The Best of Arts and Culture in Northern Utah
- Posted on February 05, 2016
One of the best things about living in northern Utah, and especially near Salt Lake City, is the incredible arts and culture scene. Check it out:
Music & Dance
The Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City is a world-class orchestra that performs a range of works every season, from classic orchestral masterpieces to choral works to ballet.
If ballet is your thing, Ballet West has what you’re looking for. They feature classic and contemporary works as well as annual holiday performances of The Nutcracker.
The Utah Opera is another place to go for breathtaking artistic achievements. They even have hotel packages so you can make a night of it with tickets to the opera, an executive suite, and credit for dinner or a massage.
And if you want to see your favorite band, pop artist, or comedian, there’s always somebody fantastic bringing their tour to Salt Lake’s Vivint Smart Home Arena, also home to the Utah Jazz.
Theater & Film
Pioneer Theater Company is a professional company bringing new and classic works to the stage on the University of Utah campus.
Peery’s Egyptian Theater in Ogden is a historic movie theater that now hosts not only film but live theater and other events, including music and dance festivals. It’s even a venue for the Sundance Film Festival.
Then of course there’s the Sundance Film Festival itself, which needs no introduction. Every year, the rich and famous come to the mountains of northern Utah to show and see the very best of independent film.
And for good clean fun, the Desert Star Playhouse and the Off Broadway Theater in Salt Lake both specialize in family-friendly productions, including musicals and comedy events.
Visual Art
Slated to reopen in spring 2017, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts has a collection of over 20,000 works ancient to modern from around the world. If you can’t wait until next spring, you can search their collection online.
You can also visit the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, which is devoted to exhibiting contemporary art that helps viewers explore “what it means to exist in today’s world”—which we have to admit is very different from the one that created the old masters.
The Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Art is a unique museum dedicated to the art of Native American and other ethnic and immigrant communities living in Utah. The museum also hosts workshops throughout the year and a free concert series, Mondays in the Park, in July and August.
The Eccles Community Art Center in historic Ogden is home to art exhibits, art classes for all ages, an annual art auction, and numerous art competitions.
Festivals
The Utah Arts Festival is a summer event in Salt Lake City that you won’t want to miss. Visual artists, culinary artists, and filmmakers come to show their stunning work. There’s even a masquerade party. And if you’re not there for the festival, the UAF Gallery is open year-round with exhibits showcasing Utah artists.