemporary architecture dominated by the garage showcasing the treasured symbol of our mobility and freedom – the automobile. We move fast and we move in a lot of different directions. We learn a lot and we learn it quickly – but we don’t always know what to do with what it is we learn.”
Bringing the Front Porch Back
Midvale City is making a conscious effort to bring front porches back to our community. The arts have a powerful ability to act as front porches. They provide opportunities to gather together and tell our stories, share news, have fun and to be unified. The arts opportunities we provide give a voice to our community.
This summer on our front porch, our community will have the chance to visit with old friends, make new friends, and experience a sense of community pride. Midvale City wants to invite the surrounding community to visit with us on our front porch this summer. Our front porch, located in the Midvale City Park – 455 West 7500 South, will be open every Friday night (and some additional dates) at 7:30 pm for visits. All of our concerts are free and feature many different styles of music and dance.
Gather at Midvale's Front Porch
- June 12 – Body Logic Dance Company (Enjoy Midvale’s professional dance company.)
- June 19 – Mama’s Wranglers (Be prepared to tap your toes, clap your hands and sing-a-long with this family band based in Las Vegas.)
- June 26 – Assembly 6.0(A cover band that plays many of your favorite songs from classic rock to pop across many different eras.)
- July 3 – 23rd Army Band(Utah’s premier military music unity. This will be a great concert to celebrate the birth of our country!)
- July 10 – 18 – “Once Upon a Mattress” (A twist on the classic tale of the Princess and the Pea. Nightly except Sunday. Tickets are $7 – general admission, $5 – children & seniors, $25 – family pass. Midvale residents receive a $1 discount/ticket.)
- July 24 – Rumba Libre (An all-star band the delivers the best Salsa and Latin Jazz in Salt Lake City.)
- July 31 – Caleb Chapman’s Crescent Super Band (One of the best professional bands in the world that is comprised entirely of young musicians.)
This is our Front Porch:
-Suzanne Walker, Midvale Arts Council
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.