Craft Lake City Announces Summer 2021 Exhibition Celebration of the Hand: We Are Performers

Artwork by Camille Nugent

Lunch & Learn with Craft Lake City
Tues., July 6 at noon |Watch the Recording Here

Salt Lake City, June 28 – Craft Lake City, THE BLOCKSUtah HumanitiesThe Center for the Living City and The Temporary Museum of Permanent Change are pleased to announce a new interactive Celebration of the Hand public art exhibition. On view from July 1 – Sept., 30, 2021, We Are Performers will highlight work by fourteen Utah-based visual artists who work in a digital format. Celebrating 13 years of The Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival, this installation features digital designs by festival participants whose work was inspired by a pre-recorded performance of a performing group or artist who previously participated in the Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival. Each artwork represents a specific year that artist and performer participated. Installed in 4’x8’ streetside frames, each work includes a QR code that gives passersby the opportunity to watch or listen to the performance that inspired the visual piece.

“Through Celebration of the Hand, Craft Lake City seeks to democratize art and give voice to all of Utah’s communities,” says Angela H. Brown, executive director of Craft Lake CIty. The We Are Performers exhibition will celebrate Utah’s diverse arts community by highlighting local visual and performing artists. With an innovative and playful collaborative style, the works featured in Craft Lake City’s newest installment of Celebration of the Hand spark an engaging dialogue between diverse artistic media, spanning many genres of music as well as dance performance.

Informed by activist Jane Jacobs’ fascination with self-organized urbanism, Celebration of the Hand is a seasonal outdoor exhibition designed to enhance and reflect Salt Lake City’s cultural district through the work of Utah-based artists. Celebration of the Hand is displayed in large frames adjacent to the sidewalks along Broadway (300 South) between 200 West and West Temple, and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week free of charge.

A full list of participating artists, performers and the specific Craft Lake City DIY Festival year they represent can be found here on our event page.

Artwork by Chris Bodily

The public was invited to join Craft Lake City for a free virtual Lunch & Learn event on Tues., July 6 at noon. The discussion was led by two humanities scholars, Jason Rabb, Librarian at the Salt Lake City Public Library and Crystal Young-Otterstrom, Executive Director of Utah Cultural Alliance. Virtual attendees had the opportunity to share ideas and ask questions about the new interactive public art exhibition in downtown Salt Lake City.

The discussion covered the rich history of performing arts in Utah. In particular,  3 designs that highlight different segments of Utah performing arts in the last 12 years, including both movement and musical performance groups. Humanities scholars discussed how the performance styles connect to the performers’ individual heritage and culture, and to the greater history of Utah. Additionally, the humanities scholars  provided evaluations and facilitated discussions about the visual works of art. This project has received funding from Utah Humanities. Utah Humanities (UH) empowers groups and individuals to improve their communities through active engagement in the humanities.

WATCH THE RECORDING OF THE VIRTUAL EVENT  HERE
Artwork by Michael Murdock