Salt Lake City, June 5 – Craft Lake City, The Center for the Living City and The Temporary Museum of Permanent Change are pleased to announce a new Celebration of the Hand exhibition showcasing the work of local makers from the Nopalera Artist Collective. On view from June 15-September 27, 2018, the exhibition will feature eight different pieces by eight different artists from eight different homelands. The public is invited to join Nopalera Artist Collective for free exhibition walks inspired by Jane Jacobs on Friday, June 15 at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm.
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.
The newly-formed Nopalera Artist Collective describes their group of creatives as “brown, black, indigenous, migrant artists in Salt Lake City, whose work relates to culture, resistance, and the resilience of our people.” The collective aims to amplify the experiences of their members’ communities and empower artists to become self-sustaining.
The summer 2018 installation of Celebration of the Hand will include work by eight artists from Nopalera Artist Collective with roots in Central or South America: Andrew Alba, Jorge Arellano, Paula Bravo, Itza Hernandez, Nestor Jimenez, Jazmine Martinez, Ella Mendoza and Lola Reyes. Each artist will create a large work inspired by themes of diversity and the representation of Salt Lake City’s many cultures. Nopalera, or cacti, will be depicted in each piece, serving as a visual connector and a reminder of the collective’s ability to thrive in the face of harsh conditions and adversity.
“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. “We are excited to present the work and ideas of Nopalera Artist Collective, and hope this exhibition sparks new conversations and understanding in our neighborhoods.”
Related Programming: Exhibition Tours and Jane Jacobs Walks
Friday, June 15 at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm | Broadway & West Temple
The public is invited to join Craft Lake City, the Center for the Living City and Nopalera Artist Collective for free exhibition walks on Friday, June 15 at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm. Led by local artist, humanities scholar, and UMFA director of education and engagement Jorge Rojas, the interactive walk will provide participants the opportunity to examine each work on view, share ideas and ask questions, meet the featured artists and learn more about the collective. A representative from Center for the Living City will also guide an informal discussion about Jane Jacobs and the many ways artists and residents respond to the complexities of the city we call home. Participants will meet on the southeast corner of Broadway and West Temple in downtown Salt Lake City.
This program has received funding from Utah Humanities. Utah Humanities empowers Utahns to improve their communities through active engagement in the humanities.
For more information, please visit craftlakecity.com.
About Craft Lake City:
Founded in 2009 by Angela H. Brown, Executive Editor of SLUG (Salt Lake UnderGround) Magazine, Craft Lake City® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the mission to educate, promote and inspire local artisans while elevating the creative culture of the Utah arts community through science, technology and art. Craft Lake City strives to further define the term “Craft,” by modernizing the definition for handmade creativity.
craftlakecity.com @craftlakecity
About the Temporary Museum of Permanent Change:
The Temporary Museum of Permanent Change is a community based, participatory project that uses the ever-changing development processes underway in Salt Lake City as catalysts to animate city life. The Museum engages a variety of audiences using a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach that includes performance art and video production, visual art, urban archaeology, anthropology, local history, existing businesses and ongoing deconstruction and construction processes as spectacles for people of all ages. Together these elements provide teachable moments in our efforts to manage and celebrate change. This museum has no specific address. Rather it is a construction of ideas, installations and illuminations that comprise a new way of seeing our city.
museumofchange.org
About the Center for Living City:
The Center for the Living City’s purpose is to expand the understanding of the complexity of contemporary urban life and through it, promote increased civic engagement among people who care deeply for their communities. The Center provides portals for community engagement through the lens of urban ecology to further the understanding of the interconnected human and ecological systems in our communities. The Center’s multi-disciplinary approach to community engagement is applied through educational programs, collaborative projects, fellowships, on-line portals, workshops and publications.
centerforthelivingcity.org @_whatwesee_
