At least UMOCA has had a warning. The announcement that the West Valley Performing Arts Center, facing an expensive overhaul, would instead close forever, was announced “abruptly” by city officials (see below). The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, and its neighbor, Abravanel Hall, have known that their almost 50-year old structures were facing remodeling. But they are not, as yet, facing closure. Rather, Smith Entertainment Group, the owners of the new NHL franchise, have suggested, however, vaguely, that they would be happy to have the charming arts organizations as part of their massive, tax-subsidized overhaul of downtown.
UMOCA executive director Laura Hurtado has penned an admirable response, reminding the public of the importance of the arts and its place in downtown Salt Lake City, and that UMOCA, whose history goes back 90 years, is a nimble organization open to change. It’s evident, however, that UMOCA has little say in the discussions with Michigan-based Smith Entertainment Group. That, ostensibly, is held by Salt Lake County mayor Jenny Wilson, their landlord, and Salt Lake City mayor Erin Mendenhall, both of whom seem enthralled by the proposals of Paul Smith and his Entertainment Group.
UMOCA and Abravanel Hall live cheaply in the County-owned facilities at Centennial Plaza, and their budgets don’t allow them to throw around much weight. Not the type of weight wielded by Smith, who can use the threat of pulling out of downtown a beloved sports franchise and the supposed economic engine it generates (the best evidence of which might be the vibrancy of The Gateway?).
Just as the powers that be were announcing their plans for downtown, The Atlantic was publishing an article by Dan Moore outlining how unfavorable stadium building is for the communities they are supposed to benefit.
5/9 SLTRIB OPINION: At UMOCA, we welcome change. But it shouldn’t come at the expense of SLC’s arts and culture scene.
As readers likely know, exciting changes are coming to downtown Salt Lake City with the development of a new entertainment district. As executive director and board president for the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, we know that while change can bring uncertainty, it also comes with opportunity. But it shouldn’t come at the expense of arts and culture.
As we move forward, we must build on our history and our proven ability to continue serving as a critical part of a vibrant downtown experience.
5/8 KSL: Closure of West Valley Performing Arts Center upsets many
West Valley City abruptly announced the closure of the West Valley Performing Arts Center, much to the dismay of many residents and loyal theatergoers.
“We make the sad announcement that the West Valley Performing Arts Center will permanently close at the end of the 2024 season due to structural issues and the high cost of repairs. While this closure is regrettable, it is necessary for the long-term stability of West Valley Arts,” city officials said in a statement Monday.
The statement said the city “will work diligently to honor the legacy” of the center during the transition, saying even though the physical doors are closing, the city remains committed to providing opportunities for artistic expression. The city said the mission of West Valley Arts will continue at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center.
5/7 DESERET NEWS: Abravanel Hall’s future in entertainment district yet to be decided, county says
The future of Maurice Abravanel Hall has yet to be determined, but the Utah Symphony is included in “a potential sports, entertainment, culture and convention district,” Salt Lake County leaders say as discussions over downtown’s future outside of the Delta Center heats up.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson issued a lengthy statement on Tuesday, confirming that her office has been involved in conversations with the Utah Symphony and Smith Entertainment Group over an entertainment district outside of the Delta Center. Smith Entertainment Group, owner of the Utah Jazz and the state’s new National Hockey League franchise, requested two blocks east of the arena to build the district through a process created by the Utah Legislature earlier this year.
5/6 SLTRIB: Fans of Abravanel Hall speak up to preserve Utah Symphony’s home
Jack Clark is 18 years old, but already he has performed in Abravanel Hall — the downtown Salt Lake City home of the Utah Symphony — several times.
Clark, who lives in Layton, said he was in rehearsal with the Utah Youth Symphony, where he has played viola for nearly a decade, when Barbara Ann Showcroft, one of the Utah Symphony’s violinists, talked to the student musicians about the potential fate of Abravanel Hall.
“She told us [during] our break that there is a possibility of Abravanel Hall being torn down, and that kind of hit me hard,” Clark said.
5/1 SLUGMAG: Sacred Division and Geometry: Paulette Platt’s Egg Art
Paulette Platt, also known as Paulette Sky Art, practices the Ukrainian art of pysanky to turn real eggs into art and functional jewelry. She “writes” wax patterns on eggs of various origins using a kistka (a type of stylus), then dyes the eggs, from the lightest to darkest shades, to create intricate designs or picturescapes. Don’t let the fun name fool you; this is far from your grandma’s Easter egg coloring kit.
The tradition was brought by Platt’s great-grandfather when he immigrated from Ukraine, though it fell to the wayside during Paulette’s childhood. “I didn’t know that [it] was a family tradition until we were shopping at a craft store and my dad noticed that they had had kits for Ukrainian Easter eggs,” she says. Back on the east coast, where Platt is originally from, Ukrainian egg kits are common, as a larger portion of the population descends from Ukrainian immigrants. She continues, “He was like, ‘Oh, I used to make those,’ and I was like, ‘What?’” He bought the kit and when they got home, he sat down with Platt to teach her the art.
5/1 DESERET NEWS: Springville Museum of Art celebrates 100 years of the Spring Salon Art Exhibition
In 1922, the students of Springville High School opened their doors to the public for a Paris-inspired art exhibition, the Spring Salon. With two years taken off during World War 2 — to help ration goods for the war — the Springville Museum of Art has opened its doors to celebrate 100 years of the Spring Salon.
The Salon is an annual exhibition that showcases modern art from locals across the state. This year, the judges had their hands full with a record-breaking 1,450 entries.
Springville Museum of Art Director Emily Larsen told the Deseret News that the community turnout has exceeded all expectations. “In Utah, we have such a robust art community. There are so many artists and so many incredible art organizations.”
4/30 SLTRIB: A re-imagined Salt Palace, Abravanel Hall, and Japantown in conversations for downtown sports district
Salt Lake City’s taxpayers will likely fork over $1 billion on a new sports and entertainment district downtown, one that seeks to connect core districts on Main Street and West Temple to a newly renovated Delta Center on 300 West.
What do we know about that district? Salt Lake Tribune reporters are on the case, with this Sunday’s A1 feature story on the plans — how they were developed, what we know so far about them, and significant dates to come for the project’s approval — being the most comprehensive look at the subject to date.
4/30 SOUTHWEST CONTEMPORARY: Artists Ride, and Reframe, the U.S. Railroad in The Other Side of the Tracks
Conventional histories of the Transcontinental Railroad are speeding caravans of common themes such as American exceptionalism, economic power, ingenuity, and expansion. On May 10, 1869, Leland Stanford, co-founder of the Central Pacific Railroad, united the eastern and western sections of the railroad with a 17.6-karat gold spike. The joining of the rails was the culmination of work that began in 1863, laying track eastward from Sacramento, California, a project that employed over 15,000 laborers, 13,000 of whom were Chinese immigrants. A close examination of photographs by Andrew J. Russell, who documented the Golden Spike Ceremony at Promontory Point in Utah reveals that the Chinese workers were pushed to the periphery that day. Russell quite literally cropped them out of visual history.
In The Other Side of the Tracks, opening at Ogden Contemporary Arts on May 3 and subsequently traveling across the Southwest, curator and artist Jorge Rojas widens the frame on dominant narratives he observed during the 2019 celebration of the Transcontinental Railroad’s 150th anniversary.
UTAH’S ART MAGAZINE SINCE 2001, 15 Bytes is published by Artists of Utah, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Categories: Local Art News | Mixed Media
