I stood up from the fancy gold colored couch and smoothed out the wrinkles on my magenta gown. “Lub Dub, Lub Dub, Lub Dub.” My heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to explode. As I walked up on stage, my hands turned cold, my throat ran as dry as a desert ditch, and a trickle of sweat ran down my cheek. I had worked hours a day, days a week, and weeks a month … [Read more...]
The (Other) Oldest Profession: Storytelling in Utah
No, not THAT profession! Get your mind out of the gutter! It’s storytelling! Storytelling has been practiced since the beginning of time. It has been documented that there have been primitive civilizations who functioned without the use of the wheel and yet, they had storytellers. These storytellers of old were instrumental in passing on traditions, genealogies, songs, … [Read more...]
Gotta Dance! Utah Culture Promotes Dance Excellence
Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow ... music plays, couples embrace and laugh. There is nothing like a good waltz to change your mood. During the 19th Century, the waltz was introduced as a high society social function for the elite. In the 20th Century, a monumental shift occurred which allowed people from all demographics to take part in the joy of dancing. Ballroom dance … [Read more...]
Dance Magic: Utah’s Competitive Dance Scene
The mountain air and golden sunshine combined with the alpine elevation along with a bit of history puts Utah on the map as a source of astounding dancers. From ballroom and TV stars like Derek and Julianne Hough from Orem to Norwegian Principal Ballerina, Whitney Jensen, from Sandy; Utah simply has a little bit of dance magic. It’s not all magic of course. It’s a lot of … [Read more...]
Artist Samantha Long: Love of Whimsy
“I begin almost every painting with an idea in mind,” says artist Samantha Long, “be it a line from a hymn or a verse of scripture or something I’ve just been thinking about.” “Zion Rising,” “What Souls are Worth,” “Raising the Saints,” “Fruits of the Spirit,” and “Fleeing Babylon,” are just a few of the names Long has given her paintings. The name of each piece gives you a … [Read more...]
Utah Artist Bridgette Meinhold’s Transition: From Engineer to Artist
When a person is an artist, their life becomes their magnum opus. This is the principle that Park City artist Bridgette Meinhold has used to intertwine two distinctly different disciplines. Bridgette holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from San Diego State University and an MS in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. When examining the first half … [Read more...]
David and Brigitte Delthony: Couple Brings International Touch to Escalante Art Scene
The geological majesty of Utah's canyon country captivates millions of visitors every year. Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is no exception, drawing more than an estimated million visitors last summer down Highway 12. Of course, for millennia before the area was recognized by the US government for its special qualities, humans recognized a potent creative muse in … [Read more...]
Nicole Parish: Beauty Is In the Eye of the Bug-Holder
Nicole Parish’s subjects are decidedly different from many of the traditional still life scenes you'll find in most art galleries. Most still lifes include images of floral arrangements or fruits. Nicole's still life subjects, however, are something most people deem a nuisance—bugs. It's a wonder that a local artist trained in the classic still life art form would turn to … [Read more...]
Almost Famous, Aspiring Utah Child Actors
The Arduous Road of Parents Who are Helping Their Children to Become Stars It is a long way from Payson to Los Angeles, but for aspiring child star Taevyn Chipman, the distance seems within reach. Seven-year-old Chipman recently participated in auditions that he and his family hope will launch his acting and modeling career. “This is just the beginning of Taevyn’s journey,” … [Read more...]
Jann Haworth: Salt Lake City Murals
Thousands of people a year pass by a mural to what closely resembles the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover and never know why it’s in downtown (250 S. 400 W.) Salt Lake City or who created it. If they only knew that it was Jann Haworth―one of the most accomplished pop artists since the 1960s, who lives and works in Utah and is helping to shine a … [Read more...]