Welcome to UCA's new events blog!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

"LiVe! Touring School Production Auditions at the Grand Theatre" (SLC: Dec 17)


P r e s s   R e l e a s e
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 29th, 2011
Contact:
Richard Scott                                                                                      Grand Theatre
Phone: 801-957-3263                                                                          richard.scott@slcc.edu
www.the-grand.org

"LiVe! Touring School Production
Auditions at the Grand Theatre"

Salt Lake City, UT - The Grand Theatre Community Institute in association with Intermountain Health Care and Corporate Staging Resources will hold auditions for an in school touring musical program LiVe! offered to schools throughout Utah in Spring of  2012. Auditions will be held on Saturday December 17th, 2011 from 11: 00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M. at the Grand Theatre Alumni Room located at 1575 South State Street in Salt Lake City.

Actors should be prepared to sing 16 bars of a musical theatre piece, read from the script and highlight any special talents (juggling, musical instrument, etc) they may possess. Sides from the script will be posted by December 10th at the-grand.org.  All actors must bring a current headshot and a resume. Actors must be capable of performing characters of various ages. There are currently parts available for 1 woman and 1 man. To reserve an audition time, please call the box office at 801-957-3322. All positions are paid at professional pay scales. Please note these are daytime performances in the schools and will likely include some overnight destinations to Southern Utah.

About the Show:
Written by: Eric Jensen, Robin Wilks-Dunn and Kevin Mathie; with contributions from Shannon Musgrave and Dan Larrinaga.
Musical Score: Kevin Mathie. Lyrics: Kevin Mathie, Eric Jensen and Robin Wilks-Dunn.
Director: Robin Wilks-Dunn                                       Music Director: Kevin Mathie
Choreographer: Shannon Musgrave.
Spring Tour: March, 2012.


Kandace Steadman
Community Outreach Coordinator
The Grand Theatre
Salt Lake Community College
801.957.3447


This message, and any attachments, is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain information that is privileged and confidential or otherwise exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any unauthorized use, dissemination, distribution or reproduction of this message is prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender by return e-mail and delete this e-mail and any attachments from your system.  ­­  

ART INSIGHTS PRESENTS ILLUSTRATOR DAVID DIBBLE @ SUU (CC: Dec 8)




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/30/11
Whitney Hershberger
Marketing and Public Relations Associate
College of Performing and Visual Arts
Southern Utah University
Office: 435-865-8667
cpvamktg@suu.edu

Image credit: "Bell Canyon" courtesy of David Dibble

FOR CALENDAR EDITORS: ART INSIGHTS PRESENTS ILLUSTRATOR DAVID DIBBLE
WHAT:              Combining visual elements into something greater, David Dibble approaches his art with deep prowess and sense of responsibility that is evident in his work and career. 
                         As an illustrator, he has worked for the past three years as a Color Designer for Blue Sky Studios, working on such films as Rio, Ice Age 4, and Leafman.

WHO:               Southern Utah University, Department of Art and Design

WHEN:             Thursday, December 8, 2011

TIME:               7:00pm

WHERE:           Centrum Arena, Section K, SUU Campus

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

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

ART INSIGHTS PRESENTS ILLUSTRATOR
DAVID DIBBLE
DECEMBER 8, 2011

Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah: Combining visual elements into something greater, David Dibble approaches his art with deep prowess and sense of responsibility that is evident in his work and career. An illustrator, he has worked for the past three years as a Color Designer for Blue Sky Studios, working on such films as Rio, Ice Age 4, and Leafman. He will present on his artistic vision and career at SUU’s Department of Art and Design’s weekly lecture series, Art Insights, on Thursday, December 8. The lecture begins at 7pm at the Centrum Arena, Section K, admission is free and the general public is encouraged to attend.

On why he creates, artist David Dibble says “I am so moved by life and nature that I cannot keep silent.” He views his profession as a privilege and responsibility to help others and see deeper into life and creation.  Born and raised on a farm in Layton, Utah, Dibble’s art training began early working with his mother, also an artist, who encouraged him and allowed him to raid her art supplies. Later training would take him to the Scuole Internazionale di Grafica in Venice, Italy, Weber State University, Brigham Young University (BFA-Illustration), and the Academy of Art University in San Francisco (MFA-Illustration/Fine Art). He currently resides in New York with his wife and son.

Learn more about David Dibble’s artistic vision and career by attending his Art Insights’ appearance. 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 Shakespeare Festival, 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.


Window Wonderland Holiday Decorating Contest Sponsored by Downtown Alliance


MEDIA ADVISORY
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Contact: Danica Farley
801.419.8544
Danica@downtownslc.org

Window Wonderland Holiday Decorating Contest

Salt Lake City - For generations, families have shared holiday experiences downtown like shopping, viewing the lights and, in days past, the ZCMI holiday windows. The tradition continues this year as the Downtown Alliance invites businesses in the Central Business District to decorate their windows for the "Holiday Window Wonderland" contest.

There is no limit for participating businesses on the size or cost of the holiday window decorations; all participation is appreciated and welcome.

Decorating efforts create the spirit of the season and remind all who work, shop and visit, of the activities, sights and sounds that are traditions throughout downtown Salt Lake City during the holidays.

Online voting will be open to the public from Dec.1 through Dec. 25 at www.downtownslc.org. Voters will be entered to win a prize worth $200 from downtown merchants and the Downtown Alliance. The business with the most votes will be announced the last week of December.

Participating businesses can donate to Volunteers of America Utah, a charitable organization that supports the homeless in Salt Lake County.

For businesses interested in participating, download the Registration Form and Guidelines.
Please fax or e-mail the registration form to Kristin Beck at 801-328-5098, kristin@downtownslc.org or call 801-333-1104 for more information.

The Downtown Alliance is dedicated to building a dynamic and diverse community that is the regional center for culture, commerce and entertainment. For more information, visit downtownslc.org.

###

Danica Farley | Public Relations and Communications | Downtown Alliance | 801.333.1105

Downtown is open for the holidays—free parking, no construction, festive events


MEDIA EVENT
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Contact: Danica Farley
801.419.8544

Downtown is open for the holidays—free parking, no construction, festive events
Salt Lake City - Celebrate your new downtown this holiday season with no street construction, 5,000 new parking spaces (over 40,000 total), and a new ice rink at Gallivan Plaza. Park for free for up to two hours at meters—thanks to Salt Lake City—and enjoy holiday shopping, dining and entertainment. Downtown’s free fare zone on TRAX makes it easy to navigate around the city.

Downtown offers seasonal festivities including the lights on Temple Square and throughout the city center, ice skating at Salt Lake City’s only outdoor rink, Ballet West’s The Nutcracker, musical performances by Utah Symphony, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Kurt Bestor and more.

What:        The Downtown Alliance and Salt Lake City gift free parking during the holidays and welcome visitors to a new downtown to enjoy the festivities of the season. We will also preview holiday events and activities throughout the city center.

When:         Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 1 p.m.

Where:       100 South 61 West (in front of Utah Artist Hands)

Who:          Kurt Bestor (Emmy award-winning composer), Karen Hale (communications director, Mayor Ralph Becker), Pam O’Mara (owner, Utah Artists Hands), Heather Nash (director of marketing, The Gateway), representatives from Ballet West and local businesses, Jason Mathis, (executive director, Downtown Alliance)

The Downtown Alliance is dedicated to building a dynamic and diverse community that is the regional center for culture, commerce and entertainment. For more information, visit downtownslc.org.

###


Danica Farley | Public Relations and Communications | Downtown Alliance | 801.333.1105

VINTAGE FASHION SHOW Sponsored by Downtown Alliance (SLC: Dec 1)


VINTAGE FASHION SHOW

Enjoy a festive “step back in time” at this unique holiday fashion show at one of SLC's most charming establishments.

Tickets include full tea service (with sandwiches and desserts) and a fashion show with vintage couture by Misc. Boutique and jewelry by Antoinette's.

In lieu of agency models, local business owners, media personalities, and downtown devotees are modeling to show their support for SLC and this retro-styled fashion show.

When: December 1, 7-9:30 pm
Tickets: $25, call 801.328.4700
Location: The Bee Hive Tea Room, 12 West Broadway
More information: thebeehivetearoom.com

SALT LAKE ACTING COMPANY PRESENTS ‘HOW I BECAME A PIRATE’ BASED ON THE BOOK BY MELINDA LONG, ADAPTED BY JANET YATES VOGT & MARK FRIEDMAN DIRECTED BY PENELOPE MARANTZ CAYWOOD (SLC: Dec 9 - 30)


Salt Lake Acting Company                       News Release
PRESS CONTACT: CYNTHIA FLEMING. 801 363 7522. CYNTHIA@SALTLAKEACTINGCOMPANY.ORG
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

SALT LAKE ACTING COMPANY PRESENTS ‘HOW I BECAME A PIRATE’ BASED ON THE BOOK BY MELINDA LONG, ADAPTED BY JANET YATES VOGT & MARK FRIEDMAN DIRECTED BY PENELOPE MARANTZ CAYWOOD


Salt Lake Acting Company is thrilled to present our 3rd annual children’s play HOW I BECAME A PIRATE based on the book by Melinda Long, adapted for the stage by Janet Yates Vogt & Mark Friedman. This musical is a perfect holiday tradition to share with your family! HOW I BECAME A PIRATE will run December 9- December 30, 2011 in our Upstairs Theatre. SLAC is proud to continue its tradition of producing professional children's theatre that honors children’s creativity and intelligence.

HOW I BECAME A PIRATE, winner of the Irma S and James H Black Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature, is a story of adventure and finding one's own heart through song and dance - a path that can't be found on any treasure map.  When Braid Beard's pirate crew invites Jeremy Jacob to join their voyage, he jumps right on board. Buried treasure, sea chanteys, pirate curses -- who wouldn't go along? Director and Choreographer Penelope Caywood says, “Pirates represent a life without cares, where you can do whatever you want without worrying about what adults have to say about it. That’s the type of adventure that Jeremy embarks on in the show and that’s what I want the audience to experience.”
Sharing the role of Jeremy Jacob are 12-year-old students of the Youth Theatre at the University of Utah, Michael Tao and Fynn White. The pirate crew will be played by SLAC veterans Austin Archer, Alexis Baigue, Randall Eames, and Shannon Musgrave along with SLAC newcomer J. Michael Bailey who will be playing Captain Braid Beard.

 SLAC is proud to merge arts and education through offering Title I schools that often lack access to the arts seven free performances of the play for their K-2 students, complete with a study guide, pre-play warm up and post-play discussion with the actors. SLAC will once again form literary partnerships with the Salt Lake Public Library and King’s English Bookshop. Director, Penelope Caywood commends SLAC’s efforts to heighten the live theatre experience for people of all ages, “At SLAC they do not believe in ‘dumbing down’ shows for the younger audience but instead, they invest in high quality theatre for children.” Watching children beam and come to life during and after each performance is truly rewarding for SLAC, reaffirming the notion that theatre and the arts are vital to the human experience.
The Salt Lake Acting Company will be holding a clothing drive to benefit children and teens being served by Salt Lake County Youth Services. Donated clothing will benefit youth in state custody because of abuse and neglect and teens utilizing the Homeless Youth Walk In Program. Donations will be received through Youth Services nonprofit arm, ShelterKids, and are tax deductible.

During the run of HOW I BECAME A PIRATE, Utah Food Bank will have a presence in SLAC’s lobby.  SLAC is proud to benefit the Food Bank’s BackPack Program for children. Utah Food Bank’s Kids Cafe provides hot, nutritious meals to children in low-income after-school programs at schools, community centers and Boys & Girls Clubs around Salt Lake County. Visit www.saltlakeactingcompany.org for a list of items needed.

Inspired by SLAC’s children’s production and both organizations’ efforts to plant the seed of creative curiosity early in life, we invited younger and older students from the Visual Art Institute in Salt Lake City to exhibit in our Green Room Gallery during the run of HOW I BECAME A PIRATE. The Visual Art Institute was established in 1978 and its mission is to encourage students to integrate their creativity into every aspect of their thinking, education, and life. VIA provides exceptional visual art programs to elementary through high school students, including year-round classes and an intensive figurative workshop in the summer. 

SLAC offers its heartfelt gratitude and thanks to the following supporters. They help make the Salt Lake Acting Company’s production of HOW I BECAME A PIRATE possible by underwriting the free Title 1 School Matinees and overall production:

Sweet Candy Company
Nordstrom
C Comstock Clayton Foundation
Henry W & Leslie M Eskuche Foundation
Holland & Hart, LLP
KeyBank
Anderson & Karrenberg


COMPANY BIOS

MICHAEL TAO (Jeremy Jacob) joins this crew for his first show at Salt Lake Acting Company. Michael is a student in training at the University of Utah Youth Theatre where he has appeared as Jim Nasium in THE RINGS AROUND ROSIE and as Rufus Bilge in SHOWTIME ON THE SHOWBOAT. He attends West High School.

FYNN WHITE (Jeremy Jacob) is happily making his debut at the Salt Lake Acting Company. Fynn is a student in training at the University of Utah Youth Theatre where he has appeared as Odysseus in THE FIRE THIEVES and as Gimple in THE WISE MEN OF CHELM. He attends Wasatch Junior High School.

AUSTIN ARCHER (Shark Tooth the Pirate) is thrilled to be back with the Salt Lake Acting Company. He has been previously seen on the stage at SLAC as "Patty Henry" in SATURDAY’S VOYEUR 2011, "Haemon" in TOO MUCH MEMORY, and "Shye" in TRENCHCOAT IN COMMON as part of SLAC's New Play Sounding Series. This performance is dedicated to his eight nieces and nephews, who constantly help him to stay silly, and to see the world through the limitless eyes of a child. Enjoy! 

J. MICHAEL BAILEY (Captain Braid Beard) has performed extensively throughout the western United States and Canada.  Some of his favorite roles include Jean Valjean in LES MISERABLES, Sweeney Todd in SWEENEY TODD, George in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, and  The Leading Player in PIPPIN.  In addition to his life as an actor, J. Michael is a singer/songwriter and has released three studio albums under his own Restless Water Records label.  He is excited to be a part of his first SLAC production as well as being in a show his three wonderful kids can enjoy.  Mary, you are everything…

ALEXIS BAIGUE (Swill the Pirate) has appeared in: GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA (GOOD MORNING JULIET), ANGELS IN AMERICA, Part One: Millennium Approaches, eleven summers of SATURDAY’S VOYEUR (at S.L.A.C.),  DEAR WORLD (Sundance Summer Theatre), BEYOND THERAPY, THE SEX HABITS OF AMERICAN WOMEN (Pygmalion Productions), THE BOYS IN THE BAND (Wasatch Theatre), SURFIN’ SAFARI (Desert Star Playhouse), JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS, SPEAKEASIE (TheatreWorks West), ANASTASIA (StageRight), WIT (Emily Company), NO EXIT (SallyFourth), SUMMER AND SMOKE, CABARET, RHINOCEROS, QUEEN CHRISTINA, ANTIGONE, THE RIMERS OF ELDRITCH, LOYALTIES (University of Utah), YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU, and THE TREE OF LACE (Salt Lake Community College); staged readings: MOTHER COLLEGE, THE LIVELY LAD, BUNBURY, THE CANCER DIARIES, CHARM, PROPHETS OF NATURE, ANGELS IN AMERICA, Part Two: Perestroika (S.L.A.C.),  THE UNDERPANTS, THE VIOLET HOUR, THE LAST SUNDAY IN JUNE, MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE (Utah Contemporary Theatre), WISH UPON, BOX KITE (Avalon Isle), Cahill’s CUP, Beecher’s THE IMMACULATE ABORTION, and Wessels’ RECTUM!  He received Q Salt Lake’s Fabby Award for Actor of the Year, 2008, and Best Performance, 2011.

RANDALL EAMES (Pirate Pierre) graduated Magna Cum Laude from Weber State University with a degree in Theatre Arts.  He is happy to be returning to SLAC’s stage after appearing in last season’s SATURDAY’S VOYEUR.  Some of his favorite roles include:  one of the guys in THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ABRIDGED, Flute in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Roy Johnson in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, part of the company of UNDER CONSTRUCTION and Willard in FOOTLOOSE.  He would like to thank all of those involved in this process and his friends, family and educators for their endless support. 

SHANNON MUSGRAVE (Max the Pirate) is thrilled to be aboard this ship with this fine crew! She was last seen on SLAC’s stage as Betsy Ross and Kate K. in SATURDAY’S VOYEUR 2011. She also appeared in the 2010 and 2009 versions of VOYEUR and played Hattie, the fabulous pink poodle in SLAC’s first children’s play, GO, DOG. GO! Last season, Shannon read the role of Dell in the NPSS reading of Kathleen Cahill’s COURSE 86B IN THE CATALOGUE. Other local credits include 42ND STREET (Pioneer Theatre Co.), MUSICAL OF MUSICALS and SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK (The Grand Theatre), ROMEO & JULIET and THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Pinnacle Acting Co.) She also choreographed THE WIZARD OF OZ and OLIVER! at the Grand Theatre. Shannon received her BA in Musical Theatre from Weber State University, and is privileged to work as the Executive Assistant for the Salt Lake Acting Company.


PENELOPE MARANTZ CAYWOOD (Director/Choreographer) is best known for her work with University of Utah’s Youth Theatre program where she has been the director for the past 5 years. She has directed a Youth Theatre production every year while with the program and is also responsible for all the educational and outreach programming as well as an association with the Kennedy Center Partners in Education program (along with Kingsbury Hall and the Salt Lake City School District). This summer Penny took 17 Youth Theatre students to perform an original musical which she composed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as representatives of the United States. Locally, Penny has choreographed for The Grand Theatre, Utah Opera, Rogers Memorial Theatre, Weber State University; musically directed for Plan-B; and directed at Rogers Memorial Theatre and SLAC. Penny’s career in the theatre started when she was 5 years old. She travelled across the country in a youth singing group, sang on children’s records, and learned jazz and tap from incredible teachers. While she lived in California, Penny was involved in the creation of a youth theatre company in Palos Verdes called Curtains Up! She was also a very active as an actor in musicals for civic light operas with an occasional job in the pit as a flautist. Penny is so delighted to be working with Salt Lake Acting Company again.

DARRIN DOMAN (Musical Director) has performed on many stages throughout the Wasatch Front.  He has been in more than 25 local productions with regional and international credits as well.  Darrin is happy to be in the spotlight, singing and dancing on stage, or working behind the scenes.  He has been Musical Director for 6 productions and production pianist for many others.  Some favorites include INTO THE WOODS, YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND and NUNSENSE.  Darrin is thrilled to part of the team for HOW I BECAME A PIRATE and congratulates Salt Lake Acting Company for being brave enough to produce professional children’s theater.  In his “free” time, Darrin sings with the Utah Chamber Artists.  He works full-time at the University of Utah Hospital and is pursuing a quest to see the 7 Wonders of the Modern World—5 down, 2 to go. 

DANIELLE KAUERZ (Educational Correspondent) graduated from the University of Utah in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. Since then Danielle has taught fourth grade at Redwood Elementary School in Granite School District and coaches their Girls on the Run Team. She is a graduate of iSchool and the eMINTS program which focuses on technology in
the classroom as well as social interaction, inquiry-based learning and student research. Danielle is currently a graduate student at the University of  Utah. She is obtaining a Masters of Education through the Educational Psychology Department in Instructional Design and Educational Technology.


FACT SHEET

SLAC PRODUCTION                                  HOW I BECAME A PIRATE

PLAYWRIGHT                                             Janet Yates Vogt & Mark Friedman
                                                           
BASED ON THE BOOK BY                       Melinda Long

DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER              Penelope Marantz Caywood

SOUND DESIGN                                          Josh Martin
                                   
CAST                                                              Austin Archer, Alexis Baigue, J. Michael Bailey, Randall Eames, Shannon Musgrave, Michael Tao, Fynn White                                   

SET DESIGN                                                 Keven Myhre

LIGHT DESIGN                                            Jesse Portillo

COSTUME DESIGN                                     Brenda Van Der Wiel

SOUND DESIGN                                          Darrin Doman
           
EDUCATIONAL CORRESPONDENT       Danielle Kauerz        


SLAC NOTES:

For tickets call 801- 363-7522, visit www.saltlakeactingcompany.org, or in person at 168 West 500 North, Salt Lake City, Utah 84103.

Groups (10+)   Kids $10 – Adults $20
Subscribers      Kids $12 – Adults $22
Full Price         Kids $15 – Adults $2

DATES & TIMES: DECEMBER 2011







HOW I BECAME A PIRATE
Adapted by Janet Yates & Mark Friedman
Book copyright © 2003 Melinda Long
Illustration copyright © 2003 David Shannon
Published by Harcourt Books

NOW PLAYING & EXTENDED:

World Premiere of (a man enters) by Elaine Jarvik and Kate Jarvik Birch, with Joyce Cohen, Terence Goodman, Amanda Mahoney, Deena Marie Manzanares & Jesse Peery. Directed by Alexandra Harbold.

DATES           Opened:          November 2, 2011
                        Closing:           December 11, 2011

TIMES            Wed – Sat - 7:30 p.m.
                        Sun- 1:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m.


Season subscribers are the heart of Salt Lake Acting Company. See the rest of the season as a subscriber and always pay the lowest price while having the privilege to exchange your tickets as many times as you want for free. Becoming a subscriber is the best way to support this unique theatre.

Season ticket packages that include 5 plays range from $61-$186.
Tickets available at 801-363-SLAC (7522), at www.saltlakeactingcompany.org, or in person at 168 West 500 North, Salt Lake City, Utah 84103

SLAC is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 professional theatre found in 1970 and is dedicated to producing, commissioning and developing new works and to supporting a community of professional artists.  SLAC has been nationally recognized by the Shubert Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Edgerton Foundation, among others. SLAC operates under a STP Actors Equity Association contract. SLAC is a Constituent Member of Theatre Communications Group, a national organization for non-profit professional regional theatres, and the National New Play Network.



________________________________________________
Cynthia Fleming
Executive Producer
Salt Lake Acting Company
801.363.7522


SALT LAKE ACTING COMPANY EXTENDS RUN OF (A MAN ENTERS) BY ELAINE JARVIK & KATE JARVIK BIRCH (SLC: Dec 8 - 11)


Salt Lake Acting Company                     News Release
PRESS CONTACT: CYNTHIA FLEMING. 801 363 7522. CYNTHIA@SALTLAKEACTINGCOMPANY.ORG
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. 

SALT LAKE ACTING COMPANY EXTENDS RUN OF (A MAN ENTERS)  BY ELAINE JARVIK & KATE JARVIK BIRCH.

After enjoying a 4-week sold out run, Salt Lake Acting Company is happy to announce the extension of its World Premiere production of (a man enters) by Elaine Jarvik & Kate Jarvik Birch.

SLAC has added performances December 8th, 9th, and 10th @ 7:30 PM and December 11th @ 1:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased by calling 801.363.7522 or visiting www.saltlakeactingcompany.org

(a man enters) is a semi-autobiographical and a wildly whimsical comic odyssey about love and family - and what happens after.

Ben Fulton of the Salt Lake Tribune says: (a man enters), penned by the mother-daughter team of Elaine Jarvik (a former newspaper reporter turned playwright) and Kate Jarvik Birch, does its damndest to dress its tale of family-cut-short in whimsy and fantasy. It succeeds. True to the nature of families themselves, however, the play can’t help but pull you inexorably toward the center of human emotions that must be reckoned with.”

The Deseret News says of (a man enters): “In the hands of five talented actors and under the watchful care of director Alexandra Harbold, the play reminds that not only our deepest joys but also our deepest sorrows are among those found within our own families.” 

(a man enters) started as Elaine & Kate’s own personal catharsis. It was a way to bring to life something that could only happen in their imaginations —a way of seeing and interacting with a man who'd removed himself from their lives so many years before.
“After a while we had to let go of our own longings and eccentricities, and instead write the play that the characters needed.” Elaine says, “Real life was a perfect jumping off point, but once we let go of reality, the play came to life.”

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHTS:

ELAINE JARVIK has spent most of her Utah writing career trying to report the facts, first for the Deseret News and more recently as a freelancer. She is thrilled now to make stuff up. She got her start as a fledgling playwright at Salt Lake Acting Company in a 2004-2005 workshop taught by the theatre’s then Playwright-in-Residence, JT Rogers. Three years later, SLAC presented a reading of her short play, DEAD RIGHT, which had been produced at the 2008 Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville. Last season, her full-length play THE COMING ICE AGE was produced by Pygmalion Theatre Co.

KATE JARVIK BIRCH is a visual artist who loves writing as much as she loves painting, and being a true procrastinator, is happy to ping pong between the two passions. She knew she could die happy when her paintings showed up on the set of Glee. Her essay "Private Parts" was published in the literary journal Isotope in 2008 and her short story "Donald" and essay "Mega Volcanoes" were both chosen as finalists in the 2009 Writer's at Work Fellowship Competition. (a man enters) is Kate's first foray into playwriting and she's happy to report that she only wanted to kill her mother a few times during the writing of this play.


FACT SHEET

SLAC PRODUCTION                                  (A MAN ENTERS)

PLAYWRIGHT                                             Elaine Jarvik & Kate Jarvik Birch

DIRECTOR                                                    Alexandra Harbold

CAST                                                              Joyce Cohen, Terence Goodman, Amanda Mahoney, Deena Marie Manzanares, Jesse Peery

SET DESIGN                                                 Keven Myhre       

COSTUME DESIGN                                     Brenda Van Der Wiel

LIGHTING DESIGN                                    Jim Craig

SOUND DESIGN                                          Josh Martin

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER          Nick Fleming


RUNNING DATES                                       November 4, 2011 – December 11, 2011

ADDED PERFORMANCES                        December 8 - 11, 2011

TIMES                                    Previews:         Wednesday & Thursday- 7:30 p.m.
                                                Regular:           Wednesday - Saturday- 7:30 p.m.
                                                                        Sun- 1:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. (New Time)

                                               
________________________________________________________________________

SLAC NOTES

Tickets for SLAC productions range from $15-$41 depending on performance. Discounts available for students, 30 & under, and groups of ten or more.

Season subscribers are the heart of Salt Lake Acting Company. See A MAN ENTERS and the rest of the season as a subscriber and always pay the lowest price while having the privilege to exchange your tickets as many times as you want for free. Becoming a subscriber is the best way to support this unique theatre.

Season ticket packages that include 5 plays range from $61-$186.
Tickets available at 801-363-SLAC (7522), at www.saltlakeactingcompany.org, or in person at 168 West 500 North, Salt Lake City, Utah 84103

SLAC is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 professional theatre found in 1970 and is dedicated to producing, commissioning and developing new works and to supporting a community of professional artists.  SLAC has been nationally recognized by the Shubert Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Edgerton Foundation, among others. SLAC operates under a STP Actors Equity Association contract. SLAC is a Constituent Member of Theatre Communications Group, a national organization for non-profit professional regional theatres, and the National New Play Network.


________________________________________________
Cynthia Fleming
Executive Producer
Salt Lake Acting Company
801.363.7522


CERAMICS GUILD’S HOLIDAY SALE @ SUU (CC: Nov 28 - Dec 2)




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/17/11
Michael French
Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator
College of Performing and Visual Arts
Southern Utah University
Office: 435-865-8667
michaelfrench@suu.edu

Photo credit: Items from SUU's Ceramics Guild Holiday Sale. Photo: Nicholas Jacobsen 

FOR CALENDAR EDITORS: CERAMICS GUILD’S HOLIDAY SALE

WHAT:           SUU’s Ceramics Guild’s Holiday Sale features a colorful variety of gift items and table ware created by students who are Ceramics Majors for purchase. The proceeds from the event go to support the visiting artist program in Ceramics and to teach a useful form of professional activity to Ceramics majors.

WHO:              The Ceramics Guild, Southern Utah University

WHEN:           Mon., Nov. 28, Wed., Nov. 30, Fri. Dec. 2, 2011

TIME:              10:00am-4:00pm

WHERE:         Living Room, Sharwan Smith Center, Southern Utah University, Cedar City, UT

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

SUU’S CERAMICS GUILD
SPONSORS HOLIDAY SALE
NOV. 28, 30 AND DEC. 2, 2011

Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah: With the holidays right around the corner, SUU’s Ceramics Guild can make your gift shopping with the Guild’s Annual Holiday Sale. This colorful event takes place Monday, November 28, Wednesday, November 30, and Friday, December 2, 2011, in the Living Room of the Sharwan Smith Center from 10:00am to 4:00pm. The sale is open to the general public who are encouraged to attend.

All works created by the skilled members of SUU’s Ceramics Guild include a wide assortment of functional and decorative gift items and table ware such as plates, tea pots, platters, casseroles, lidded containers, bowls and mugs. The items are all finished with glazes that are food safe and contain no lead.  

The proceeds from the event go to support the visiting artist program in Ceramics and to teach a useful form of professional activity to Ceramics majors. Another major purpose is to raise funds to support student trips to the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts annual conference.

Purchase the perfect holiday gift and support students by attending SUU’s Ceramics Guild’s Holiday Sale. 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 Shakespeare Festival, 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.




The City Library Board Appoints Transitional Director, Linda Hamilton and Deputy Director , Karen Okabe to lead transition for Salt Lake City Public Library



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Julianne Hancock
P: 801.455.3432

The City Library Board Appoints Transitional Director, Linda Hamilton and Deputy
Director , Karen Okabe to lead transition for Salt Lake City Public Library

November 17, 2011 – Salt Lake City – The Board of the Salt Lake City Public Library today announced the appointment of Linda Hamilton as Library Director, and Karen Okabe as Deputy Director. Hamilton and Okabe will be focused on several initiatives designed to prepare The City Library for a permanent director in the future.

“Linda and Karen have demonstrated records of bringing good government practices such as accountability and transparency to a wide range of public organizations in our community,” said Board President Kevin Werner. “We are confident that their experience and leadership will continue the trajectory of excellence already established at The City Library.”

Hamilton currently serves as Chief Administrative Officer for Salt Lake County. She will continue her oversight responsibilities with the County while leading The City Library. Prior to her current appointment, Hamilton served as Salt Lake County Public Works Director from 2006-2011, and Salt Lake County Chief Financial Officer from 2005-2006.

Okabe is currently a consultant. Previously, Okabe was Chief Executive Officer for Japanese American Service Committee, served as Deputy Mayor of Salt Lake County from 2005-2008, and was Executive Director of the Department of Human Resource Management for the State of Utah from 1993-2003.

Hamilton and Okabe were appointed following the resignation of Beth Elder, who served as the Library’s Director since 2008.

Hamilton said that her first task will be to meet employees and the Library’s management so she can understand the most pressing issues that need to be addressed. The transitional leadership will also be tasked with leading a performance audit conducted by Salt Lake City, reviewing personnel policies and procedures, and working with the Library Board and a community committee to identify a permanent Library Director.

“We are delighted to be a part of this celebrated organization,” said Hamilton. “Karen and I are really looking forward to working with the great employees of The City Library.”


###


THE SALT LAKE CHORAL ARTISTS OPEN THE CHRISTMAS SEASON WITH A “CANTICLES AND CAROLS: MUSIC OF THE ANGELS” FEATURING JOHN RUTTER’S MAGNIFICAT, AND TRADITIONAL CAROLS SUNG BY 200 VOICES AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (SLC: Dec 3)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                  
November 2, 2011                                                                                                                                  

THE SALT LAKE CHORAL ARTISTS OPEN THE CHRISTMAS SEASON WITH A “CANTICLES AND CAROLS: MUSIC OF THE ANGELS” FEATURING JOHN RUTTER’S MAGNIFICAT, AND TRADITIONAL CAROLS SUNG BY 200 VOICES AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

There will be two performances; with guest soloist Carol Ann Allred, SLCA Chamber Choir, Young Choral Artists, and the SLCA Women’s Choir.

SALT LAKE CITY – Ring in the holiday season with the Salt Lake Choral Artists, as they present John Rutter’s Magnificat, as well as captivating new carols and arrangements by rising composer Dan Forrest. Conducted by Dr. Brady Allred, this jubilant celebration will begin with a traditional “Festival of Lessons and Carols” illustrating the Christmas story. This concert will be held at Libby Gardner Concert Hall at the University of Utah, Saturday, December 3, 2011 with a matinee at 2:00pm, and an evening performance at 7:30pm.

            Rutter's Magnificat (My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord) is often considered one of his most noteworthy contributions to choral literature, and was originally inspired by another great masterpiece of the same name by Johann Sebastian Bach. The two works are very different in style but share similarities in structure. Rutter wanted his work to reflect the spirit and exuberance of the many festivals held throughout Spain, Mexico, and Puerto Rico where the feast days of the Virgin Mary are joyous celebrations filled with dancing, singing and processions. This outstanding composer's unique combination of memorable melodies, sonorous harmonies, energetic, syncopated rhythms, and brilliant fanfares are evident throughout this wondrous and uplifting work. The Magnificat will be performed with soprano soloist, Carol Ann Allred, and chamber orchestra.

            The concert will highlight several pieces from Never a Brighter Star, the Salt Lake Vocal Artists newly released CD of Christmas carols by Dan Forrest. Recorded this past summer, and accompanied by the composer himself, these enthralling and delightful songs are destined to become family favorites. The original melodies and arrangements of classic carols are lush, authentic, and full of the spirit of the season. Forrest was highly complementary when speaking of the summer collaboration: "Recording with SLVA was a wonderful experience--one of the best days of music-making I've ever enjoyed. And the final product is the kind of recording most composers only ever dream of having, of their work." Never a Brighter Star is available on the website, www.saltlakechoralartists.org, at Ken Sanders Rare Books, or from any SLCA choir member, and will also be available for purchase at each performance.

At 33, Dan Forrest is a rising star in the composition world. His works have won numerous contests and awards, including the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer’s Award, the ACDA Raymond Brock Competition. The Salt Lake Choral Artists are honored to have recorded with him and to present his work in concert.

Tickets for all performances are - $20/General Admission, $8/Student (Group Rates are available). Tickets can be purchased by calling 801-232-7521; in person at Libby Gardner Hall one hour prior to show-time; from any SLCA choir member; or by visiting the website at www.saltlakechoralartists.org.
Concert Program     

John Rutter                                  Magnificat
                                                Angelus ad virginem

Dan Forrest                                  He is Born!
                                                Never a Brighter Star
                                                Good Christian Men, Rejoice!
                                                The First Noel
                                                There is Faint Music
                                                Shepherd’s Carol
                                                A Cradle Carol
                                                Carol of Joy
Laurence Lyon
 arr Jane Fjeldsted                Soft, Soft


Additional Holiday Performances

Sat, Dec 10, 5:00 pm – Young Choral Artists - holiday performance, Joseph Smith Memorial Building, Salt Lake City

Sun, Dec 11, 8:30 pm – SLCA Chamber Choir - holiday performance, Temple Square, Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City

Sun, Dec 18, 7:00 pm & 8:30 pm – SLCA Women’s Choir - holiday performance Temple Square, North Visitors Center & Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City

Additional Salt Lake Vocal Artists Performances
Fri, Dec 30, 7:00 pm – “Winter Wonderland Concert” First Night Celebration, Assembly Hall, Temple Square


###

Records preservation mini-grant funding available @ Utah State Archives (Deadline Dec 15)


News Release

State of Utah
Department of Administrative Services
3120 State Office Building
Capitol Hill Complex
450 North State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84114
Tel: 801-538-3010
Fax: 801-538-3844

Gary R. Herbert, Governor
Kimberly Hood, Executive Director
Patricia Smith-Mansfield, Division Director

For Immediate Release
For additional information, contact Glen Fairclough, 801-531-3841.

Records preservation mini-grant funding available

     Grant funding for historical records preservation projects is available to non-profit organizations and local governments that apply through the Utah State Historical Records Advisory Board (USHRAB).

     Funding can be used to help repositories statewide preserve at-risk, historic records and to provide access to important collections.  Historical records preservation projects might include purchasing archival supplies to house historical records, processing or organizing historical records, purchasing disaster recovery supplies, or performing a records inventory.  Grant funds are not available for digitization projects. 

     These mini-grants are intended for short-term projects and the maximum award will be $500.  All grants require a one-to-one in-kind and/or cash match. Grants must be completed with reimbursement forms submitted by June 15, 2012.  Grant funding comes from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHRPC) and is administered by the Utah State Archives and Records Service.

      Applications are required and must be received by December 15, 2011.  The grant guidelines and application are available at http://archives.utah.gov/USHRAB/forms-menu.html.  For further information, contact Janell Tuttle at jtuttle@utah.gov.

WSU Chamber Choir (Ogden: Dec 7)


Chamber Choir Tradition

Who: Weber State University Department of Performing Arts
What: WSU Chamber Choir
When: Wednesday, 7 December 2011, 7:30 pm
Where: Holy Family Catholic Church, 1100 E 5550 S, in Ogden
Tickets: No tickets are required for this free performance

Weber State University Department of the Performing Arts presents the annual WSU Chamber Choir Christmas Concert Wednesday, December 7, 7:30 pm, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 1100 E 5550 S, in Ogden. This is a free concert. Children over the age of eight are invited to attend.

Directed by Dr. Mark Henderson, the program will feature traditional carols and original christmas works, sung by the choir as well as members singing in small groups and as soloists. The concert has been an annual event since the origination of the Chamber Choir in 1990. The church itself was designed with performance of music in mind. It provides one of the most satifying settings, acoustically and visually, anywhere in Utah. 

For more information contact Mark Henderson at 801-626-6448 or mhenderson@weber.edu.

WSU Honor Band Concert with the WSU Wind Ensemble (SLC: Dec 10)


Most Honorable Band presents Concert

Who: Weber State University Department of Performing Arts
What: WSU Honor Band Concert with the WSU Wind Ensemble
When: Saturday, 10 December 2011, 4:00 pm
Where: Austad Auditorium, Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets: No tickets are required for this Free performance

Weber State University Department of the Performing Arts presents the WSU Honor Band Concert, Saturday, December 10 at 4:00 pm in the Austad Auditorium, Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts. Admission is free and open to the public, with children over the age of eight welcome. 

The honor band will this year be joined on the stage by the Ogden Concert Band,  the official band of the City of Ogden.  The two bands will present individual and combined performances, a new concept for this year.  Combined, the bands will perform Alfred Reed’s “Russian Christmas Music,” a traditional part of the honor band event.  Individually the Ogden Concert Band will perform a program of Christmas music, and the honor band will perform a cross section of outstanding music for high school level band, culminating in the combined performance of the two bands.  

 This will be the 21st year of this event which brings high school students from throughout Utah for two days. Some years as many as 100 students descend on campus for this two day festival.  Students will arrive on Friday, December 9, for auditions and will begin rehearsals that evening.  Rehearsal will continue on Saturday, December 10, beginning at 8AM and continuing until 3PM. The band members will have a one hour break at noon that Saturday when they will enjoy pizza together in Shepherd Union. 

This annual program offers young musicians an opportunity to develop their talents, to have a good time with musicians from other schools and to make contacts with Weber State University faculty and students. The bonus is the concert that gives parents and other audience members an opportunity to see the musical stars and educators of the future.

 For more information about the Band program or the concert, contact Dr. Thomas Root, 626-6443 or troot@weber.edu.

WSU Alumni Singers Concert (Ogden: Dec 11 -12)


C O U R T E S Y   N E W S   R E L E A S E 
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Who: Weber State University Alumni Association
What: WSU Alumni Singers Concert
When: Sunday and Monday, 11-12 December 2011, 7:30 pm
Where: Holy Family Catholic Church at 1100East 5550 South in Ogden
Tickets: Donations of food and money

Weber State University Alumni Association presents the WSU Alumni Singers, directed by Evelyn Harris, in concert, Sunday, December 11 and Monday, December 12, 7:30 pm, at the Holy Family Catholic Church at 1100 East 5550 South in Ogden. The Singers are doing a “sub for Santa” for a needy family at Christmas and would like to suggest a donation of non-perishable food and/or a monetary donation to help with this project. 

The concert will be ideal family entertainment with music that include “Have You Seen the Baby?” “Joy to the World,” “Silent Night,” “Pat-a-pan,” “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”  and “Christmas Day.”  There will be a song by the men and also the ladies of the choir.  The special numbers this year will include solos, and duets.

Evelyn said she is grateful to be doing what she does. “I work with a terrific group of people that love to sing and the music we are doing is such a pleasure to perform. This is a beautiful concert but it is all for the benefit of other people. It is a thrill to be able to help people at Christmas and share the joy!”

Weber State Singers was an active performing group at Weber State University, with Evelyn Harris directing the group for seventeen years. When she retired they also retired the group, which was then without a director. The members had a strong desire to keep the Singers alive and did so through the auspices of the WSU Alumni Office. The WSU Alumni Singers have been together since 2002. The current group is comprised of former WSU Singers as well as Evelyn Harris’ vocal students. For more information about the WSU Alumni Singers, contact Evelyn Harris, 801-392-3773 or evieh7@comcast.net

Jingle Bell Jazz at the Station @ WSU (Dec 14)


Vocal Jingle Bell Jazz at the Station

Who: Weber State University Department of Performing Arts
What: Jingle Bell Jazz at the Station
When Wednesday, 14 December 2011, 7:00 pm
Where: Grand Lobby, Ogden’s Union Station, 2501 Wall Avenue
Cost: Free - All-ages welcome!

Weber State University Department of the Performing Arts and the Union Station Foundation present Jazz at the Station with vocalists from the WSU Chamber Choir, Wednesday, December 14, 7:00 pm in the Grand Lobby of Ogden’s Union Station. 

Music of the season will be “jazzed-up” by soloists, duets, trios, quartets and other ensembles. In addition, two talented families will  be featured. Cory and Casey Wood will be joined by their brother Micah and other family members. In addition to being a member of the WSU Chamber Choir, Casey Wood is also the pianist for the WSU Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo. Kim Graff will also be joined by family members for a number of songs.

Jazz at the Station provides an all-ages venue for jazz fans and students. Well behaved children are welcome to attend as long as they do not disturb the performers or members of the audience. 

For more information about this program, contact Caril Jennings, 626-6431 or crjennings@weber.edu

Elvis Had His Hips, Liszt Had His Hands @ Utah Symphony's Vivace (SLC: Dec 3)



Gilbert Varga, Conductor | Kirill Gerstein, Piano

Franz Liszt was the Elvis of the 19th Century - music's first international superstar. His swooning fans stole locks of his hair, tore off his clothing, and had a habit of throwing their bloomers onstage. Join Vivace for two wildly virtuosic works by the original musical heartthrob. Liszt’s pyrotechnic Piano Concerto No. 2 and macabre Totentanz are aptly paired with two Romantic Impressionistic works by Ravel: his Mother Goose Suite and the Daphne and Chloe Suite No. 2.

December 3, 2011
Utah Symphony Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2 Concert @ 8pm
after-party @ The New Yorker

Tickets......$48 | Vivace package for the remaining four concerts.....$129
You'll save over $60 by purchasing these tickets as a package!

Call 801.533.NOTE (6683) or use promo code vivace online | click here to purchase Vivace Season Tickets online

SALT LAKE ART CENTER ANNOUNCES: Mirko Martin’s Noir, exhibiting December 2, 2011 – January 21, 2012



Contact: Emily Brunt | emilyb@slartcenter.org  | 801.328.4201 x 115 | www.slartcenter.org
For Immediate Release: November 18, 2011

Note: This exhibition opens with a First Friday celebration on December 2 with DJ Mr. Jesse Walker, a cash bar, and hors d’oeuvres following a lecture by Doublespeak artist Wendy Red Star, Crow Style: The Artwork of Wendy Red Star.
www.slartcenter.org for details.

 SALT LAKE ART CENTER ANNOUNCES: Mirko Martin’s Noir, exhibiting December 2, 2011 – January 21, 2012

SALT LAKE CITY, UT –Salt Lake Art Center announces Mirko Martin’s single channel video Noir will open December 2, 2011 and exhibit through January 21, 2012 in the New Genres Gallery, with a public First Friday opening on December 2, 8:00 – 10:00 PM.  

German artist Mirko Martin’s video, Noir, documents a night during the artist's half-year stay in Los Angeles in 2008. Monitoring gang activity, police helicopters circled the neighborhood on a regular basis. On a particularly noisy evening, Martin went out to capture some sound. Within minutes, he heard gunshots. Over a black screen, Noir captures these gunshots and conversations with several residents and passers-by who try to make sense of what they heard and didn't hear, saw and didn't see.

Martin is a 2005 Fulbright Scholar, and his body of work has been exhibited around the world from the United States and United Kingdom to Japan, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and France. 

Noir is guest curated by Natasha Becker, Assistant Director in the Research and Academic Program at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. “Martin plays with our sense of language and imagination, sound and sight, presence and absence, locality and cultural representation, in a seriously thoughtful way. In Noir  ‘being in the dark’ is simply not an option.”

 “This video by Mirko Martin, which explores a night of disruption in an American community, offers a wonderful addition to the programming in our recently inaugurated New Genres Gallery,” says Adam Price, Executive Director, Salt Lake Art Center.  “It is also a real treat to be able to work with a curator of Ms. Becker’s stature.  Her experience as the founding curator of the highly-regarded Brick+Mortar International Video Art Festival provides a distinctive voice here at the Art Center.”


Mirko Martin, Noir, 2008, installation view, HDV transferred to DVD, b/w, sound, TRT 8 minutes, 8 seconds. Screen reads “It’s a weird night buddy.”

Natasha Becker is a contemporary art curator and art historian based in North Adams, Massachusetts. She is the founding curator (2009) of the Brick+Mortar International Video Art Festival in Greenfield, MA and assistant director for Mellon Initiatives in the Research and Academic Program, Clark Art Institute, since 2007. At the Clark, she organizes Mellon-funded programming which include colloquia, workshops, symposia and public conversations as well as major international collaborations, such as, the contemporary African art workshops (2007-2008) held at the Wits School of Arts in Johannesburg, the Clark, and New York City and the East-Central European seminar series (2010-2011) in Tallinn (Estonia), Brno (Czech Republic), and Bucharest (Romania).  She has also taught courses on the history of photography and contemporary African art at Parsons School of Design (New School University) and the School of Visual Arts, New York. Her research interests are art from South Africa and the history of contemporary art exhibitions with a focus on the changing politics of art. She is currently completing a PhD on the Johannesburg Biennales in South Africa, 1995 and 1997, at Binghamton University, also in New York.

Salt Lake Art Center

Salt Lake Art Center is Utah’s premiere venue for contemporary art, and was recognized as Best Museum in the State of Utah for 2011.  Founded in 1931 and now located in the heart of Salt Lake City, the Art Center exhibits groundbreaking work by leading local and international artists. www.slartcenter.org

Notable past exhibitions include: Robert Fontenot’s The Place This Is, a conceptual exploration of the stories and histories of Utah and America through materials commonly associated with the domestic realm; Contemporary Masters: Artist-Designed Miniature Golf, Honeymoon: A Harmonious Marriage of Opposites, featuring paintings by Kristin Calabrese and Joshua Aster, and the community public sculpture initiative Lawn Gnomes Eat Your Hearts Out; Fallen Fruit of Utah, a state-wide collaboration with museums and individuals about the role of fruit in Utah’s history, led by artist collective Fallen Fruit; and Final Light: V. Douglas Snow in Retrospect.

Current exhibitions include: the first round of the new Local’s Only Gallery exhibiting Jared Clark’s Bild (through December 17), Doublespeak (October 7, 2011 – January 7, 2012), work by contemporary women artists who utilize strategies of layered or multiple meanings to address sensitive or difficult subject matter; Kim Schoenstadt, recipient of the 2011 Catherine Doctorow Prize for Contemporary Painting (November 4, 2011 – February 18, 2012); and Neha Chocksi’s Leaf Fall in Looped (November 4, 2011 – January 6, 2012).

Upcoming exhibitions include: Sundance Film Festival New Frontier (January 20 – May 19, 2012) in its second annual presentation at the Art Center; and Play Me I’m Yours (June 10 – 25, 2012), a participatory art installation that will invite the residents of Utah to show off their piano skills on street corners all over Salt Lake. 

The Art Center rounds out its offerings with a lively mix of award-winning educational programs, film screenings, panel discussions, and events celebrating Salt Lake’s vibrant local art scene. Salt Lake Art Center is located at 20 S. West Temple, just off the intersection with South Temple. Admission is free year-round. Business hours are Tuesday thru Thursday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM; Friday: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM; Saturday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM; closed Sunday and Monday. For more information call (801) 328-4201 or visit www.slartcenter.org.

###



Spy Hop Productions receives NEA grant to support the Youth Documentary Arts Program


MEDIA ADVISORY                                                                                   
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       
 Contact: Virginia Pearce, Virginia@spyhop.org801-532-7500

Spy Hop Productions receives NEA grant to support the Youth Documentary Arts Program
Grant part of NEA announcement of 863 grants and $22.543 million in funding nationwide

Salt Lake City (November 18, 2011) —The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman today announced that the agency will award 863 grants to organizations and individual writers across the country. Spy Hop Productions is one of the grantees and will receive $20,000 to support the Youth Documentary Arts Program, which gives young people the opportunity to explore the art and craft of documentary filmmaking. The 863 grant awards total $22.543 million, encompass 15 artistic disciplines and fields, and support projects in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Spy Hop’s Youth Documentary Arts Program is a unique arts and humanities program comprised of four separate classes that provide the participants opportunities to explore stories and issues pertinent to their lives and communities. Participants in the program are immersed in the practical and theoretical aspects of documentary work while developing a variety of skills and abilities. The program enables students to develop and hone innovative processes and technical skills which include story development, the creative process, nonfiction filmmaking styles, camera operation, cinematography, sound engineering and editing. All of YDAP classes (PitchNic Doc, Reel Stories, Write-Shoot-Ride, and Watch This!) provide youth with the opportunity to work with experienced documentarians while exploring their creativity and a variety of compelling topics, such as stereotypes, diversity, tolerance, racism, cultural knowledge, tradition, urban development, environmental preservation, and community itself.
 “Art Works is the guiding principle at the NEA,” said agency Chairman Rocco Landesman. “And I’m pleased to see that principle represented through the 823 Art Works-funded projects included in this announcement. These projects demonstrate the imaginative and innovative capacities of artists and arts organizations to enhance the quality of life in their communities.”

“Spy Hop Productions is honored that the NEA recognizes the important and creative work that takes place in our studios on a daily basis. As art education is disappearing from our schools, I believe that it is critical that we provide our young people with an outlet to creatively express themselves through quality arts programming. We thank the NEA for their commitment, hard work, and their on-going support toward preserving and protecting the arts for everyone,” says Kasandra VerBrugghen, Executive Director of Spy Hop Productions.

In March 2011, the NEA received 1,686 eligible applications for Art Works requesting more than $84 million in funding. The resulting funding rate of 49 percent of eligible applications reflects both the significant demand for support and the ongoing vitality of the not-for-profit arts community despite current financial challenges. Art Works grants are awarded based on the applications received by the NEA and how those applications are assessed by the review panels.

For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA web site at arts.gov.

About Spy Hop Productions
Founded in 1999, Spy Hop Productions is a nonprofit 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.  Spy Hop’s 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. www.spyhop.org           
###

-- 
Virginia Pearce
Director of Marketing & Community Programs

Empoweringyouththroughmultimedia

Museum Interpretation Initiative 2012 Regional Workshops @ Utah Humanities Council and Utah Museums Association (Deadline: Jan 13)


Museum Interpretation Initiative
2012 Regional Workshops
Call for Applications

Want to learn how to research, design, and create interpretive exhibits and educational activities? How about getting hands-on practice producing an interpretive exhibit at your own museum? Need equipment, resources, and support to make it all happen? Want to connect with other museum staff, volunteers, and in-state experts?

The Museum Interpretation Initiative offers a FREE series of hands-on workshops to assist staff and volunteers in Utah’s small museums tell the stories of their collections and communities. The 2012 workshop series will be held in Heber City and Cedar City between February and June 2012.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 regional workshops and are due by January 13, 2012. For details, an application form, or inspiration from the 32 museums that have already completed projects, check out the program website. Questions? Contact Megan van Frank at 801.359.9670 x110 or email vanfrank@utahhumanities.org

The Museum Interpretation Initiative is a program of the Utah Humanities Council in partnership with the Utah Museums Association, with funding from the national Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Megan van Frank | Program Officer, Museum & Historical Programs | Utah Humanities Council | 202 West 300 North | Salt Lake City, UT  84103-1108 | 801.359.9670 x110 | 801.531.7869 fax | vanfrank@utahhumanities.org | www.utahhumanities.org | expanding minds - one story at a time