Gallery Stroll – May 2010

May is full of great events, and as luck would have it, most of them are taking place on May 21. Salt Lake has great connectivity, but having the Salt Lake Gallery Stroll, SLC Fashion Stroll and Living Traditions Festival all in one night is just crazy busy.

Whether you’re taking in one event or all three, you’re sure to see a plethora of awe-inspiring art in every medium known to man. I propose that this trifecta will charge the city with a creative energy that rivals that of New York or L.A. Where will you be on this night of nights in the art community?

Broadway (300 S.) is home to an eclectic mix of galleries and shops, a hot spot in recent years for the Gallery Stroll and the birthplace of the Fashion Stroll––a buzz with the avant-garde. While on Broadway, stop by the Kayo Gallery at 177 E. 300 S. to see Cara Despain and Mary Toscano’s show, Into the White.

What happens when two giggly non-redheads play with a paper shredder?  Get an inside look at their creative process, including some very silly videos of the girls working through the collaboration by visiting their blog Random Tandem. Broadway will be very stylish this night, so get your Fashion Stroll on with activities that include street vendors, mega-sales on spring and summer garb and runway shows from the best local designers in the Salt Lake fashion scene, all happening from 6-10 p.m.

Art Access at 230 S. 500 W. #125 will host it’s eighth annual 300 Plates show. Looking to start or add to your art collection? This is the event to do so.  First, let me clarify that these are not your Lenex Elvis collectible plates. These are 300 11” x 10” recycled metal printer’s plates on which over 99 established and emerging Utah artists have created art using a variety of mediums.

The plate prices will start at $75 and increase sequentially in one-dollar increments. The plates are hung in sequence, and the number of the plate is also the price. In previous years, I have snagged a Cassandra Barney for $132, a Lenka Konopasek for $75 and most recently a Steve Larsen for $76.

All proceeds go to Art Access/ VSA, which hosts a wide variety of public art classes for people with and without disabilities. Under the direction of Ruth Lubbers, this gallery continues to be a staple in the art community and a vital resource for those wanting to find their creative outlet. The Eighth Annual 300 Plates fundraiser takes place Thursday May 20 from 6-9 p.m. in conjunction with the monthly Gallery Stroll. For more information or to purchase tickets to the fundraiser, contact Art Access at 801-328-0703.

The Salt Lake City Arts Council presents the twenty-fifth annual Living Traditions Festival on May 21, 22 and 23 at the Salt Lake City & County Building. Celebrating the traditional music, dance, crafts and food of Salt Lake’s ethnic communities, Living Traditions is a community-wide celebration of our rich cultural diversity.

Share in the opportunity to experience the traditions of over 40 native and foreign cultures that make Salt Lake their home. Experience the flavors of ethnic foods, the games that children and adults play, the crafts that are both functional and decorative, and the music and dance that are integral to every culture.

Nights like this are what make living in Utah special. Be a part of it and support local art!