Festival to feature Utah artisits
While most eyes will be focused on the athletes, many may catch a peripheral glimpse of the culture, music and art the Olympics provides.
The Olympic Arts Festival offers a backdrop on which the spectators and athletes can see the culture and diversity the world holds.
Raymond Grant, artistic director, said according to a charter from the International Olympic Committee, the Arts Festival is a required part of the Olympic Games and is designed to promote the heritage found around the world.
This year the organizers of the festival hope to highlight the art found in America, Utah and specifically the American West, Grant said.
“This Olympic Arts Festival celebrates Utah and its heritage, embraces the West and its cultures and highlights the United States’ contributions to arts and humanities,” he said.
According to a brochure detailing the schedule and pricing of cultural events during the Olympic Games, the event lineup includes jazz musician Billy Taylor to showcase this American-born style of music. An exhibition will be presented at the Utah Museum of Natural History focusing on the history and present-day lives of the people native to Utah and its land.
Grant said approximately 4 percent of Europeans know the state of Utah exists. Many are familiar with the American West because of movies and other sources containing Utah’s national parks, but this image is never affiliated with Utah, he said.
“They have a perspective that is steeped in stereotype, and we hope to debunk the myths about the American West,” he said. “Most visitors are not expecting to see an Indian in a business suit.”
The Arts Festival includes artists from many different genres including theater, film, art, sculpture, dance, poetry and music, Grant said.
He said 38 percent of the performances will be free of charge to the public including four weekend performances by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, combined with other world-renowned artists such as the King’s Singers and Fredrica Von Stade.
Approximately 72 percent of all of the tickets available have already been sold, but the organizers are working on some form of waiting list for those shows which are already sold out, he said.
A ticket for an event is also a pass to travel free of charge using public transportation such as TRAX or UTA, Grant said.
“Making the festival affordable has allowed this program to really resonate for those who want to see the shows,” he said.
Although the Olympics and Paralympics distinguish between abilities of the participants, the Arts Festival does not set any of the artists apart.
“Dale Chihuly, for example, wears a patch over one of his eyes, but he is one of the most remarkable glass artists in the world,” Grant said. “He has been honored as America’s first National Living Treasure.”
Grant emphasized the fact Salt Lake City is the host for this Winter Olympics, but the people of the world will be representing and hosting these Games in their own way.
“The nature of the festival is to get the point of view from the artist. This is a world community that is hosting the games with artists who just happen to live locally,” he said.