Juneteenth
The Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival is celebrating “The Power of Now.” The annual event, which is partially sponsored by WSU, is on its 28th year and will be held from June 16–18 and June 21 in Ogden, Layton and West Valley City.
The event has been extended from last year due to 2016 Utah Legislature recognition, which determined that Juneteenth Freedom Day would be celebrated every third Saturday in June. With Utah’s pass of the legislation, 45 states now observe this holiday that celebrates the liberation of slaves, according to a press release from WSU.
Weber State University Davis will host a Town Hall Discussion on June 16 at 6:30 p.m., along will a few performances.
Activities will be held on June 17–18 in West Valley City at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center.
June 21 will be a movie screening. More details about the event can be found online at weber.edu/wsutoday.
Landscape in the Shade
WSU’s Center for Lifelong Learning is hosting Landscape in the Shade on June 17 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. This event is for all community members who are looking for an opportunity to draw and paint in a social environment.
Hopeful artists will work beneath the trees of the Kimball Art Center and be provided with the opportunity to work with pencil, watercolor, pastels, markers and other materials provided by the visual art department.
Instructors will teach attendees about line, color and shadow, amongst other basic art principles.
The pros of attending? No experience, skill, talents or materials are necessary to come and participate and learn some basic landscape methods. The cons? There is an entry fee of $59, so if broke college students are looking to attend, it would be valuable to make sure they can stay for the entire event and that they come fully prepared to learn.
You can register for the event online at continue.weber.edu.
African Dance with Deja Mitchell
It’s time to expand your dance moves beyond the whip and nae nae and throw away the dab. Come learn the basics of African dance at the Eccles Community Art Center throughout the month of June.
The classes will be taught by Utah native Deja Mitchell on Monday evenings from 4:30–5:45 p.m.
Mitchell is a member of the dance faculty at Weber State and specializes in the study and teaching of African dance. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Modern Dance from Utah State University, she discovered African dance, according to WSU’s Department of Performing Arts.
Mitchell settled in Ogden and began teaching at the Eccles Community Art Center in 2006. Her classes center around polyrhythms, the first steps to understanding and learning African dance, hip hop and stomp.
Classes are nightly drop-ins with a fee of $10. The Eccles Community Art Center asks that participants register for the class beforehand by calling 801-392-6935.
Stephen Henry Art Exhibit
Until June 27, artist Stephen Henry’s “The Roots of My Raisin” exhibit is on display at the Ogden Union Station Gallery.
Stephen is originally from Texas, earning a BFA in printmaking from Midwestern State University and now resides in Clinton, Utah, with his wife and chihuahua, Nacho. For seventeen years, Stephen has taught high school in addition to working as a professional artist, according to Teton Arts.
His work features outdoor western-American landscapes, paintings and charcoal drawings of animals such as buffalos, horses, cowboys and anything and everything country.
The exhibit captures the essence of rural western America. The detailed landscapes will make you feel as if you were visiting grandma and grandpa on the farm or as if you had been whisked away to a life a little less hectic.
And what’s great about the exhibit for hardcore budgeting students? It’s completely free. So if you find yourself on Historic 25th Street, you might consider popping by and seeing what Stephen Henry’s artwork does for you.
