Journal
Alice Merrill Horne: A Pioneer for LDS Arts Advocacy
Alice Merrill Horne was a prolific advocate for the arts in early Utah. Learn more about her important work and how she helped discover artist Minerva Teichert.
Festival preview
The Center for Latter-day Saint Arts Festival is in a few weeks (June 28-29) in NYC. We’ve been working on it for a year, and we’ve got surprises galore.
If you’re a parent with wee ones: On Saturday morning, before noon, there are fun activities for children—bookmaking, storytelling, and dance—with Kevin Hawkes, New York Times bestselling author (Library Lion, Weslandia), and others.
If you love tv and the movies: A first screening of “Heart of Africa,” a new film by Congolese filmmaker Tshoper Kabamabi about two missionaries—black and white, in the Congo; and the 10th anniversary screening of the complete, groundbreaking, award-winning thriller, “The Book of Jer3miah,” with the filmmakers, Jared Cardon and Jeff Parkin.
If you’d rather stay home and read a book: a keynote address by Harvard Divinity School professor David F. Holland on “Art and Religion in the American Novel”; a concert reading and performance of literary works (poetry, fiction, live music); and a discussion with poets Lance Larsen, Susan Howe, and Michael Lavers called “How Poetry Works.”
If you’re sort of smart: a panel discussion, “Women in Art” with three scholars with diverse backgrounds and approaches to the visual arts; a presentation on the great matron of Utah arts, Alice Merrill Horne; a panel on how to look at art; another on collecting art in today’s market; and a performance/presentation on the power of dance.
If you grove to music: a concert retrospective of the music of David Fletcher, with special guests Sarah Asplund, Jonathan Austin, and more; a reading of a new play with music about James W. McConkie, written by his grandsons, Davey and Jamie Erekson; a tango duo from Argentina; and the marquee event of the festival, a concert at the Kaye Playhouse featuring Latter-day Saint performers from Nashville, Broadway, Finland, and more.
If you want to log in some gallery time: five (count ‘em, five) exhibitions that include two photography shows based on Utah landscape; a sound installation accessed through your phone; conceptual art about women’s voices; and a video installation titled “Belief in Zion.”
Pretty amazing, pretty diverse, pretty fun, pretty cheap.
About that: children are free; a two-day pass is just $25 ($12.50 for students); and the concert (Center Stage at the Kaye Playhouse) are $15 and $20.
Podcast transcription: Laura Allred Hurtado: Her Years at the Church History Museum
The former global acquisitions curator for the Church History Museum reflects on her tenure and influence on art in the Church with the aid of tributes written by artists and colleagues: Neylan McBaine, Walter Rane, Rose Datoc Dall, Alan Johnson, Valerie Atkisson de Moura, Annie Poon, Diane P. Stewart, Caitlin Connolly, and Jason Metcalf. Hurtado is the newly-named executive director of the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.
Winner! Mormon Cinema: Origins to 1952
We are happy to announce that our book, Mormon Cinema: Origins to 1952, by Randy Astle was the winner of the Association for Mormon Letters award in the category of Criticism.
Our latest project: Come, Follow Me (Art Companion)
We’re thrilled to announce the Center’s latest project. To assist people of all ages in their study of the scriptures, the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts has prepared a weekly tool to go with each lesson from the Come, Follow Me manual using fine art and objects created by members of the Church, commentary, and questions to spark discussion. We call it Come, Follow Me (Art Companion).
Press Release: The Center for Latter-day Saint Arts Announces 2019 Grants, Awards and Commissions
NEW YORK, New York – January 17, 2019 – The Center for Latter-day Saint Arts, formerly known as the Mormon Arts Center, announced it will give 20 grants, awards and commissions to 40 different artists in 2019.
2019 Grants, Awards and Commissions
The Center for Latter-day Saint Arts is pleased to announce 20 grants, awards, and commissions to 40 artists for 2019
Podcast transcription: Lance Larsen's New Poems: What the Body Knows
In a discussion about his newest book of poetry, award-winning poet Lance Larsen speaks about prose poetry, describes how his work evolves from draft to print, reads from his work, listens to an art song setting of his poems, and considers other art forms that appeal to him.
Podcast transcription: Brontë Hebdon and the Church's Visual Culture
Glen Nelson: Hello and welcome to another episode in our podcast series. In the studio today we have Brontë Hebdon, a PhD student at the prestigious Institute of Fine Arts in New York City. The institute has produced many of the world's leading art historians, museum directors, curators, and conservators. It's a graduate program of New York University, and it is housed in the former Duke mansion on Fifth Avenue near the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Brontë is Marica and Jan Vilcek fellow, and her focus is art from the 19th century, from France, Georgian Britain, and fashion. She earned a BA degree in art history and curatorial studies at BYU in 2016 and a master's from the Institute of Fine Arts in 2018. So welcome Brontë. It's great to have you here. What an exciting adventure education you're having.
Podcast transcription: Are There Anybody Here: The Music of David Fletcher
Glen Nelson: Hello and welcome to another episode in our monthly podcast. I'm your host Glen Nelson. You've just heard the first verse of "Weepin' Mary," a song written in 1990 by David Fletcher in an unreleased demo recording of 1998 with soprano Sarah Aspland singing and the composer of the piano. On today's podcast, I'm here with composer/songwriter David Fletcher to discuss his life and music. What a pleasure D., welcome.
Christmas books from the Center...on Sales
We’ve placed all of our books published by the Center on sale today. Here’s a list:
Mormon Cinema - $19.95
Nzambi (God) - $9.95
Immediate Present - $19.95
The Kimball Challenge at Fifty: Mormon Arts Center Essays - $9.95
These can be purchased directly from our website, or on Amazon.
On This Day...
Today, we’re starting a daily posting of interesting facts in the history of our culture’s art. These (almost-365) stories come from the worlds of film, literature, music, visual art, theater, dance, and pop culture. Some are wacky and funny; others are emotional and beautiful. All can be found on our tab On This Day… as well as on Instagram and our Facebook page.
If you like them, visit our social media platforms and share them with friends.