What’s new around town.
—by Katherine Pioli, India Hodges, Katy Yeaky, and Jeannette Culas
News from the Cameron Wellness Center
The Cameron Wellness Center in Sugar House, with Dr. Todd Cameron, naturopath, is offering a new Healthy Lifestyle Program, geared toward those who have an existing activity/exercise regimen. One meets twice with Dr Cameron: at the beginning to establish a personalized plan, and one month later. Progress is monitored weekly. You also receive weekly B-vitamin shots for energy.
Joining the Center is Meghan Nunn, Licensed Massage Therapist. Nunn has advanced certifications in pre, peri and postnatal massage as well as segmental bodywork for injury and recovery and a variety of other techniques.
Dr. Cameron has also teamed with SLC Fit Collective as a mentor on the collective’s eight-week slimdown challenges, another of which begins in late September.
Cameron Wellness Center, DrToddCameron.com SLC Fit Collective: www.slcfitcollective.com
Artists wanted: Project Ghost Town
Grafton, a successful cotton-producing pioneer town along the banks of the Virgin River, now remembered by an earthen-brick church and its cemetery. Fort Deseret, a place of security for early settlers, hidden and half crumbled in fields of grass. Once bustling centers of human activity, now remnants of dreams gone by, ghosts towns inspire reflection on our own ghost towns, some metaphorical, some real. What feelings surge up when confronted with these places, once thriving, now silent? Such are the questions and the inspiration for a new crowd-sourced art project using Utah’s over 100 ghost towns as backdrop, subject and starting point.
Developed by Another Language Performing Arts Company, a locally based group that combines art forms with communications technology, the Ghost Town Project is currently looking for artistic, creatively inspired participants and welcomes submissions in all forms: text, video, photography, audio.-kp
Deadline for content is January 30, 2015. Guidelines and registration:
anotherlanguage.org/ projects/2014/ghosttown/ghosttown.html
Buddhist Traditions
When Professor Wijitha Bandara was 11 years old, a Buddhist horoscope told him that he would become a great scholar. From that day, he immersed himself in scholarship, first as a monk in his home of Sri Lanka and now as an associate professor of religion at Salt Lake Community College.
Starting this fall semester, Prof. Bandara will offer two new religious studies courses through a partnership between SLCC and the Asia Center at the University of Utah, Introduction to Asian Religions and Philosophy and Introduction to Buddhist Traditions. Currently, they are the only academic courses in the Salt Lake Valley covering Asian literature, ethics and history, and promise to be exceptionally well-taught.
Fall 2014 Religion Courses at SLCC: Intro to Asian Religion and Philosophy, RELS 2010, South City Campus. Intro to Buddhist Traditions, RELS 2020, Taylorsville
Redwood Campus UMFA receives grant
The Utah Museum of Fine Art houses some pretty noteworthy pieces of artwork. So noteworthy, in fact, that the museum recently received a hefty two-year grant of $80,000 from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The grant will support four more installations of the series salt, which showcases emerging artists from around the world. Exhibitions 11 through 14 will be open to the public in the spring and fall of 2015 and 2016.
Executive Director Gretchen Dietrich is clearly thrilled about the award saying, “salt at its core is a generator of new artistic work and scholarly thought, and we’re ecstatic that such a renowned and forward-thinking institution recognizes the program’s importance to artists, audiences, and scholars both locally and globally…This Warhol Foundation grant will help us continue to bring innovative, diverse artwork to Utah.” The exhibit salt 9 is on display through August 17 when it will be replaced by the next installation in the series. -jc
Salt Lake Symphony auditions
Think you have what it takes to play for the Salt Lake Symphony? On Tuesday August 19 the Salt Lake Symphony is holding general auditions for all string sections: violin, viola, cello, and bass.
You’ll be required to perform both a slow and fast segment of a concerto piece and a scale of the symphony’s choosing. Also be prepared to sight-read. Now, get practicing! -jc
Auditions are at Libby Gardner Concert Hall in President’s Circle, University of Utah campus beginning at 7 pm. To set up an audition: Joyce, 801-250-9419.
Volunteer for Craft Lake City
The DIY festival that promotes Salt Lake’s artisan culture just wouldn’t happen without the hard work of volunteers, over 300 of them! With each volunteer donating a few hours of their time – to set up, take down, greet attendees, or oversee the kids’ area – the 6th Annual Craft Lake City Festival will be a huge success.
To volunteer visit craftlakecity.com/volunteer.
2014 DIY Craft Lake City Festival, Gallivan Center,
239 S Main St, Aug 8 and 9, noon till 10 pm.
Sage’s Nonprofit Night
Here’s another excuse to dine out at Sage’s Café, 15% of proceeds made on the first and third Thursday of each month from 5-10pm will be donated to a local nonprofit. This month’s donations will go to Ching Animal Sanctuary (Aug 7) and SLC Green Drinks (Aug 21). Nonprofit nights will also feature a special seasonal cocktail and chef’s tasting menu. For a full calendar of events go to: SagesCafe.com.
Work Coffeebar: Best of both worlds
Freelancers, traveling business people, and independent professionals sick of working alone and at home—constantly distracted by the fridge, the dog, the light on the wall—will be relieved to know that there is now a place to go that’s less crowded than the library, quieter than a coffee shop and full of other working professionals. Work Coffeebar opened its doors last month. It is Utah’s first open-membership co-working space.
Non-members may enter this office-coffee shop hybrid, plop down a laptop and buy a beverage, but to take full advantage of the space requires a $45 monthly fee. Members have access to free printing and scanning. They can call ahead to reserve a variety of private workspaces. There are small rooms that accommodate two people, large rooms for up to six, or a large four-hour conference area. Members are also invited to exclusive networking events.
There’s no need to pack a lunch, either. Work Coffee Bar operates in conjunction with a local bakery that provides pastries, salads, sandwiches and non-caffeinated beverages all with a 15% discount to members. – ih
Located in Midvale at 623 E 7200 S. between the fire station and Golden Corral. Mon-Fri 6:30 AM to 9PM; Weekends 7AM to 9PM
www.workcoffeebar.com
Transmormon: thought-provoking
If you have not yet seen this Utah-produced short, see it. The story of an Orem family’s coming to grips with a transgender child, beautifully told in under 15 minutes, has received national attention and is now careening toward a million views on the internet.
The documentary, created in partnership with KUER’s VideoWest, is directed by Torben Bernhard of Oho Media. It won top prize in the Fear No Film competition at the Utah Arts Festival.
View Transmormon at vimeo.com/ohomedia/transmormon
Equality Utah
Brandie Balken steps down this month as executive director of Equality Utah to pursue a position with the national LGBT rights organization the Gill Foundation.
Balken transitioned from board member to interim director in 2009, ultimately taking the directorship. Under her leadership, the organization celebrated many milestones including successful lobbying for more than 35 LGBT-inclusive local and state level policies and earning a spot on Change.org’s Top 10 “Gay Rights Heroes of 2010.”
Equality Utah is preparing a formal executive director search and welcomes board member Marina Gomberg as the interim director.
People Water
When you have money, the possibilities are endless. Salt Lake-based developer Ken Bretschneider, the same man who is bringing Salt Lake a three-story downtown nightclub and a Victorian London-themed amusement park, also dabbles in the business of saving the world. If you are someone who buys plastic disposable water bottles, you can now buy Bretschneider’s People Water at Sprouts and Whole Foods and feel a little bit better about paying for commodified spring water and throwing away the bottle, because People Water funds water improvement projects around the world. In Haiti, the Philippines, Mississippi and other places People Water is drilling wells, repairing existing wells and installing water purification systems, giving “an equal amount of water for every bottle of water sold.” -kp
Good gossip: David Whyte
It’s not until February 2015, but we thought you might like to start anticipating the Salt Lake City arrival of the much-loved British poet David Whyte. Provided the rumor is true.
Who’s bringing him and what he’s doing here—well, we’re not going to say. We don’t want to be accused of spreading (big) rumors. Do stay tuned, however.