On March 6 and 7, the Utah Arts Alliance (UAA) will host the 10th annual ILLUMINATE, a walkable showcase of light installations, live performances and interactive art. The festival is a reflection of UAA’s continuous commitment to accessible public art and shared civic space. Twenty different installation pieces from local artists will be featured for the public’s enjoyment at no cost.
An initiative of exploration
Executive Director of UAA Derek Dyer says, “This festival not only celebrates creativity and technology but also introduces our community to innovative and unique light art experiences. The festival continues to push the boundaries of what art is and can be by discovering and showcasing new and emerging art forms.”
UAA’s goal is to showcase art that can oftentimes be underrepresented, such as light installations. “We saw there was an opportunity to focus on light and technology-driven art,” Dyer said. “About ten years ago, there was a shift that we noticed in artist culture. LED lights and projectors were more accessible to artists, so we saw a lot more artists working in those mediums.”
Dyer said they strive to follow art as it changes and evolves, which means being flexible and open when it comes to the art they showcase at these festivals. “I think the most interesting thing to me, or what we’re really trying to see, is what’s next or what we haven’t seen yet,” he said. “That’s really what ILLUMINATE is all about: showing us something different.”
The festival has showcased a variety of ground-breaking, innovative art, such as a drone show. “I think it was about four years ago, we had the first free, public drone show at ILLUMINATE in Salt Lake City,” Dyer said. This drone show paved the way for a lot of other Utah cities to start hosting their own, and especially shows that we’re accessible to the public. “Almost every city does its own drone show now. That first year, not many people knew what it was.”
Get involved
If light installations aren’t your cup of tea, still come to the festival; there will be live musical performances as well. Since the festival takes place at night in the cold outdoors, there will be warming stations as well with hot chocolate for viewers to keep warm and enjoy the art. The event will include a Paralympics watch party so festivalgoers can enjoy the festival while also catching some sporting events.
“The festival continues to push the boundaries of what art is and can be by discovering and showcasing new and emerging art forms,” Dyer said.
To find details about the festival, click here.
