Arts and Culture

Cedar City, Utah’s Groovefest American Music Festival is celebrating its 11th annual music and art festival in the community’s beautiful historic downtown district beginning on Monday, June 24th and running through Sunday, June 30th for 2013.

A new report by a national arts organization says the creative industries in Utah employ nearly 30,000 people and account for roughly 5 percent of all businesses in the state. UPR’s Matt Jensen has more.

LOGAN — Utah State University’s Old Lyric Repertory Company opens the 2013 season with Dan Goggin’s musical comedy “Nunsense” at the Caine Lyric Theatre.

“‘Nunsense’ is the biggest hit of the company and for the anniversary season we wanted to revive an all-time audience favorite,” said Dennis Hassan, artistic director of the OLRC and associate professor in the Caine College of the Arts at USU.

This Friday, two Utah State University English professors will be hosting a birthday party for writer Willa Cather. Ms. Cather will be unable to attend her 139th birthday party here in Logan, but her spirit will certainly be present.

UPR’s Ryan Cunningham talked to professors Evelyn Funda and Steve Shively about the birthday party and their affinity for Cather’s prose.

Celebrate Willa Cather's 139th birthday on Friday, December 7th, at St. John's Episcopal Church in Logan (85 E 100 N). Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m.

The sand mandala, a traditional Buddhist art form, is not a craft for the undedicated. Using unique metal tools to dispense sand over a flat surface, hours of focus and, oftentimes, physical discomfort are required. And when it's all said and done, the entire thing is dismantled, and all that's left is the memory.

It might not sound like it, but this is a university classroom at work. Obviously, this isn’t the kind of class with droning lectures and drooling students. This is, in fact, the USU Chamber Singers, and instead of studying for the next big exam, they’re preparing for the next big performance—this time with professional singer Alex Boyé.

USU Director of Choral Activities Dr. Cory Evans, says his singers are looking forward to the performance on Friday night.