Welcome to UCA's new events blog!

Monday, January 31, 2011

Artist Martha MacLeish @ SUU's Art Insights Series (CC: Feb 10)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 01/31/11
Michael French
Public Information Coordinator
College of Performing and Visual Arts
Southern Utah University
Office: 435-865-8667
Cell: 805-260-8797
michaelfrench@suu.edu

FOR CALENDAR EDITORS: ART INSIGHTS, MARTHA MacLEISH
WHAT: SUU’s Arts Insights spotlights the sculptural paintings of Martha MacLeish, who transforms sheets of polyvinyl chloride plastic into vibrant two and three-dimensional sculptural paintings. The artist shares her creative process and works during her Art Insights appearance.

WHO: Art Insights
Southern Utah University, Department of Art and Design

WHEN: Thursday, February 10, 2011

TIME: 7:00pm

WHERE: Great Hall, Hunter Conference Center, Southern Utah University, Cedar City, UT

INFO: Phone: Arts Hotline: (435) 865-8800 or visit: www.suu.edu/arts

TICKETS: Free and the General Public is encouraged to attend.

SUU’S ART INSIGHTS TO FEATURE
SCULPTURAL PAINTER MARTHA MacLEISH
FEBRUARY 10, 2011

Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah: A unique visionary who works with two and three-dimensional space, Martha MacLeish transforms sheets of polyvinyl chloride plastic into vibrant sculptural paintings. The artist shares her creative experiences and works during her appearance at SUU’s Department of Art and Design’s weekly lecture series, Art Insights, on Thursday, February 10, 2011. The lecture begins at 7pm at SUU’s Great Hall in the Hunter Conference Center. Admission is free and the general public is encouraged to attend.

Martha MacLeish is an assistant professor and head of the Fundamentals Studio at the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts at Indiana University, in Bloomington. She received her BFA in painting and her BA in art history from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1985, and her MFA in painting from the Yale School of Art in 1988. Prior to coming to I.U., MacLeish taught at The Savannah College of Art and Design and at Southern Utah University.

MacLeish has had solo exhibitions at the Prince Street Gallery in New York, The Artist Project in Chicago, Broad Street Gallery in Athens, Georgia, the Marsh Art Gallery in Richmond, Virginia, and at Artemisia Gallery, Chicago. Recent group exhibitions that have included her work are “Gesture (inclusive)” at the Ohio State University, “Shaped” at Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio, and “At First Glance” at the Beaux-Arts des Amériques in Montréal, Quebec.

Recently, MacLeish has been an artist in residence at the Ragdale Foundation in Lake Park, Illinois, the Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts and Sciences in Rabun Gap, Georgia, and at the Toos Neger Foundation in Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

Art Insights is a weekly program hosted during the fall and spring semesters by SUU’s Art and Design faculty. Students and community members meet weekly to experience presentations and discussions by visiting artists and art educators from around the nation who share their work and insights and attend gallery openings.

Learn about the process behind sculptural painting when Martha MacLeish shares her experiences at Art Insights. For more information on the SUU College of Performing and Visual Arts events, please call the Arts Hotline at (435) 865-8800, or visit www.suu.edu/arts.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE
The Southern Utah University College of Performing and Visual Arts is comprised of nationally accredited departments of Art and Design, Music, Theatre Arts and Dance, as well as a graduate program in Arts Administration. The College offers 16 different degree areas, including liberal arts Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees; professional Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Fine Arts in art and theatre degrees; and a Master of Fine Arts in Arts Administration degree. More than 60 full- and part-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring over 550 majors in the College. Over 1100 students enroll each year in over 195 arts classes on the SUU campus. The College presents 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year. The College’s affiliate organizations include the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery, American Folk Ballet, Utah Shakespearean Festival, the performance group Acclamation, and the SUU Ballroom Dance Company. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, contact the Office of the Dean at (435) 865-8561, or by e-mail at cpvamktg@suu.edu.

JOB: Graphic Designer/Webmaster @ Ballet West

Job Description: Local performing arts organization seeks full-time, in-house Graphic Designer/Webmaster. Responsible for all in-house print and web-based graphic design including, but not limited to, photo editing, advertisements and publications, website graphics, outdoor campaigns and email marketing. Maintains, updates and edits existing website. Assists in other public relations and marketing activities as assigned, including media and community relations, publicity, special promotions, hosting and photography.

Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design or a related field required. Experience in graphic design for print is required. Experience in website design including a working knowledge of HTML and CSS is required. Experience in Drupal and/or Wordpress CMS and email marketing is preferred but not required.

Equal Opportunity Employer.
How to Apply: Please respond to this ad with cover letter, resume and link to online portfolio. No phone calls, please.
Closing Date:
Website:
Salary:
Contact:
Contact Name: John Roake
Email: jroake@balletwest.org

Stephen Sondheim Visits with Utah Shakespeare Festival Seminar Director @ Kingsbury Hall (SLC: Feb 1)

Stephen Sondheim Visits with Utah Shakespeare Festival Seminar Director

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—Stephen Sondheim will have an onstage conversation with Utah Shakespeare Festival Literary Seminar Director Nancy Melich on Tuesday, February 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah Campus (1395 East President's Circle, Salt Lake City, UT 84112). Tickets range from $75 to $20.50, and they are on sale now at 1-801-581-7100.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for Utah residents, and especially students, to come see a man who changed how we look at musical theatre,” said Melich. “Sondheim has been writing music for over 50 years. The fact that he is here and willing to share his insights with us is very exciting.”

Sondheim is one of the most influential composers and lyricists to work in the American musical theatre scene during the past half-century. During the interview Sondheim will offer a personal and engaging view of his career, the state of American musical theatre and his own creative process, from early collaborations to masterworks such as “Sweeny Todd” and “A Little Night Music.”

“In preparing for this conversation I have been researching the history of Sondheim's music, which has been an eye-opening experience,” said Melich. “This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the John F. Kennedy inauguration, and on the night of his inaugural ball Ethel Merman sang Sondheim’s ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses.’ The reach of his music is astounding.”

The $75 VIP tickets include admittance to an exclusive reception with Sondheim. Tickets are also available for $39.50, $27.50, and $20.50. U of U student discounts are available for $20.50, $9.50 and $3.50 with student I.D. $15 tickets are available for all other students with I.D. Children under six are not admitted. No babes in arms or lap sitting. All patrons must have a ticket regardless of age. For more information call (801) 585-1556.

Tickets are on sale now for the 50th anniversary season at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, which will run from June 23 to Oct. 29, 2011. The eight-play season includes Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Richard III,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “The Winter’s Tale.” The season will also include Meredith Willson’s great American musical “The Music Man,” Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie,” Michael Frayn’s “Noises Off!” and the mystery thriller “Dial M for Murder” by Frederick Knott. For more information and tickets visit www.bard.org or call 1-800-PLAYTIX.

Media Contact: Amanda Caraway, 435-586-1969, Caraway@bard.org
For more information and photos visit: http://bard.org/newsroom/index.html,
Username: press, password: usf2006
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Nancy Melich conducts a Literary Seminar at the Utah Shakespeare Festival with director Kathleen Conlin.













Exhibit of Davis Co. Artists Put Together by Bountiful/Davis Art Center @ CenterPoint Legacy Theatre (Centerville: Feb 14 - March 12)

For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Susan Bellomy, CenterPoint Legacy Theatre, 801-298-1302
Emma J. Dugal, Bountiful/Davis Art Center, 801-292-0367

Artful collaboration results in full spectrum of Davis County talent

Newly open CenterPoint Legacy Theatre joins with Bountiful/Davis Arts Center to
showcase works from Davis County artists

Centerville, UT—January 26, 2011—In an effort to spotlight art in many forms, the Bountiful/Davis Art Center (BDAC) is joining with CenterPoint Legacy Theatre (CPT) to display works by Davis County artists. Twenty-eight artists’ work will be prominently displayed on the mezzanine level of the Davis Center for the Performing Arts, CPT’s new location, during the run of “Hairspray”, February 14 through March 12.


“We are thrilled to join with CenterPoint in showing the citizens of Davis County a full spectrum of artistic talent that is right in our backyard,” said Emma J. Dugal, Executive Director. “The Bountiful/Davis Arts Center’s vision is to engage and educate our community about the arts and we can’t think of a more beautiful venue than the Davis Center for the Performing Arts for that purpose.”



The Davis Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is home to the newly renamed CenterPoint Legacy Theatre. DCPA is a $14.5 million dollar arts center created from RAP taxes contributed from the cities of Centerville, Bountiful and Davis County. “CenterPoint is the new cultural epicenter for arts in Davis County,” said Glen McKay, CPT’s board chair. “We are proud to work with the BDAC to acquaint our patrons not only with our performance artists, but also those who work with canvas, oil, and watercolor.” Participating artists include Diane Turner, Lester B. Lee, George Handrahan, Sandra Rast and Simon Winegar.



About CenterPoint Legacy Theatre: In January 2011, the new theatre company, CenterPoint Legacy Theatre will be housed in the Davis Center for the Performing Arts at 525 North 400 West, Centerville, Utah. This new theatre brings the excitement and magic of live Broadway-style shows home to Utah. The professional quality productions and hands-on arts education provides affordable fun for the entire community. This 63,000 square foot state-of-the art theater complex houses a five hundred plus seat main stage theater, flexible black-box theater, and multiple rehearsal spaces. The multi-venue facility provides broad performance and entertainment opportunities. Construction began in May 2009 and in February, the curtain will go up on the main stage at the Davis Center for the Performing Arts. For information, please call 801.298.1302, or visit us at www.centerpointtheatre.org .

About Bountiful/Davis Arts Center: Bountiful/Davis Art Center began as a collaboration between the University of Utah and Bountiful City. The City’s wish for closer, local opportunities for college courses and a general fine arts program for its citizens was an excellent fit with the University’s goal of establishing a presence in the community. Eventually, the University and Bountiful City ended their collaboration with BAC and it became an independent 501 © 3 corporation in 1983-84. At the same time the name was changed to Bountiful/Davis Art Center. For over 35 years, BDAC has been the premiere community supported foundation and gathering place for the fostering of quality artistic expression and education. For more information on BDAC, go to www.bdac.org .

CenterPoint Legacy Theatre at the Davis Cultural Arts Center, 525 N. 400 W., Centerville, UT 84014

Bountiful/Davis Art Center, 745 So. Main Street, Bountiful, UT 84010 – info@bdac.org

# # # # # #



Emma J. Dugal
Executive Director
Bountiful/Davis Art Center
745 so. Main Street
Bountiful, UT 84010
801 292-0367
801 292-7298 (fax)
www.bdac.org

Author Wade Davis @ City Library (SLC: Feb 3)

Wade Davis: Sacred Headwaters
author of The Wayfinders and The Serpent and the Rainbow
Thursday, February 3, 7:00 p.m.
Main Library Auditorium

Wade Davis, National Geographic's Explorer-in-Residence, has been described as "a rare combination of scientist, scholar, poet, and passionate defender of all of life's diversity." His work as an ethnographer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker has taken him around the world, where he's lived with indigenous people from the Amazon to the Andes. His 1986 book The Serpent and the Rainbow was an international bestseller, was printed in ten languages, and was made into a motion picture.

For his latest work, The Wayfinders, Davis navigated the globe, living with indigenous peoples from Polynesia, Australia, Borneo, and beyond, sharing with his readers the wisdom these cultures impart about what it means to be human. The book's description says, "Understanding the lessons of this journey will be our mission for the next century. For at risk is the human legacy – a vast archive of knowledge and expertise, a catalogue of the imagination."

Davis's lecture is sponsored by the University of Utah Environmental Humanities Program and The City Library.


For more information or media inquiries, please reply to this email or call The City Library at 801-524-8200.


Andrew Shaw
Assistant Manager
Community Affairs
Salt Lake City Public Library
210 East 400 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
ashaw@slcpl.org
801-524-8234



Thursday, January 27, 2011

JAMES FRANCO HAS CANCELLED HIS JANUARY 27 APPEARANCE AT SALT LAKE ART CENTER’S EXHIBITION OF SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL NEW FRONTIER

For Immediate Release: January 26, 2011
Contacts: Emily Brunt, emilyb@slartcenter.org, 801.38.4201 x 115

JAMES FRANCO HAS CANCELLED HIS JANUARY 27 APPEARANCE
AT SALT LAKE ART CENTER’S EXHIBITION OF
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL NEW FRONTIER

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – James Franco has cancelled his January 27 presentation of his work Three’s Company: The Drama at Salt Lake Art Center’s exhibition of Sundance Film Festival New Frontier. According to his manager, Miles Levy, “With the Oscars so close” he “can’t risk flying.”

Art enthusiasts are encouraged to attend tonight’s performance by award-winning artist Miwa Matreyek, who has performed at multiple TED conferences, LACMA, Biennial of the America’s in Denver, Festival International EXIT in Paris, and is scheduled for Anima Mundi Animatino Festival in Rio de Janeiro as well as for a performance at San Francisco’s Exploratorium just to name a few.

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL NEW FRONTIER
A PERFORMANCE BY: MIWA MATREYEK, MYTH AND INFRASTRUCTURE
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 26, 7:00, 8:00, AND 9:00 PM AT SALT LAKE ART CENTER

Brimming with elevated visions of the ways the human body interacts with its surrounding environment, award-winning animator Miwa Matreyek integrates her own shadow into her whimsical, handcrafted, animated worlds. Her breathtakingly beautiful images mix with dreamy original music sung by Anna Oxygen to create glistening realms of enchantment. Myth and Infrastructure expands the scope of the connections to the environment as a whole. See an excerpt of Matreyek's performance: http://vimeo.com/10278043






Salt Lake Art Center
Award-winning Salt Lake Art Center, founded in 1931 and located just steps from Temple Square in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, exhibits works by leading local and international artists, as well as groundbreaking interactive works. Recent exhibitions include 337 Project’s Contemporary Masters artist-designed miniature golf, and Jamie Wyeth: Seven Deadly Sins. Upcoming exhibitions include Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier program, Fallen Fruit, and Lawn Gnomes Eat Your Heart Out in conjunction with International Sculpture Center’s student awards exhibition. The Art Center rounds out its offerings with a lively mix of community presentations, 337 Project, Art Truck, Art Center School, film screenings, youth education programs, community gallery, and events celebrating the vibrant local art scene.

###


Emily Brunt
Director of Communications

Salt Lake Art Center
20 South West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
801.328.4201 x115 m: 801.232.7362
emilyb@slartcenter.org www.slartcenter.org

Volunteers Needed to Assist Bountiful/Davis Art Center with Summerfest International (Bountiful)

NEWS RELEASE 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information Contact
Theresa Otteson, 801-292-0367 – Theresa@bdac.org
Bountiful/Davis Art Center
745 S. Main Street, Bountiful, UT 84010

Volunteers Needed to Assist Bountiful/Davis Art Center

BOUNTIFUL, Utah, January 26, 2011 -Bountiful/Davis Art Center has a variety of volunteer positions open for community minded volunteers for Summerfest International and the art center’s education committee. Summerfest International is an annual celebration of the cultural diversity of visual and performing arts. Many volunteers are needed to help run this event. There is an immediate need for someone to help coordinate volunteers and work on in-kind donations. Coordinating volunteers involves actively recruiting and compiling information about volunteers and preparing schedules. The in-kind donation volunteers, contact local businesses that have donated in the past and find new businesses willing to donate. The Education Committee is responsible for running Family Encounters of the Art Kind, a free art activity for families, and reviewing and developing existing and future educational programs for the community. Anyone interested in helping is welcome. This is also a good opportunity for students needing to do service.

For more information about Bountiful/Davis Art Center, call 801 292-0367 or visit us online at www.bdac.org http://www.bdac.org/ email: info@bdac.org  

###end###


Emma J. Dugal
Executive Director
Bountiful/Davis Art Center
745 so. Main Street
Bountiful, UT 84010
801 292-0367
801 292-7298 (fax)
www.bdac.org

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

National Arts Index Scores for 2009, Lowest in 12 Years

Americans for the Arts released its second annual National Arts Index scores this week and the findings demonstrate well that the arts follow the nation’s business cycle: the 2009 Index score of 97.7 is the lowest Index score in the twelve years measured by the Index.
· The 2009 score represents a drop of 3.6 percentage points from 101.3 in 2008.
· There were 3,000 new nonprofit arts organizations created during the 2007-09 recession years but attendance at mainstream arts organizations and events continues a long-term decline.
· In 2008, 41% of nonprofit arts groups reported a deficit to the IRS, up from 36% in 2007.

While the flagging economy has surely presented a number of challenges for the arts, the Index does hit some high notes for the arts:
· Americans are seeking more personal engagement in the arts. Personal arts creation and volunteerism is growing. The number of Americans who personally participated in an artistic activity increased 5% between 2005 and 2009, while volunteering also jumped 11.6 percent.
· The number of artists in the workforce has increased 17% from 1996 to 2009 (1.9 to 2.2 million).
· Demand for Arts Education is up. There are more college-bound seniors with 4 years of arts or music and in the past decade college arts degrees conferred annually have risen from 75,000 to 127,000.

Go to the National Arts Index page and read the summary and vist ARTSblog to share the ways you see personal arts creation and volunteerism growing in your community or tell us about arts programs that are innovative in building audience demand.

Important Articles

Cutting Arts would Kill Jobs/Economy
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/01/republican-study-group-proposes-cutting-arts-funds.html

Forger Donates Works to Museums in National Spree
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5905c640-2359-11e0-8389-00144feab49a.html#axzz1BsxVgbVk

Write a Letter to your Congressperson about RSC's Proposed Cut of Arts Education Funding

http://capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/alert/?alertid=13209311

Write a Letter to your Congressperson about RSC's Proposed Cut of NEA

http://capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/alert/?alertid=13209311

Spamalot (Presented by Broadway Across America - Utah) @ Kingsbury Hall (SLC: Feb 11-13)

BACK TO TAUNT SALT LAKE FOR A SECOND TIME!
Monty Python’s SPAMALOT

Tony Award Winner, Best Musical 2005
The Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2005, Monty Python's Spamalot, will return to the fair city of Salt Lake for a five show engagement on February 11-13 at Kingsbury Hall. Tickets are available at the Kingsbury Hall box office, www.KingTix.com, or by calling 801.581.7100. Prices are $25-$57.50 plus service fees. $15 Student ticket are available at the box office. Groups of 15+ call 801.355.5502 for discounted group tickets.

Lovingly "ripped-off" from the internationally famous comedy team's most popular motion picture, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Spamalot is the winner of three 2005 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Director (Mike Nichols), as well as the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for Best Musical.

The original cast recording of Monty Python’s Spamalot recently won the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

Based on the Tony Award winning direction of Mike Nichols and the riotous choreography of Casey Nicholaw, Monty Python's Spamalot features a book by Eric Idle, based on the screenplay of Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Monty Python creators Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, with music and lyrics by the Grammy Award-winning team of Mr. Idle and John Du Prez.

Telling the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and their quest for the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Spamalot features a chorus line of dancing divas and knights, flatulent Frenchmen, killer rabbits and one legless knight.

Monty Python's Spamalot is produced by Stephen B. Kane, Michael McFadden and Phoenix Entertainment.

Mike Nichols has been acclaimed as one of the great American directors in film, theater and television. He has won the Academy Award and eight Tony Awards. He recently received the Directors' Guild of America Award for Lifetime Achievement as well as a DGA Award for the direction of the HBO adaptation of Angels in America.

Casey Nicholaw’s outstanding work on Monty Python’s Spamalot earned him nominations for the Tony Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award and the Drama Desk Award. He followed up Monty Python’s Spamalot with another smash hit Broadway musical, The Drowsy Chaperone for which he earned numerous nominations as director and choreographer.

Aside from his work with Monty Python in films and on TV, Eric Idle has written a West End play, Pass the Butler; three novels, including The Road to Mars, The Rutles - A Mockumentary; and many songs too rude to mention. He has sung opera, acted in movies, appeared on television and crossed America performing comedy on The Greedy Bastard Tour. His diary of his 15,000 mile journey by bus was recently published by Harper Collins, and his long awaited sequel The Rutles2: Can't Buy Me Lunch was released by Warner Video in March. There's no saying what he might do next...

John Du Prez has composed over 20 feature film scores including A Fish Called Wanda, A Private Function, The Meaning of Life, Personal Services, UHF, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I, II & III. He has worked with Eric Idle since 1978.

Monty Python isn't a person, but a group of British actors and writers (and one American) that performed their famous comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus on the BBC from 1969 to 1974, with subsequent international fame and success. Monty Python's Spamalot, will return to the fair city of Salt Lake for a five show engagement on February 11-13 at Kingsbury Hall. Tickets are available at the Kingsbury Hall box office, www.KingTix.com, or by calling 801.581.7100. Prices are $25-$57.50 plus service fees. $15 Student ticket are available at the box office. Groups of 15+ call 801.355.5502 for discounted group tickets.

"Little Hands, Big Art" Fundraising Exhibit of Art by Children @ WSU (Ogden: Feb 4 - 19)

Little Hands • Big Art

Who: Weber State University Nontraditional Student Center

What: Little Hands, Big Art, A fundraising exhibit of
art by children of WSU Nontraditional Students

When: Fridays: Feb. 4, 11, 18: 5-8 p.m.
and Saturdays, Feb. 5, 12, 19: 1-6 p.m.

Where: Universe City, 2556 Washington Boulevard, Ogden


Weber State University Nontraditional Student Center presents Little Hands, Big Art: a fundraiser exhibit of art by children of WSU Nontraditional Students; at Universe City, 2556 Washington Boulevard in Ogden. The exhibit opens in conjunction with First Friday Art Stroll, February 4, 5:00-8:00 PM and continues Fridays: Feb. 11, 18: 5-8 p.m. and Saturdays, Feb. 5, 12, 19: 1-6 p.m.

The exhibit of biddable art will include the children’s work, Chinese Art, art donated by local artists, Designer Cakes, jewelry, Valentine cards and other gifts suitable for those you want to impress. Bids for the art will begin on opening night, with any edible items sold on the first night. Bidding on other items continues during regular gallery hours and closes at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19.

The art work was created at an Art Party, one of several learning experiences for nontrad students and their children on the WSU campus sponsored by the WSU Nontraditional Student Center and Hourly Child Care - affectionately known as the Nontrad Center. The Nontrad Center provides students 25 and older with academic support and several social activities each semester.

Debbie Cragun, Center Director, says “All funds raised will go to our “Rising Star” scholarship. We see a huge demand for scholarships. A donor, wishing to remain anonymous, will match up to $2,000 raised by us. We are hoping that a successful event will allow us to offer two “Rising Star” scholarships for non-traditional students in the future.”

Benjamin Jennings, Universe City curator, says "We have always enjoyed exhibiting art by children! And, this is a great way to bring attention to the Nontrad Center."

For more information about the fundraising or to make a tax-deductible donation to the scholarship fund, contact Rebecca Ory Hernandez, rohernandez@weber.edu or 801-626-6566 or 801-452-1308

For more information about the Nontraditional Student Center and Hourly Daycare
http://www.weber.edu/nontrad

For more information about Universe City, contact
Benjamin Jennings, benjaminjennings@mac.com or 801-458-8959

Auditions for "The Plan' @ Covey Center for the Arts (Provo: Jan 27 - 28)

Contact Information:


     For Immediate Release

Danae Friel
dfriel@provo.utah.gov
(801) 852 7012
www.coveycenter.org

The Brinton Black Box Theatre at The Covey Center for the Arts will
hold auditions for “The Plan,” a new play by Eric Samuelson, on
Thursday and Friday, January 27-28 from 7-9pm.

The play is a series of six short vignettes from the Old Testament
examining the LDS plan of salvation through agency and adversity,
choices and consequences, and pain and joy. Some key characters in the
show are Ruth, Boaz, Adam, and Eve.

Samuelson, the director and playwright, asked that auditioners prepare
a dramatic, contemporary monologue, between two and three minutes in
length. Cold readings will also be available.

The cast will consist of 1-5 women and 1-6 men.

Performances for “The Plan” will be March 18-19, 21, 24-26, 38, 31,
April 1-2 at 7:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on March 26. The
rehearsal schedule will be flexible, but rehearsals will typically
take place in the evening.

Auditions will be held in the Covey Center boardroom, at 425 W. Center
St. in Provo.

To schedule and audition time, either visit www.coveycenter.org and
click on the “Auditions” tab, then following the links to the google
doc, or call the Covey Center box office during normal office hours at
(801) 852-7007.

--
Logan Bradford
Covey Center for the Arts
Marketing and Public Relations Intern
(801) 400 2917

Art & Design Faculty Exhibit @ SUU (CC: Feb 3 - March 12)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 25, 2011
Amie Conner
Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery
College of Performing and Visual Arts
Southern Utah University
Office: (435) 586-5432
gallery@suu.edu

FOR CALENDAR EDITORS: ART AND DESIGN FACULTY EXHIBIT

WHAT: See what the Art and Design faculty have been working on this year during the annual Faculty exhibition. Artwork was developed using a variety of media including painting, drawing, printmaking, digital imagery, ceramics, photography, and illustration.

WHO: Art and Design Faculty Exhibit

WHEN: February 3- March 12, 2011

TIME: Tuesday - Saturday, Noon to 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: SUU Campus, Braithwaite Liberal Arts Center, ground floor

PRICES: Free and the General Public is encouraged to attend.

MORE INFORMATION: http://www.suu.edu/pva/artgallery/ or (435) 586-5432



SUU's Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery Presents
Art and Design Faculty Exhibit
February 3 - March 12, 2011

Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah: A variety of media and perspective will be showcased in SUU’s Art and Design Faculty Exhibit at the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery. Patrons will have the opportunity to see what the eleven full-time and several adjunct faculty members have been working on this year, using a variety of media including painting, drawing, printmaking, digital imagery, ceramics, photography, and illustration. The exhibition opens with a reception on Thursday, February 3, 2011, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. and will continue through Saturday, March 12, 2011. The gallery hours are Tuesday - Saturday, noon to 7 p.m. Admission is free and the General Public is encouraged to attend.

Three new professors joined the Art and Design Faculty in the fall and this is the first chance to see their work up- close. Alessandra Sulpy is originally from New Jersey and attended Indiana University for her Master of Fine Arts. She is a figurative oil painter who is increasing working in more abstracted and surrealistic ways by creating unfamiliar worlds that start to cross over into familiar ones. Currently Alessandra teaches Drawing 1 and Drawing 3, and this summer is co-teaching an art course in Florence, Italy with Jay Merryweather. A southern Utah based fine art photographer who specializes in historical and alternative photographic processes, Rheana Gardner, received her Master of Fine Arts in Photography from the Academy of Art University. Deborah K. Snider, she holds Masters of Arts degrees in Art Education from University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College. Three of her fabric collages were published in the 2010 Lark Books "500 Art Quilts," one of which won an Honorable Mention in the "Art of Our Century" juried exhibition at the Woodbury Art Museum in Orem, Utah. She is Assistant Professor of Art Education at Southern Utah University.

The Art and Design Faculty Exhibit is full of surprises and should not be missed! For more information about this exhibit, visit www.suu.edu/pva/artgallery or call (435) 586-5432. The Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery’s mission is to exhibit, collect and preserve historic and contemporary works of art significant to the interior American West. In addition, the Gallery hosts art exhibitions that represent the principal artistic styles and periods of world cultures.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE
The Southern Utah University College of Performing and Visual Arts is comprised of nationally accredited departments of Art and Design, Music, Theatre Arts and Dance, as well as a graduate program in Arts Administration. The College offers 16 different degree areas, including liberal arts Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees; professional Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Fine Arts in art and theatre degrees; and a Master of Fine Arts in Arts Administration degree. More than 60 full- and part-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring over 550 majors in the College. Over 1100 students enroll each year in over 195 arts classes on the SUU campus. The College presents 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year. The College’s affiliate organizations include the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery, American Folk Ballet, Utah Shakespearean Festival, the performance group Acclamation, and the SUU Ballroom Dance Company. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, contact the Office of the Dean at (435) 865-8561, or by e-mail at cpvamktg@suu.edu.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra @ Utah Symphony (SLC: Feb 11 - 12)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 24, 2011

CONTACT: Hilarie Ashton
Public Relations Manager, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera
(801) 869-9027, hashton@usuo.org

THE UTAH SYMPHONY TO BE SHOWCASED IN BARTÓK’S CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA
Guest conductor Pascal Rophé and pianist Joyce Yang will also make their debuts with the Utah Symphony

SALT LAKE CITY – With a program including Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra and Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Utah Symphony audience members will be able to enjoy an upcoming presentation of thoroughly soloistic music.

Internationally acclaimed guest conductor Pascal Rophé and pianist Joyce Yang, recent recipient of an Avery Fischer Career Grant and Juilliard’s Arthur Rubinstein Prize, will also make their debuts with the Utah Symphony for these performances Friday and Saturday, February 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. in Abravanel Hall.

The instrumentation of Shostakovich’s piano concerto will not only feature Yang, but also Utah Symphony principal trumpet, Jeff Luke, along with a purely string orchestra. Bartók’s most popular work, the Concerto for Orchestra expertly features every section of the orchestra, highlighting the individual virtuosity of the players. It was the last work he composed and is accepted today as the finest example of the non-symphony form. Also on the evening’s program is Stravinsky’s dissonant yet charming Song of the Nightingale, which was originally an opera written in stages framing his iconic Rite of Spring and re-worked as a ballet shortly after.

Tickets for these performances start at $15 and can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS (2787), in person at the Abravanel Hall box office, or by visiting www.usuo.org. Subscribers and those desiring group or student discounts should call (801) 533-NOTE (6683). Ticket prices will increase $5 when purchased the day of the performance.

Patrons are invited to attend a free pre-concert lecture each night, 45 minutes prior to the start of the performance in the First Tier Room of Abravanel Hall.

Press photos available at http://www.utahsymphony.org/media.php. (Username: usuoimages, password: media).

Artist Bios:

Pascal Rophé, Conductor
Pascal Rophé has built up an enviable reputation for his interpretations of the great symphonic repertoire of the 18th and 19th centuries. From 1992, after studying at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris and winning second prize at the 1988 Besançon International Competition, he went on to collaborated closely with Pierre Boulez and the Ensemble intercontemporain, where he also worked extensively with David Robertson.

Pascal has worked with composers (George Crumb, George Benjamin, Harrison Birtwhistle, Pascal Dusapin, Bruno Mantovani, Michael Jarrell, Philippe Hurel, Ivan Fedele, Luca Francesconi), soloists (Antoine Tamestit, Roger Muraro, Tabea Zimmermann, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet), and orchestras (Philharmonia, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, RTE National Symphony, Ulster Orchestra, Ensemble intercontemporain, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, RAI Torino, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo. Pascal also served for three years as Music Director of Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège-Bruxelles until June 2009.

Joyce Yang, Piano
Born in Seoul, Korea, Ms. Yang received her first piano lesson at age four from her aunt. By age ten, she had entered the School of Music at the Korea National University of Arts, and subsequently made a number of concerto and recital appearances in Seoul and Daejon. In April 1999, Ms. Yang was invited to perform at a benefit concert with the Juilliard Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Slatkin. She recently graduated from Juilliard with special honor, as the recipient of the 2010 Arthur Rubinstein Prize, and was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant, one of the most prestigious prizes in classical music.

Ms. Yang has been continually engaged by orchestras across the U.S. and abroad and has performed with the Chicago Symphony, National Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Houston Symphony, National Orchestra of Brazil, Estonian Symphony Orchestra, and Hong Kong Philharmonic, working with renowned conductors such as Edo de Waart, Lorin Maazel, James Conlon, Leonard Slatkin, David Robertson, Bramwell Tovey, Eri Klas, Nicolai Alexeev, and Gianandrea Noseda. As a frequent recitalist, Ms. Yang has appeared in Chicago Symphony Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Tonhalle in Zurich, and the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. 

Joyce Yang is featured in In the Heart of Music, the film documentary about the 2005 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. A Steinway Artist since 2008, she currently resides in New York City.

Program:

Igor Stravinsky               Le Chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale)
Dmitri Shostakovich       Concerto No. 1 in C Minor for Piano and Orchestra, op. 35
I.  Allegro moderato
II.  Lento
III.  Moderato
IV.  Allegro brio
Joyce Yang, Piano

INTERMISSION

Béla Bartók                   Concerto for Orchestra
I. Introduzione—Andante non troppo—Allegro vivace
II. Giuocco delle coppie— Allegretto scherzando
III. Elegia—Andante non troppo
IV. Intermezzo interrotto—Alletretto
V. Finale—Pesante—Presto


###

  






Hilarie Ashton
Public Relations Manager
801.869.9027
hashton@usuo.org

February @ the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (SLC)


Media contact:
Shelbey Peterson, 801-585-1306
Shelbey.Peterson@umfa.utah.edu


Utah Museum of Fine Arts
February 2011


SPECIAL EXHIBITION:

Helen Levitt Photographs
February 24-June 12, 2011
One of the great photographers of the twentieth century, Helen Levitt took the activity of city streets as her primary subject, paying special attention to the children for whom the street served as a playground. This presentation of photographs drawn from the UMFA's collection includes representative works from the late 1930s and early 1940s–when Levitt emerged as a key member of the New York School photographers–as well as later photographs from her long and accomplished career. Together these works highlight Levitt's astonishing capacity for capturing lyrical and mysterious moments in the everyday life of the city.

SPECIAL FREE EVENTS:

Highlights of the Collection Tour
First Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm and all Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 pm
Explore the UMFA galleries through a thirty-minute tour with a trained docent. No pre-registration necessary; free with paid admission.

African Art Class for Adults
Wednesdays, February 2 and 9 • 6-8 pm
In this two-week class for adults, participants will discover the beauty of African masks and artifacts, as well as the rich history and culture of the region. A portion of each class will be spent in the Museum's special exhibition, Africa: Arts of a Continent. This class will be taught by Bernadette Brown, retired curator of African, Oceanic, and New World art. Co-sponsored by U of U Academic Outreach and Continuing Education. Call U of U Lifelong Learning at 801.587.5433 to register.

Chamber Music Series
Wednesday, February 16 • 7 pm
Experience the harmonious convergence of music and art at the UMFA. On this Wednesday evening, students from the University of Utah School of Music will gather in the Museum’s galleries to perform musical masterpieces inspired by art.

Third Saturday for Families: Finger Puppets
Saturday, February 19 • 1-4 pm
The UMFA’s galleries are full of portraits from all over the world. On this Third Saturday, we will use these people and their fantastic costumes as subject matter for finger puppets! We will make two different characters so they can “walk and talk” and tell their artistic stories.

Gallery Talks: “Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity”
Saturday, February 26 and Sunday, February 27 • 2 pm
Gain insight into the Collecting Knowledge: Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity exhibition as student curators highlight specific objects and their stories through a series of gallery talks. No registration necessary; free with paid admission.


ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

The Ideal Landscape
On view through February 6, 2011
Experience thirteen Chinese landscape paintings dating from the Ming dynasty to the twentieth century in The Ideal Landscape. These artworks do not recreate a landscape, but instead conjure an ideal scene imagined by the painter.

Trevor Southey: Reconciliation
On view through February 13, 2011
This retrospective of the life and work of artist Trevor Southey gives prominence to four life passages, concluding with the reconciliation of his life decisions as expressed in his revised artistic approach to the human form. The UMFA thanks the Bastian Foundation, Jim Dabakis, and Tom and Mary McCarthey for their generous support of this exhibition.

Yayoi Kusama: Decades
On view through February 13, 2011
View a focused presentation of exemplary works by renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama A key figure in the New York art world of the late 1950s and 1960s, Kusama’s pioneering work has galvanized subsequent generations of artists.

Faces: Selections from the Permanent Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art
On view through February 13, 2011
Warhol, Katz, and Arneson, all in one room! Faces brings together classic works of Pop Art and more recent Pop-inflected works, with a focus on the human face and figure.

salt 2: Sophie Whettnall
On view through February 27, 2011
salt 2: Sophie Whettnall is the second in the UMFA's new series of exhibitions that showcase the work of contemporary artists from around the world. Belgian artist Sophie Whettnall (b. 1973) engages the temporal nature of video as a medium, and explores the relationship between the self and its surroundings in a world of increasing transience and dislocation.

Collecting Knowledge: Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity
On view through May 15, 2011
Collecting Knowledge: Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity explores items that were typically found in cabinets of curiosity in sixteenth and seventeenth century Europe, including prints, books, scientific instruments, and objects obtained through travel. Organized by four graduate students from the University of Utah Department of Art and Art History, this exhibition examines the people who created cabinets of curiosity, their strategies for classifying and grouping items, and how they used this knowledge to make sense of their world.

Don Olsen: Abstracts from Nature
On view through August 15, 2011
This special exhibition commemorates the 100th birthday of abstract Utah artist Don Olsen (1910-1983). A student of Hans Hoffmann, Olsen created abstract expressionist works using volumes, colors, and shapes derived from nature. Through large-scale paintings spanning more than forty years, Don Olsen: Abstracts from Nature will highlight prominent works from the artist’s oeuvre.


####


Utah Museum of Fine Arts
University of Utah Campus
Marcia & John Price Museum Building
410 Campus Center Dr
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
(801) 581-7332

Museum Hours
Tuesday–Friday: 10 am–5 pm
Wednesday: 10 am–8 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 11 am–5 pm
Closed Mondays and holidays
Visit our website: umfa.utah.edu

General Admission
UMFA Members FREE
Adults $7
Youth (ages 6-18) $5
Seniors & Students $5
Children under 6 FREE
U students, staff & faculty FREE
Higher education students in Utah FREE

Utah Arts Festival to Launch New Visual Identity: The Festival Art Mark (Feb 7)

For Immediate Release Contact: Eugenie Hero Jaffe, 801.599.2040 Eugenie@getbombshell.com



PRESS RELEASE



Utah Arts Festival engages artists and communities with a New Visual Identity—The Festival Art Mark

Festival Launch Party: Monday, February 7 at 5:30 p.m. at Festival Headquarters in Artspace City Center, 230 South 500 West

Free and Open to the Public



MEDIA PRESENTATION: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7 at 10 a.m. at same location



January 24, 2011 Salt Lake City, UT: On the verge of celebrating its 35th Anniversary, The Utah Arts Festival renews its commitment to art and artists with an unveiling of a new visual identity to the public on Monday, February 7 at 5:30 p.m. at Festival Headquarters in Artspace City Center, 230 South 500 West, Suite 120. More than a dozen artists in multiple disciplines will unveil the new use of the Festival Art Mark.

After much research, the Festival is looking ahead by not “rebranding” the Festival, but by embracing what has made the Festival the most popular and celebrated outdoor event in the state for the last 35 years—the diversity of art in all of its forms.

The new Festival look is the embodiment of the organization’s spirit. It will provide an engaging visual landscape around the city centered on the Festival Art Mark. Designed by Kevin Perry, Festival graphic designer and president of the AIGA, the new logo and the Festival Art Mark bring consistency to the look of the Festival. The look will increase the knowledge of the Festival to its guests but will still be flexible to promote artists and their work.

The Festival Art Mark showcases the Festival’s diversity and unconventional voice by having an endless amount of forms. By using many forms of the Mark interchangeably, the identity is always in active motion.

The Utah Arts Festival’s mission is to produce the yearly summer affair. By doing so, it fosters new artists, creates a greater appreciation for all the arts disciplines and livens the community. The Festival has been at its home on Library Square for eight years. Festival Director Lisa Sewell is accomplishing her long-term goal: to increase the artistic budget, thus ensuring the highest quality art be presented for Festival patrons.

The public is invited to the Festival Launch Party on Monday, February 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Utah Arts Festival Offices 230 South 500 West, Suite 120.

For more details, call the Utah Arts Festival at 801.322.2428.

The 2011 Utah Arts Festival runs from June 23–26 in downtown Salt Lake City on Library Square.



# # #




Eugenie Hero Jaffe
Bombshell Music & Media
801.599.2040
eugenie@getbombshell.com
www.getbombshell.com

"How do I pronounce her name," you ask? Say: U•je•knee





Conversation with William Scholar Margaret Bradham Thornton @ Grand Theatre (SLC: Jan 27)

In celebration of the centennial of Tennessee Williams’ birth, The Grand Theatre Community Institute is pleased to present

A Conversation:
Tennessee Williams: The Man and the Artist
With Margaret Bradham Thornton,
Editor of “Tennessee Williams Notebooks”

Thursday, January 27th at Noon at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus, Salt Lake Community College Student Center in the Oak Room and Thursday, January 27th at 6:00 P.M. at the Grand Theatre, Salt Lake Community College South City Campus.

For more information contact Kandace Steadman at the Grand Theatre offices, kandace.steadman@slcc.edu or 801-957-3447

Christo @ University of Utah (SLC: April 19)

The University of Utah College of Fine Arts, Art & Art History Department, Kingsbury Hall and the Utah Museum of Fine Arts present:
Christo
April 19th
Kingsbury Hall
7:00pm

Ticketed event
Free and open to the public

Tickets available at www.kingtix.com on Feb 1st.

Legendary artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude collaborated and created monumental environmental works of art for over 40 years. Best known for producing enormous packaging projects: they have wrapped parks, buildings, and entire outdoor landscapes. Believing that people should have intense and memorable experiences of art outside the institution of the museum, Christo typically creates temporary wrappings -- generally lasting several weeks -- on a vast scale. Borrowing land, structures, and spaces used and built by the public, he momentarily intervenes in the local population’s daily rhythm in order to create "gentle disturbances" intended to refocus citizens' impressions. Some of their most famous pieces include The Umbrellas, Wrapped Coast, and The Gates in Central Park NYC. Please join us as Christo will be on stage at Kingsbury Hall one night only as he shares his unique perspective and engaging insights into the world of Art.

This event also made possible by the assistance from the Utah Division of Arts and Museums.

Judith Jamison of Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre @ U of U's David P. Gardner Grad. Lecture Series (SLC: March 28)

David P. Gardner Graduate Lecture Series presents: Judith Jamison

March 28th
Kingsbury Hall
6:00pm

Ticketed event
free and open to the public

Tickets available at www.kingtix.com on Feb 1st.


Please join the University of Utah’s College of Fine Arts and the College of Humanities in Kingsbury as we present as the David P. Gardner Graduate Lecture Series with Judith Jamison, Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.

Stay tuned to www.finearts.utah.edu for more information.

Judith Jamison was appointed Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in December 1989 at the request of her mentor, Alvin Ailey, who personally chose her to succeed him before his untimely death. She became a member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965 and danced with the Company for 15 years to great acclaim. As Artistic Director of The Ailey School, official school of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ms. Jamison has helped to implement a multicultural curriculum including the dances of West Africa and South India. She remains committed to promoting the significance of the Ailey legacy--dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present and fearlessly reaching into the future.

"The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" @ U of U's Dept of Theatre (SLC: Jan 28-30 & Feb 2-6)U




CONTACT: Amy Oakeson
Department of Theatre, Communications Specialist
801-581-6406 or amy.oakeson@utah.edu

Judas Iscariot Gets His Day in Court
in the U Department of Theatre’s production of
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
January 28-30 and February 2-6 in the Babcock Theatre

Should Jesus’ duplicitous disciple Judas Iscariot continue to languish in Hell, or can a case be made for his redemption? The University of Utah’s Department of Theatre explores this question in Stephen Adly Guirgis’s controversial courtroom drama The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, presented January 28 through 30 and February 2 through 6 in the Babcock Theatre.

In this compelling serio-comic play, playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis imagines a trial to determine Judas’ motives for betrayal, beyond the 30 pieces of silver, and explores the redeemability of this infamous betrayer.

The play begins on a decidedly serious note with Judas Iscariot’s mother mourning the death of her son, whom she had to bury after he hanged himself. She insists that if her boy now languishes in Hell, then there can be no God, for no God of love could inflict such suffering on one of his creatures. What ensues is a fantastical trial in a corner of Purgatory called Hope.

Representing Judas is a sexy defense attorney named Fabiana Aziza Cunningham. Presiding over the trial is an ill-tempered Civil War era judge, whose own admittance to Heaven is pending. Evidence is produced, arguments made, and theories about motive presented by colorful personalities who parade in and out of the court as witnesses for the defense and the prosecution—including Mary Magdalene, a not- so saintly Mother Theresa, Sigmund Freud, a handful of Saints, Pontius Pilate, Satan and even Jesus Christ. While the play begins like a courtroom drama, it slowly morphs into a meditation on the conflict between divine mercy and human free will, and the nature of forgiveness, focusing on the Bible’s most notorious sinner.

Stephen Adly Guirgis is one of the most passionate and powerful young playwrights of our day. The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is an intense drama filled with laughter and characters who are memorable and believable—even if they are angels, Satan, or the Savior. While Guirgis’s dialogue is often poetic, it is poetry with a decidedly contemporary feel that melds street slang, rude comedy and sublime allusions. The New York Times hails Guirgis as “a playwright…with a fierce and questioning mind that refuses to settle for glib answers, a gift for identifying with life’s losers and an unforced eloquence that finds the poetry in lowdown street talk.”

Directing this production is Guest Director Eric Tucker. Mr. Tucker, a graduate of the Trinity Repertory Conservatory, has a strong background in directing classical theatre, but more recently has turned to directing contemporary theatre pieces. In discussing the relationship between classical theatre and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Mr. Tucker says that “they share a grounding in language. Guirgis uses language, many diverse forms of language, to bring some very ‘iconic’ characters to life. But he gives his characters very vernacular voices, rather than biblical ones. As audience members, we expect to hear these characters speak a certain way, and Guirgis completely turns this expectation on its head when we hear them using street slang, or profanity, or an unexpected dialect. All of a sudden, while we may have previously heard or read a lot of the things these characters have said, we are forced to listen to what they have to say in a new way, and in a new light, and in turn it brings a new perspective of Judas Iscariot and why he may have done the things he did. With language, Guirgis is really able to get to the guts of one of the over-riding themes of this play, which I believe is self-forgiveness. Judas could be in heaven if he wanted to be, but he is unable to convince himself that he himself truly deserves forgiveness. We all do bad things. We’ve all done bad things. This play points that fact out, and forces us to reflect on the nature of forgiveness.”

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot will be presented in the Babcock Theatre, January 28 through 30 and February 2 through 6 at 7:30 p.m. An additional matinee performance will be presented on February 5 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets for The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, and Season Flexpasses for the remainder of the U Department of Theatre’s season can be purchased now by calling 801-581-7100, or online at www.kingsburyhall.org

Patrons are advised that The Last Days of Judas Iscariot deals with controversial subject matter and contains strong language that may be offensive to some viewers.

Publicity photos are available online at www.theatre.utah.edu/press


###

U of U's Raymond Tymas-Jones Elected President of Internation Council of Fine Arts Deans


RAYMOND TYMAS-JONES
ELECTED PRESIDENT OF INTERNATIONAL
COUNCIL OF FINE ARTS DEANS


For Immediate Release
Contact Sara Pickett or Liz Garman 801.581.6764
sara.pickett@utah.edu or
Liz.garman@utah.edu
*****************************************************************************************

January 7, 2011 – Dean Raymond Tymas-Jones has been elected as the President of the International Council of Fine Arts Deans (ICFAD), effective November 1, 2010. The International Council of Fine Arts Deans is an alliance of arts administrators representing institutions of higher education.

Tymas-Jones has served as a board member of the Council since 2006 and as Secretary the year prior to this appointment. His active role in the council has shown him to be visionary in his approach to arts administration and an imaginative thinker and problem solver. In the position of President, Tymas-Jones will continue to provide leadership in arts education and promote the critical partnerships that the arts serve and thrive within. "Dean Tymas-Jones' outstanding leadership will well serve ICFAD as it is currently expanding it's mission to become the voice of the arts in higher education,” says Liz Cole, Executive Director of ICFAD. “His prominence in the field of arts leadership, his ability to articulate the tenets of the organization and his insightfulness into the many possibilities ICFAD can offer both locally, nationally and globally, make him a perfect choice for the role he is assuming."

Tymas-Jones, currently serves in a dual appointment at the University of Utah. As Dean of the College of Fine Arts he provides academic and administrative leadership for six units in the College of Fine Arts: Departments of Art & Art History, Ballet, Film & Media Arts, Modern Dance, and Theatre, and the School of Music. In addition to his responsibilities in the College of Fine Arts, Dr. Tymas-Jones also serves as Associate Vice President for the Arts and is the chief administrative officer for the Kingsbury Hall, Pioneer Theatre Company, Tanner Dance, and the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Prior to his current administrative appointments at the University of Utah, Dr. Tymas-Jones served as the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Fine Arts at Buffalo State College (1990-93), Director of the School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls (1993-98) and the Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Ohio University (1998-2005). He received a Ph.D. in Performance Practice: Voice and a Master of Music degree in Conducting and Voice from Washington University (St. Louis) and a Bachelor of Music degree from Howard University.

“I am honored to have such an opportunity to continue working with the ICFAD board and its members to further the great work that has come before me in recognizing the importance and necessity of the arts in our world,” say Tymas-Jones. “This council of leaders, artists and forward thinking people has been a driving force for the arts in academia.”

The International Council of Fine Arts Deans is a vehicle through which members share information and ideas that enhance the leadership of arts units. Founded in 1964, the ICFAD membership is comprised of over 442 arts deans throughout North America and around the world. ICFAD is the only organization focusing exclusively on issues that impact all creative units in higher education including fine and performing arts, arts education, art history, architecture and communication. The Council works to provide a foundation that allows arts administrators to do their job better and to expand their circle of contacts with people who share common challenges and experiences.


ICFAD's international efforts are expanding and upcoming events will focus increasingly on innovative international programs and exchanges. A summer international symposium, which focuses on specific international arts issues, is held every three years with the most recent program held in Dubrovnik, Croatia in 2008. The next symposium will be held in Florence, Italy in June 2011.

Upcoming 2011 Events @ Hogle Zoo

For more information contact:
Lindsey Sine
435-602-9702 lsine@hoglezoo.org


Hogle Zoo Kicks Off 2011 Events Saturday
SALT LAKE CITY (Jan. 21) - Hogle Zoo guests can expect year-round fun beginning this weekend, and extending all the way through New Year's Eve. Event after event are designed to educate while providing a ton of fun.

This Saturday the event season kicks off with Cats and Cocoa. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. guests are invited for free hot chocolate and pine cone birdfeeder crafts. Then, at 11:30 a.m. visitors will be able to see a special cat training presentation from a Zoo keeper who will talk about what makes the leopards, tigers and lynx in Asian Highlands so special at this time of year.

In February there's a special day for the Batman and Superman in your house as Hogle Zoo presents Zooperhero Day. On Feb. 26 people are invited to dress as their favorite superhero and head to the Zoo to learn about some animals with real-life superpowers. Flying, night vision, incredible speed, invincible body armor, and more are used by animals every day. The event starts at 10 a.m. and donning superhero garb will earn guests $1 off a child's admission ticket.

On March 5, Maxed Out Puppetry will be at the Zoo for a special ticketed-only event called Fairy Tales. Kids of all ages will see a "Fairy Tail" puppet shows in the EdZOOcation Station at 10 and 11:30 a.m., followed by the chance to see some of the Zoo's smaller animals up-close and personal. A fairy tails craft will also be part of the fun, and children are encouraged to dress up in their favorite "fairy tail" costumes.

The Easter Bunny will be on grounds for a very special event on April 23. Hogle Zoo is hosting Breakfast and Lunch with the Bunny in honor of the Easter holiday. This is a separate ticketed event that includes a hot buffet breakfast, a fun craft for the kids, and a visit from some of the Zoo's smaller, furry, spring-time animals. For information on pricing and times visit hoglezoo.org.

Also in April, Hogle Zoo is taking part in a nationwide Earth Day celebration called Party for the Planet! The Association of Zoos & Aquariums is uniting its members on April 30 for a celebration of Earth that includes animal enrichment, presentations, and informative booths where people can learn about all the small things they can do to improve the planet.

Hogle Zoo will be celebrating military personnel throughout the year, starting May 21 during Salute Our Military Day. The day will include a flag raising ceremony, color guard, and a marching band performance. Additionally, a variety of vehicles, equipment, and displays from every branch of the military will be on grounds. All military personnel, veterans and their immediate family (spouse and any children 18 and under) will receive free admission to the Zoo, with a current military or veteran ID. The free admission will continue during Hogle Zoo's Military Appreciation Days on July 4 and Nov. 11.

On June 11 Hogle Zoo is teaming up with various local and national wildlife groups and agencies to help our guests learn about predators found in Utah and the surrounding areas during Predator Awareness Day. Guests will be able to meet Zoo keepers and learn about tips when encountering predatory animals, as well as check out some of Hogle Zoo's predators as they interact with special enrichment items.

When the Utah summer really starts to get hot, Hogle Zoo's animals will be chilling out during Ice Block Day on July 9. On one of the hottest days of the year animals will get their favorite frozen treats that range from food frozen in ice pops to giant 300 lb ice blocks. The icy treats aren't just for the animals, though, as SnoCones will be on sale for 75 cents at the Oasis Grill.

In August, kids have the chance to head to the Zoo with one of their oldest friends during the Teddy Bear Picnic. Kids who bring their teddy bear will get a $2 off admission to the Zoo on Aug. 6, and starting at 10 a.m. they will be able to get a Utah's Hogle Zoo ribbon for their bear, make crafts and get scrapbook ideas from local scrapbook stores. Children can also stop by the bear health station and have Zoo veterinary staff give their teddy bear a check-up.

During the fall, visitors can look for our annual Safety Safari on Sept. 17. Then, just around the corner in October is Boo at the Zoo! On Oct. 29 kids 12 and younger can visit the Zoo in costume to trick-or-treat at over 20 candy stations while checking in on all their favorite animal pals.

In November, the Thanksgiving tradition everyone is talking about continues with Feast with the Beast. Families can put the turkey in the oven, than head over to Hogle Zoo to see animals receiving their special Thanksgiving treats on Nov. 24.

Wrapping up things for 2011 in a bright way is ZooLights! Opening Dec. 3, the largest animated light display in the state of Utah will thrill people nightly throughout the month. Over 1 million lights go into the sparkling display that stretches throughout Zoo grounds. Adding to the fun is the presence of Santa and his reindeer, who march through the Main Plaza nightly during the reindeer parade as they make their way to Santa's Station to take Christmas lists from good little girls and boys.

The fun is year round, and there's something for everyone! For a listing of even MORE events, as well as information on hours and purchasing tickets online, visit www.hoglezoo.org.

Utah's Hogle Zoo is one of only 223 accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information visit www.aza.org.


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Wynton Marsalis @ Kingsbury Hall (SLC: Feb 7)

Press Release

Jazz Legend Wynton Marsalis Swings Into Kingsbury Hall

January 21, 2011: Trumpet master Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra return to Salt Lake City for one night only to bring some swinging heat to a cold February night. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will perform at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus on Monday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $34.50, $44.50, $54.50 and $59.50 (orchestra pit) and are available at www.kingtix.com or by calling 801-581-7100.

The Orchestra’s stop in Salt Lake is part of the 2011 Vitoria Suite Tour in the U.S. wherein the world-renowned big band will perform a wide variety of music - from original compositions to newly-arranged music of Chick Corea as well as selections from its most recent CD release, Vitoria Suite. Vitoria Suite is a new extended work by Marsalis that uses the impulse of the blues as a foundation to jointly explore the music of two worlds and two cultures: the jazz and blues of North America and the indigenous music of the Basque region and flamenco of Spain.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is: Music Director and Trumpet: WYNTON MARSALIS; Trumpets: RYAN KISOR, MARCUS PRINTUP, KENNY RAMPTON; Trombones: CHRIS CRENSHAW, VINCENT GARDNER, ELLIOT MASON; Reeds: WALTER BLANDING, VICTOR GOINES, SHERMAN IRBY, TED NASH, JOE TEMPERLEY; Piano: DAN NIMMER; Bass: CARLOS HENRIQUEZ; Drums: ALI JACKSON.

Watch a video clip of Jazz at Lincon Center Orchestra at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_FIo9Sl25I

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Contact:
Sheri Jardine
Kingsbury Hall Public Relations
801-585-1556
sheri.jardine@kingsbury.utah.edu

"Dial Tones" @ Covey Center for the Arts (Provo: Jan 28 - Feb 14)

Contact Information:                                                                                                                                                                                                            For Immediate Release

Danae Friel
(801) 452-7012
dfriel@provo.utah.com
www.coveycenter.org

There's something about falling in love that just draws people in. In Scott Bronson's romantic comedic play, “Dial Tones,” opening Friday, Jan. 28 at the Covey Center for the Arts, not only do his characters fall in love, but they also encounter quite the barriers along their amorous journey.

Performances will start at 7:30 pm Jan. 28-29, 31, Feb. 3-5, 7, 10-12, and 14, with a matinee on Saturday, Feb. 12, starting at 2 pm.

The show was conceived by Bronson, the artistic director of the Brinton Black Box Theatre at the Covey, from an article he read in “Readers' Digest” in the late 1970s. The article told the story of a pair of correspondents during pre-World War II — the man living in the U.S. and the woman in London. When World War II broke out, the man, a journalist, went to London to report on the war and to find his friend (with whom he was not romantically involved) but did not find her at her home. Shortly thereafter, the German Blitzkrieg hit London and in an investigation, she was found dead. The two never met.

Inspired by this tale, Bronson went to work on a modern, stage adaptation of the story when his wife, Lynne, the director of the current production, needed to produce a one-act play for a directing class at BYU in the 1980s. Bronson has since expanded the play to a full script.

The modern twist of the story, however, does not have any letters, Bronson said.

“The entire play is nothing but telephone calls,” Bronson said.

Bronson also changed the setting of the story to his hometown of San Diego in the 1980s, as well as the ending of the story, as there was no German Blitzkrieg in San Diego in the 1980s.

He declined an invitation to tell what impeded the relationship in the modern adaptation, however.

“You'll just have to come to find out,” he said.

The two main characters, Kelly and Hazel, are played by Brian Kocherhans and Jessica Myer, respectively. Bronson is also part of the cast, playing the telephone, which also plays Hazel's mother and Kelly's best friend, Daniel.

The telephone is actually an artificial intelligence, Bronson said, which sets up the two characters, unbeknownst to them.

Meyer said she was a little skeptical of the telephone being an artificial intelligence, but said she has found quite a strong connection with it.

“I love the telephone's character,” Meyer said. “The telephone feels things that are totally new to him and has to analyze what is he's feeling. Sometimes we as people feel things and don't really know why.”

Meyer said Bronson's writing was what made the telephone's character work.

“Scott's a really great writer,” she said. “When I read the script, I was like 'Oh, I get it!'”

Meyer also said Bronson keeps the script rather engaging.

“It has a really nice flow to it,” she said. “You don't have time to get bored with it; it can go from being really fun to being really dramatic and emotional.”

Scott Bronson said being a member of the cast has been interesting, as he has typically been the director of the show in past productions.

“It's amazing that you can find out things about your own writing you didn't think you knew,” he said.

His views on love have even changed as a result of these newfound insights, he said.

“Romance is a bigger deal than you think it is,” Bronson said.

Tickets for “Dial Tones” are $10 and may be purchased in person at the Covey Center Box Office, located at 425 W. Center St. Provo; online at www.coveycenter.org ; or by phone ((801) 852-7007).

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The Covey Center for the Arts is Provo's quintessential venue for the fine arts, offering two art galleries, three dance studios, one small black box theatre, and a 670- seat state- of- the- art performance hall. Housed in a beautiful building of 42,000 square feet, the performance hall features a first-class sound system, a 75- foot fly system, a full theatrical lighting system and a full orchestra pit. And to enhance audience members' experience, no seat is more than a measly 60 feet away from the stage. The Covey Center been honored to host world- renowned guest artists on their main stage, including Rockapella, The Beach Boys and STOMP. The Covey Center opened in 2007 and has continually served both local and national artists since.

-- 
Logan Bradford
Covey Center for the Arts
Marketing and Public Relations Intern
(801) 400 2917

USF Founder Fred Adams Celebrates 80th Birthday (CC: Jan 29)

Utah Shakespeare Festival Founder Celebrates 80th Birthday

CEDAR CITY, UTAH—Fred C. Adams, founder of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, will celebrate his 80th birthday on Sunday, January 30. The public is invited to a birthday party on Saturday, January 29 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Southern Utah University J. Reuben Clark Jr. Alumni House (northeast corner of 300 West and University Boulevard).

“We would love to invite our friends in the community to join us in celebrating such a wonderful life,” said R. Scott Phillips, Festival executive director and long time friend and colleague of Adams.

The party, hosted by the Adams family as well as Adams’ Festival family, will feature refreshments. There is no need for attendees to bring a gift. Adams’ four children and their families will attend the party.

"Fred has been a visionary over the past 50 years and more” said Bruce Lee, Festival communications director. “Besides establishing a world-class theatre company, he has also been a great supporter of many friends and activities in our community."

Media Contact: Amanda Caraway, 435-586-1969, Caraway@bard.org
For more information and photos visit: http://bard.org/newsroom/index.html,
username: press, password: usf2006

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Utah Shakespeare Tours “Macbeth” To Four Western States (CC performance: Jan 28)

Press Release

Utah Shakespeare Tours “Macbeth” To Four Western States

Who: The Utah Shakespeare Festival
National Endowment for the Arts: Shakespeare for New Generations

What: Cedar City performance of “Macbeth”

When: January 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Randall L. Jones Theatre
300 West Center Street, Cedar City

Tickets: $5, available at 1-800-PLAYTIX, 435-586-7878, and at the door

Cedar City, Utah—On January 28 at 7:30 p.m. the Utah Shakespeare Festival will present an exclusive performance of the “Macbeth” Shakespeare in the Schools touring production for Cedar City residents. Tickets are only $5 and they are available now at 1-800-PLAYTIX or 435-586-7878. Tickets will also be available at the door.

“Students will love ‘Macbeth’ because it is a passionate play filled with bloody, supernatural elements,” said Festival Education Director Michael Bahr. “Despite the thrilling nature of the play, it is also a morality tale that has a great message for students of all ages. At the conclusion Macbeth suffers the consequences of unchecked ambition.”

There will be additional Cedar City performances from January 26 through 28 for local school groups, and one special performance for Foothill High School on January 26 at 7 p.m.

From January to April the Festival will present the education tour of “Macbeth” to more than 30,000 students in four western states. The tour will spend 13 weeks on the road visiting schools, community centers and prisons across Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and Wyoming with about 60 performances in 50 schools as part of the Shakespeare for a New Generation program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Director Christopher Clark has created a “garden shed” production of “Macbeth” with the actors using various found objects as set and prop pieces. The stage will be filled with sticks, ladders, wheel barrows, umbrellas, and other objects that would likely be found in the average garden shed, but each of these items will be used to represent something entirely different. For example, a stick will be used to represent a sword.

“If the average student were staging this play with friends in their backyard these are objects that the student would likely have access to,” said Clark. “Our production takes everyday objects and uses them in an innovative way to tell the story. I think students will find this production to be inspirational as well as educational.”

Clark is an assistant professor of acting at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Prior to his current appointment he was a member of the faculty at Brigham Young University where he directed touring productions of Shakespeare for nine years. Clark earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Exeter in England, where he worked at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. The program focuses on original practice in performance, which informs the way Clark approaches his directing projects.

“What we are doing here is not all that different from how Shakespeare’s company presented this play over 400 years ago,” said Clark. “It is my opinion that you don’t need expensive designs to reach an audience. The power of suggestion is often more effective. The rudimentary props and set pieces used in this production, through the power of suggestion, tell a great story.”

Each year, the Festival creates a production of a Shakespeare classic to visit communities across four western states. The ten-person touring group serves as both the acting company and technical crew for each production, with seven actors playing more than 20 different roles, a stage manager, technical director, and company manager. The group also works with students in workshops ranging from stage combat to Shakespeare text.

Media Contact: Amanda Caraway, 435-586-1969
For more information and photos visit: http://www.bard.org/newsroom, username: press, password: usf2006
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he three Witches (Kelly Marie Hennessey, Jennifer Whipple, and Todd Zimbelman) surround Macbeth (Aaron Gaines). (Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival. Photo by Karl Hugh.)

Aaron Gaines as Macbeth. (Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival. Photo by Karl Hugh.)

"The Glass Menagerie" @ SUU (CC: Feb 3-5 & 10-12)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 01/20/11
Michael French
Public Information Coordinator
College of Performing and Visual Arts
Southern Utah University
Office: 435-865-8667
Cell: 805-260-8797
michaelfrench@suu.edu


FOR CALENDAR EDITORS: THE GLASS MENAGERIE
WHAT: A mother’s unrealistic dreams for her children’s futures threaten to smother her painfully shy daughter and her aspiring writer son in Tennessee Williams’ poignant drama, The Glass Menagerie.

WHO: Southern Utah University, College of Performing and Visual Arts,
Theatre Arts and Dance Department

WHEN: Feb. 3-5 and 10-12, 2011

TIME: 7:30pm

WHERE: Auditorium Theatre, Southern Utah University, Cedar City, UT

TICKETS: (435) 586-7872, Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm, or www.suu.edu/arts.

PRICES: General Adult Admission: $10; Faculty & Staff: $8; Student & Youth: $5;
SUU Students: Free with valid I.D.

INFO: Phone: Arts Hotline: (435) 865-8800 or visit: www.suu.edu/arts


SUU’S COLLEGE OF PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS
TO PRESENT TENNESSEE WILLIAMS’ AMERICAN CLASSIC
THE GLASS MENAGERIE

Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah: A mother’s unrealistic dreams for her children’s futures threaten to smother her painfully shy daughter and her aspiring writer son in Tennessee Williams’ shattering drama, The Glass Menagerie. Southern Utah University’s Department of Theatre Arts and Dance presents the American classic February 3-5 and 10-12, 2011 at 7:30pm for all performances in the Auditorium Theatre in Cedar City. The production is directed by Dr. Christine Frezza.

Widely considered an autobiographical play, The Glass Menagerie centers on the fragile Wingfield household, seen through the eyes of its son, Tom. Defined by her financial struggles, lost dreams and unfulfilled desires, Amanda, a faded Southern Belle, clings to her grown children, desperately pushing them to achieve more successful lives than her own. Her daughter Laura lives a painfully shy existence, with only her collection of glass ornaments for companionship. However hope looms, when Tom brings home a gentlemen caller one spring evening.

Tennessee Williams' heartbreaking drama originally premiered in 1944 and is based on reworked material from one of Williams' short stories, "Portrait of a Girl in Glass," and his screenplay, “The Gentleman Caller.” This was Williams’ first successful play and is given new life in this production of strained familial relationships. Williams achieved critical acclaim for his thought-provoking plays of suppressed desires including The Rose Tattoo, The Night of the Iguana, A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. His work is praised for its ability to address harsh realities in a straightforward way. Controversial and memorable, Williams was awarded four Drama Critic Circle Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his lifetime.



Undertaking the drama’s demanding roles, the cast features Kristen Henley as Laura, Brian James as Tom, Wendy Penrod as Amanda, and McKay Tripp as Jim, the gentleman caller. The cast is under the direction of Dr. Christine Frezza, whose has previously directed Twelfth Night, Lysistrata, and Our Town for the SUU Department of Theatre Arts and Dance. This production is brought to life onstage by the all student design team, which includes Costume Designer McKenzie Denison, Scenic Designer Nerissa Cannon, Lighting Designer Bryan Sommer, Sound Designer Nick Pinegar, Hair and Make-Up Designer Kim Kerr, and Prop Mistress Amanda McMall. Amy Norton serves as Stage Manager.

A mixture of the poignant and poetic, heart-breaking and humorous, do not miss the opportunity to experience a genuine American classic work for the stage. Ticket prices are: $10 General Admission; $8 SUU Faculty and Staff, $5 Youth and free for SUU students with a valid ID. For tickets, call the ticket office at (435) 586-7872, Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm, or order online at www.suu.edu/arts. For more information, please visit www.suu.edu/arts or call the Arts Hotline at (435) 865-8800.

The Theatre Arts and Dance Series continues with Stephen Schwartz’s spirited musical, Godspell; and Journeys: Faculty-Choreographed Dance Concert.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE
The Southern Utah University College of Performing and Visual Arts is comprised of nationally accredited departments of Art and Design, Music, Theatre Arts and Dance, as well as a graduate program in Arts Administration. The College offers 16 different degree areas, including liberal arts Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees; professional Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Fine Arts in art and theatre degrees; and a Master of Fine Arts in Arts Administration degree. More than 60 full- and part-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring over 550 majors in the College. Over 1100 students enroll each year in over 195 arts classes on the SUU campus. The College presents 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year. The College’s affiliate organizations include the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery, American Folk Ballet, Utah Shakespearean Festival, the performance group Acclamation, and the SUU Ballroom Dance Company. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, contact the Office of the Dean at (435) 865-8561, or by e-mail at cpvamktg@suu.edu.

Auditions for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" @ Utah Shakespeare Festival (CC: Jan 31)

Utah Shakespeare Festival To Hold Auditions for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”

The Utah Shakespeare Festival Playmakers program will hold auditions for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” on Monday, January 31 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. in the Randall L. Jones Theatre (300 West Center Street, Cedar City, Utah). The educational program will accept up to 60 students ages 7-16.

All roles will be cast during auditions. Performers should prepare a 15-20 second speech from Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein or another children’s author, and no more than 16 bars (under one minute) of sheet music that shows big personality. An accompanist will be provided.

To schedule an audition please contact Miranda Giles in the Festival education office, 435-865-8333 or giles@bard.org.

Rehearsals for this Playmakers’ course will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays beginning February 2. The cost of the program is $200, and some scholarships may be available.

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” will be performed in the Randall L. Jones Theatre from March 23 through March 28.

Media Contact: Amanda Caraway, 435-586-1969, caraway@bard.org
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(Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival. Photo by Karl Hugh.)




Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity Exhibit Curated by Students @ UMFA (SLC: Jan 27 - May 15)


UMFA PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
--Shelbey Peterson, UMFA Public Relations Associate
shelbey.peterson@umfa.utah.edu, 801.585.1306
--Jenny Woods, UMFA Campus Outreach Coordinator
jenny.woods@umfa.utah.edu, 801.581.4405


Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity


Salt Lake City- Before the creation of the modern museum, private collections of art pieces, scientific instruments, cultural oddities, and mysterious specimens were housed in rooms or pieces of furniture called cabinets of curiosity. In Renaissance Europe, these cabinets were known as Wunderkammern, or chambers of wonder, and were organized by wealthy collectors to facilitate understanding and give order to the world.

The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) is pleased to present Collecting Knowledge: Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity, an exhibition curated by four graduate students from the University of Utah Department of Art and Art History. The exhibition will be on view in the Emma Eccles Jones Education Gallery in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building from January 27 through May 15, 2011.

Graduate students Amanda Beardsley, Scotti Hill, Stephanie Hohlios, and Laura Hurtado worked diligently throughout Fall Semester 2010 to quickly organize the exhibition. Supervised by University of Utah professor of art history Sheila Muller and UMFA staff, the students determined thematic elements, intended audience, featured objects, label information, and related programming for the exhibition.

“This exhibition has given us the opportunity to collaborate with museum staff and apply museum practices in a way that cannot be duplicated in a classroom,” said student Stephanie Hohlios. “For those of us who are pursuing a career in museum work, curating a real exhibition is a rare and invaluable experience.”

Collecting Knowledge: Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity examines the people who created cabinets of curiosity, their strategies for classifying and grouping collected items, and how they used knowledge to make sense of their surroundings. The exhibition provides visitors the opportunity to return to the Renaissance model of private study and reflection in a physical space, enabling them to wander, examine, and share the wonder.

The exhibition features thirty-six objects from the permanent collection of the UMFA and a rare book from the special collections of the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library. Organized in six specific themes, visitors will encounter sixteenth and seventeenth century prints by artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn. Exhibition highlights include a sixteenth century Italian cabinet and a display case filled with a variety of objects likely to have been found in a Renaissance cabinet of curiosity: an Asian bell, a Japanese ginger jar, German gemstones, an ivory fetish figure from the Kongo, and more.

“The UMFA strives to be a relevant and inspiring resource for students, faculty, and the community,” said Jenny Woods, UMFA campus outreach coordinator. “Collecting Knowledge: Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity presented an incredible opportunity for the UMFA to collaborate with students and faculty while supporting the University of Utah’s academic mission. We hope that this experience was as positive and enriching for the students as it was for us, and that they gained valuable knowledge of the museum world that will guide them in their future endeavors.”

Public Programming

GALLERY TALKS BY STUDENT CURATORS
February 26, February 27, March 6, and April 23 at 2 pm • FREE with Paid Admission
Gain insight into Collecting Knowledge: Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity as student curators highlight specific objects and their stories through a series of gallery talks.

THIRD SATURDAY FOR FAMILIES: JOURNAL MAKING
April 16 from 1-4 pm • FREE
Collecting Knowledge: Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity examines the people who created cabinets of curiosity, classifying and grouping objects to make sense of their world. Use this exhibition for inspiration as you make your own collections journal.

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The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is located in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building on the University of Utah campus at 410 Campus Center Drive. The UMFA’s mission is to engage visitors in discovering meaningful connections with the artistic expressions of the world’s cultures. Admission is $7 adults, $5 seniors and youth ages 6-18, children 5 and under free, UMFA Members free. Free admission is offered on the first Wednesday and third Saturday of each month thanks to the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks Fund. Museum hours are Tuesday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Wednesdays 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Weekends, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; closed Mondays and holidays. For more information call (801) 581-7332 or visit umfa.utah.edu.

Debussy's La Mer @ Utah Symphony (SLC: Feb 4 - 5)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2011

CONTACT: Hilarie Ashton
Public Relations Manager, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera
(801) 869-9027, hashton@usuo.org

THE UTAH SYMPHONY PRESENTS DEBUSSY’S LA MER WITH GUEST CONDUCTOR JULIAN KUERTI AND VIOLINIST AUGUSTIN HADELICH

SALT LAKE CITY – One of Claude Debussy’s most frequently performed orchestral works, and one of his most daringly impressionistic, is returning to the stage of Abravanel Hall, this time under the baton of Canadian conductor Julian Kuerti.

The Utah Symphony will perform Debussy’s La Mer Friday and Saturday, February 4 and 5 at 8 p.m. following a performance by young German violinist Augustin Hadelich of Bartok’s exotic Violin Concerto No. 2. Also on the program is Mozart’s raucous overture to The Abduction From the Seraglio and selections from Rachmaninoff’s Cinq Etudes Tableaux.

Tickets for these performances start at $15 and can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS (2787), in person at the Abravanel Hall box office, or by visiting www.usuo.org. Subscribers and those desiring group or student discounts should call (801) 533-NOTE (6683). Ticket prices will increase $5 when purchased the day of the performance. Kuerti will present a free pre-concert lecture each night, 45 minutes prior to the start of the performance in the First Tier Room of Abravanel Hall.

Press photos available at http://www.utahsymphony.org/media.php. (Username: usuoimages, password: media).

Artist Bios:

Julian Kuerti

One of the most significant conducting talents to emerge in recent years, Canadian conductor Julian Kuerti has quickly made a name for himself with his confident style, artistic integrity and passion for musical collaboration. Kuerti has led numerous orchestras across North America including the Boston, Houston, Montreal, Toronto, Colorado and Utah symphonies; Los Angeles Philharmonic; National Arts Centre Orchestra including at the 2010 Vancouver Cultural Olympiad; and most recently in April, as a last-minute substitution with the Cincinnati Symphony that resulted in immediate reengagements for July 2010 and September 2011. In August 2010, he completed his post as assistant conductor to James Levine at the Boston Symphony.



Of a performance under the direction of Julian Kuerti, a Cincinnati Enquirer critic wrote, “There was clearly chemistry happening onstage, and the musicians performed magnificently for him.” And when Kuerti stepped in at the last minute to conduct a Boston Symphony Orchestra performance, The Boston Globe lauded him as he “rose to the occasion and pulled off a triumphant concert. This was easily his finest hour.”



Kuerti was born in Toronto into one of Canada's most distinguished musical families; his father is famed pianist Anton Kuerti. He studied with David Zinman at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen and with acclaimed Finnish maestro Jorma Panula at the NAC Conductors Programme in Ottawa.



Augustin Hadelich

With his poetic style and dazzling technique, Augustin Hadelich has established himself as a rising star among the new generation of violinists. Winner of the 2009 Avery Fisher Career Grant and gold medalist of the 2006 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, his versatility across the entire spectrum of the violin repertory is astounding.

Past orchestral engagements include the symphonies of Alabama, Colorado, Columbus, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Louisville, New Orleans, Santa Barbara and Syracuse, as well as the Pacific Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic and the IRIS Chamber Orchestra in Memphis. In 2008, Hadelich also made three solo appearances at Carnegie Hall.

Outside the United States, Hadelich has performed with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken-Kaiserslautern, Dresden Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Nürnberg Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Staatsorchester Stuttgart,
Tokyo Symphony, and chamber orchestras in Budapest, Cologne, Hamburg and Lucerne.

Born in Italy in 1984, the son of German parents, Hadelich holds a graduate diploma and Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, where he was a student of Joel Smirnoff. He plays on the 1723 “Ex- Kiesewetter” Stradivari violin, on loan from Clement and Karen Arrison through the generous efforts of the Stradivari Society.


Program:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart      Overture to Die Entführung aus dem Serail, K. 384 (The Abduction from the Seraglio)


Béla Bartók                  Concerto No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra
I. Allegro non troppo
II. Theme and Variations— Andante tranquillo
III. Rongo—Allegro molto
Augustin Hadelich, Violin

INTERMISSION

Sergei Rachmaninoff               Selections from Cinq Etudes-tableaux, op. 39
Arr. Respighi                             Fair Scene, No. 7 “La Foire”
Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, No. 6  “Le Chaperon Rouge et le loup”
                                                The Sea and the Seagulls, No. 2 “La Mer et les mouettes”

Debussy                       La Mer (The Sea)
I. De l'aube à midi sur la mer (From Dawn to Noon on the Sea)
II. Jeux des vagues (Play of the Waves)
III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer (Dialogue of Wind and Sea)


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Hilarie Ashton
Public Relations Manager
801.869.9027
hashton@usuo.org

Spy Hop & SL Art Center to Show Youth Media Work During Sundance (SLC: Jan 20 - 30)

MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Virginia Pearce
Phone: 801-532-7500
Email: Virginia@spyhop.org

SPY HOP PRODUCTIONS TEAMS UP WITH SALT LAKE ART
CENTER TO SHOW YOUTH MEDIA WORK
Exhibit will be presented January 20 – 30, 2011 during Sundance Film Festival

SALT LAKE CITY, UT (January 3, 2011) — Spy Hop Productions, Utah’s only youth media center, takes media engagement to the extreme in this interactive bandwidth experience. Showcased at the Salt Lake Art Center, FIND YOUR VOICE allows viewers to walk inside a teen’s interpretation of the world around them and emerge with a wholly different perspective of what it feels like to be 16 in the 21st century.

FIND YOUR VOICE presents multimedia work in the form of what Spy Hop calls “personal narratives,” which are an integral part of how Spy Hop teaches students to tell their stories. Thirteen audio and video documentaries will be on view, created by young artists from Spy Hop’s film and radio classes.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Spy Hop to provide a forum for these creative young artists. Spy Hop’s focus on contemporary media provides a great compliment to the video art installations that will be exhibiting here at the same time as part of Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier”, said Adam Price, Executive Director of Salt Lake Art Center.

In addition to Sundance Film Festival New Frontier and FIND YOUR VOICE, Salt Lake Art Center will also be exhibiting the next installment of the Looped series, presenting video art on loan from the UBS Art Collection, and works by Jenny Holzer and Jack Pierson, on loan from Anthony Pritzker, on behalf of Apple Art Works, LLC.

Kasandra VerBruggen, Executive Director of Spy Hop Productions had this to say, "We're excited that Salt Lake's young media-makers have been given an opportunity to showcase their talent alongside some of the most innovative multimedia artists in the country."

See a trailer of the exhibit at http://www.youtube.com/user/SpyHop. FIND YOUR VOICE exhibits from Friday, January 21 – January 29. Hours vary daily, see www.slartcenter.org for more information.

Participating Artists Anonymous, Rodrigo Arroyo, Jonathan Campos, Perry Layne Decker-Tate, Lauren Everton, Aubrey Hollingshead, Cheyenne Lubeck, Mallory McDaniel, Christopher Miller, Sam Millner, Daniel Pimentel Liz Tanner, Olanipekun Yungai

About Spy Hop Productions
Spy Hop Productions is a not-for-profit youth media arts and education center whose purpose is to empower youth to express their voice and with it create positive change in their lives, their community, and the world. Our mission is to encourage free expression, self-discovery, critical and inventive thinking, and skilled participation via the big screen, the airwaves, and the web. Recognized by the White House as one of the top arts and humanities based organizations in the country, Spy Hop was
chosen as a finalist for the 2010 National Arts and Humanities Youth Award given by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
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