Paula Fuga Brings Joy Through Music As Paula Fuga introduced herself as an artist and songwriter from Hawaii, a young boy in the back row perked up. She continued introducing herself and explained that today she was going to teach them a song she wrote for her nieces when they were going through a hard ..read more

UtahPresents supporters and donors Dinesh Patel and Gordon & Connie Hanks, along with Advisory Board Chair Tiana Hood and Vice-Chair Havilah Clarke, discuss why they support UtahPresents and the impact of our programming.   ..read more

Spring ReachUP Impact UtahPresents ReachUP engagement events this spring were as varied as our artists. Led by Community Engagement Manager Melissa Salguero, these events reached nearly 4,000 people, mostly K-12 students. Step Afrika kicked off our January with their electric performance on Martin Luther King Day. Following the show, students from Highland High School, who are in the first and only high school stepping group in the state, met the performers and spent time talking and asking questions. The students also performed a short stepping routine for the Step Afrika dancers. Though st ..read more

National Endowment for the Arts Funds UtahPresents’ Stage Door Series, Featuring New Works by Plan-B Theatre and Heartland Collective Plan-B Theatre also receives funding for EllaMental by Dee-Dee Darby Duffin, which will serve students in grades 4-6 statewide as the company’s 12th annual Free Elementary School Tour UtahPresents is thrilled to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $25,000 to support the Stage Door series. The UtahPresents series, reimagined to feature local artists producing new work, will present pre ..read more

The Reviews are in – Ocean Filibuster Reviews   Photo by Pim Lin, Forest Photography at the University of Houston, 2022. Reviews are in for Ocean Filibuster’s performance at Kingsbury Hall! Each reviewer noted the skill of actor Jennifer Kidwell, who played both the Ocean and Mr. Majority, the production’s unique and immersive projections. Here’s what they had to say: The Daily Utah Chronicle Arts writer Josie Hind wrote a glowing review of Ocean Filibuster, noting that “Kidwell’s ability to switch between the Ocean and Mr Majority was “a feat of performance”… “through a combination of ..read more

CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES TO BRETLEIGH SANDORF UtahPresents Hiring Development Coordinator Congratulations to Bretleigh Sandorf, UtahPresents’ Development Officer, on her upcoming wedding! She will be moving to Utah County and seeking work closer to her soon-to-be home. As such, her last day with UtahPresents will be May 31st. The entire team at UtahPresents wishes Bretleigh and her fiancé all the best in the next chapter of their lives! The impact of Bretleigh’s work at UtahPresents has been far-reaching and impressive. She has created multiple donor programs, overseen fundraising for t ..read more

A “BIG” opening for 2023-24 The 2023-24 season kicked off in a BIG way, with four performances of Joanna Kotze’s BIG BEATS, a free outdoor performance on Aug 25 and 26 at the Salt Lake City Public Library and the U of U’s Marriot Library. The cast included professional dancers, as well as students and faculty from the U’s School of Dance. Kotze was in Salt Lake City for two weeks leading up to the performances, working with dancers and UtahPresents and School of Dance staff to set the work and ensure a perfect execution of such a large event. “This was quite an event to put together – 24 dan ..read more

Community Engagement for K-12 Students in the 2022-23 Season UtahPresents’ seasons are full of amazing artists from around the world, performing at the top of their genres. But did you also know that most of these artists are also deeply engaged in community and often connect with student and community groups before or after their performances? During our 2022-23 season, 16 artists/ensembles performed 23 public shows at Kingsbury Hall and other venues. But in addition, they also participated in 48 community events, impacting nearly 10,000 people in Salt Lake and the surrounding areas. A signif ..read more

Save Our Great Salt Lake Student Art Contest Winners   We are happy to announce the winners of the Save Our Great Salt Lake Student Art Contest. Visual arts entries included painting, drawing, mixed media and digital art. Literary arts included poetry, short stories, and essays. Contest entrants ranged in age from K-3rd graders up to U of U undergraduate students, and winners represent all age groups. The visual arts winners will be on display at Kingsbury Hall for the performance of Ocean Filibuster on March 23, after which they will be on display in the Center for Equity and Student Bel ..read more

Curating Creativity: UtahPresents and U. of Utah College of Fine Arts Welcome Chloe Jones as New Executive Director/Assistant Dean The University of Utah College of Fine Arts is pleased to announce Chloe Jones will be joining the team as the next Executive Director of UtahPresents and Assistant Dean for Art & Creative Engagement. Jones comes to the U from The Yard, a creation and performance platform in Martha’s Vineyard that supports diverse, contemporary dance-makers and related artists in their creative processes. She will join the University on October 31, 2022, with the goal of furthe ..read more