Mountain West Arts Conference on May 3, 2012

**The body of this e-mail is also in the attachment**

___________________________________

For immediate release                Alyssa Hickman Grove, 801.236.7548

5 April 2012                               Constituent Relations & Media, Utah Arts & Museums

Geoffrey Fattah, 801.245.7205

Communications Director, Utah Dept. of Community and Culture

Mountain West Arts Conference on May 3, 2012

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Arts & Museums has announced workshops and presenters for the 6th Annual Mountain West Arts Conference, Utah’s largest professional development gathering of arts-interested individuals and organizations. The conference will be held at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center on Thursday, May 3, 2012, and registration is open at artsandmuseums.utah.gov.

• Governor Gary R. Herbert will present the Governor’s Leadership in the Arts Awards to an individual, an educator, an organization and a municipality that have made significant contributions to the arts in Utah.

• Affective neuroscientist and human development psychologist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang will deliver the keynote address at the Governor’s Leadership in the Arts Awards luncheon on the emotional origins of creativity.

• Utah Arts & Museums Director Margaret Hunt will open the conference with a State of the Arts Address, followed by an interactive caucus session on creative processing and emotional learning with Jan Dworkin and Randee Levine of 361ArtWorks, facilitated by Anna Boulton.

• Jan Dworkin and Randy Levine of 361ArtWorks will hold a follow-up workshop about the unique facilitation method demonstrated in the caucus and the original artwork that will be created in the process.

• Bryce Merrill from the Western States Arts Federation and Michael Hansen from the Utah Department of Community and Culture will provide insight into the types of research on the impacts of the arts and advice on using that data on the front lines of advocacy.

• Robert H. McNulty of Partners for Livable Communities will present recent research on demographic change and examples of organizations forming partnerships to mobilize communities around the arts and culture.

• Utah’s Poet Laureate Katharine Coles will read poems inspired by a month spent on the Antarctic science base Palmer Station under the auspices of a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. She will also talk about the grant-writing process, offering concrete advice for writing successful proposals.

• Andrea Polli from the University of New Mexico and Aaron Moulton from the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art will examine the intersection of artistic and scientific research and the opportunities that presents for artists, drawing examples from extreme field-work projects and residencies at laboratories and research sites.

• Chris Sharer, recently retired CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, will help participants navigate the challenging process of executive transition, a process that should involve everyone in the organization and start long before the staff leader contemplates departing.

• Blake Wigdahl from Thanksgiving Point will guide participants through a set of interactive exhibits that mix art and science to drive curiosity, wonder and exploration.

• Performer Kate MacLeod and visual artists Joe & Lee Bennion will explore ways that artists can extend their influence past performance halls and gallery walls.

• Sheryl Gillilan of Art Access and Jenny Woods from the Utah Museum of Fine Art will demystify the process of accessibility and show how simple accommodations can make our arts spaces more welcoming to everyone.

• Consultant David Sidwell and Donna Law from Southern Utah University will share strategies for planning and executing events and fundraisers that impress.

• Central Texas artist Beverly Mangham will teach participants how to combine, juxtapose and redefine ordinary objects and cultural icons into visually stimulating works of art.

• Wally Bloss of the Cache Valley Center for the Arts and Greg Geilman of Kingsbury Hall will take new presenters and those considering presenting performing artists through the basics of curating and contracting performances and the myriad details involved in executing a rewarding engagement.

• Dave Bastian from the Utah Conservation Corps will discuss how the experts manage and retain volunteers.

Interview requests should be directed to Alyssa Hickman Grove, 801.236.7548, agrove@utah.gov. Registration is $95 for the full conference, including the Governor’s Leadership in the Arts Awards luncheon, or $55 for the luncheon alone. Register online at www.artsandmuseums.utah.gov. Group and student rates are available. Educators can receive points toward Utah Educator’s License recertification. Table sponsorship opportunities are available; call Lynnette Hiskey at 801.236.7552 for details.

For more information, visit the Utah Arts & Museums Web site at artsandmuseums.utah.gov or phone 801.236.7555.

About Utah Arts & Museums

Utah Arts & Museums is a division of the Utah Department of Community and Culture with a goal to promote innovation in and the growth of Utah’s arts and culture community. The division provides funding, education, and technical services to individuals and organizations statewide so that all Utahns, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or economic status, can access, understand, and receive the benefits of arts and culture. Additional information on the programs and services can be found at www.artsandmuseums.utah.gov or by calling 801.236.7555.

Alyssa Hickman Grove

Constituent Relations & Media

Utah Arts & Museums

617 East South Temple

Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Phone: 801.236.7548

www.artsandmuseums.utah.gov