Laura Love has been involved in music since she was able to walk.
"I heard everything from Sly & the Family Stone, James Brown, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rankin and Chicago on the radio," Love said during a telephone interview from her home in Seattle. "Back then it wasn't odd to hear those artists on the same station."Love is one of the headliners for this year's Utah Arts Festival, which will be held at the Triad Center from June 25-28. Love will hit the Plaza Stage on June 27, at 10 p.m.
Admission each day is $5 for adults, $2 for senior citizens and children 12 and under are free. There is a lunchtime special ticket that allows entry from noon-3 p.m. for $2. Also offered will be a "Y'all Come Back Pass" for $2.50, to grant entry for a return visit. All tickets will be available at the gates.
Along with Love's blend of Afro-Celtic funk, there will be a variety of music styles - jazz, Latin, chamber music, folk and Celtic - that will fill the air.
But music isn't the only thing going on during those four days.
As in the past, the festival will feature culinary arts, paintings, sculptures, dance, theater and other creations, said festival assistant director R. Lee Roberts.
"This year, however, we looked around to find some issues that needed to be addressed," Roberts said during an interview. "I love street performers. And when we were talking about this year's festival, the idea of streets and construction came up."
This year's theme is "Art That Moves You."
"That tied perfectly into the idea of streets," Roberts said. "And we tried to turn the inconvenience into something positive."
Keeping with that idea, the festival's Art Street has turn into Street Art.
"We are going to reconstruct automobiles," Roberts said with a smile. "And to literally make art that moves people, we're going to repaint a donated Rideshare bus.
While a majority of the performing and display artists are from Utah, street artists summoned from beyond state lines include Australia's Bedlam Oz, Bomani Drum and Dance Ensemble from San Diego, Seattle's Hokum W. Jeebs, Belgium's Bernard Massuir, New York's Pedestrian Project and Canada's Faceination, just to name a few.
"All these artists have unique works and ideas," Roberts said. "Faceination will be walking around the crowds painting faces and interacting with people."
Cache County artists will also be in the spotlight. "Every year we focus on artists from a certain geographic area in Utah. This year it's Cache County. In the past we've gone to Kanab, Kane County, Roosevelt/Duchesne and Carbon counties.
"And the reason we decided to go outside of Salt Lake and the immediately surrounding area was because there are great artists all over the place. And also we've had people from these areas calling and asking if they could participate. So we make it a point to invite them."
A total of 855 performing artists will dance, act and sing during the festival, Roberts said. The artist marketplace will feature 131 artists selling their wares, and the Fine Art Exhibition in the Union Pacific Depot will offer the creations of more than 100 artists.
"It took more than 1,000 volunteers to get this thing running," Roberts said. "It was a real community effort. And when we do things like Art Street and the kids' projects, the arts festival in a sense gives something back to the community," Roberts said.
The idea of community is one that appeals to Love. She has started a community garden along the banks of Longfellow Creek in her neighborhood of Delridge, in West Seattle.
"When an artist gives something to the community that has helped them get to where they are, it's wonderful," she said. "But the thing I like about my community is that the people in it don't know what I really do."
*****
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A tasty musical smorgasbord to serve up sizzling sounds
THURSDAY, June 25:
Plaza Stage:
6:30 p.m. - Atomic Deluxe
7:30 p.m. - Lisa Bickmore
8 p.m. - Great Basin Street Band
9:30 p.m. - Craig Crowther
10 p.m. - Pop Staples & the Staple Singers
Amphitheater Stage:
7 p.m. - Saliva Sisters
8:30 p.m. - Opening Ceremonies
9 p.m. - Utah Symphony, Robert Henderson
10 p.m. - Lisa Bickmore
10:30 p.m. - Out of the Wings Dance Company
Park Stage:
Noon - Klezbros
12:45 p.m. - Tom Jackson
1:15 p.m. - Underpaid Professors
2 p.m. - Tom Jackson
2:30 p.m. - Stonecircle
3:15 p.m. - Neil Hollands
3:30 p.m. - Nancy Hanson
4:30 p.m. - Neil Hollands
5 p.m. - Chris Proctor
6 p.m. Chris Crowther
6:30 p.m. Kate MacLeod
10 p.m. Frank Morgan
Bistro Stage
12:30 p.m. - Chamberland/Grimshaw Duo
1:30 p.m. -Kim Simpson
2:45 p.m. - Lucarelli/Zwick Duo
Festi-LIVE! Stage:
6 p.m. - Junior Shakespeare Company
7 p.m. - The Favorite Poem Project
8:30 p.m. - Neil Hollands/Sandy Anderson
Planet Discovery Stage:
Noon - Sister Maryam
1 p.m. - Chamber Music to Go
3 p.m. - Amber's High School Band
5 p.m. - The Rainbow Factory
Art Vivant (continues throughout festival with same lineup):
Noon - Ron Hansen
2 p.m. Faceination
4 p.m. - Cynthia McCourt
6 p.m. - Vaishale Ogele
8 p.m. - Ona Siporin
Art Street Demonstrations:
Noon - Gwen Reddish/Glen Rollins
1 p.m. - Chris Coleman
2 p.m. - John & James Rees and Anthony Siciliano
3 p.m. - Valerie Parker
7 p.m. - Carol Dalrymple
FRIDAY, JUNE 26:
Plaza Stage:
7 p.m. - Mambo Jumbo
8 p.m. - Brent Leake
8:30 p.m. - Jake Sampson
9:30 p.m. - Jeffrey Berke
10 p.m. - Dee Dee Bridgewater
Amphitheater Stage:
7:30 p.m. - Children's Dance Theater
8:30 p.m. - Greta de Jong
9 p.m. - Repertory Dance Theatre
10 p.m. - Jeffrey Berke
10:30 p.m. - Salt Lake Ragtime Orchestra
Park Stage:
Noon - Fire On the Mountain
12:45 p.m. - Lance Cole
1:15 p.m. - Kairo by Night
2 p.m. - Lance Cole
2:30 p.m. - The Satyrs
3:15 p.m. - Greta de Jong
3:45 p.m. - Pampas
4:30 p.m. - Brent Leake
5 p.m. - BRIDJJ
6 p.m. - Greta de Jong
6:30 p.m. - Donna Smith Quartet
9:30 p.m. - Brad Mehldau
Bristo Stage:
12:30 p.m. - Jeff Green
1:30 p.m. - Johansen/Stout Duo
2:45 p.m. - Earthtones
Festi-LIVE! Stage:
5 p.m. - Fiction Workshop with Lisa Bickmore
6:30 p.m. - Junior Shakespeare Company
8 p.m. - The Favorite Poem Program
9:30 p.m. - F'LOOM
Planet Discovery Stage:
1 p.m. - Sister Maryam
2 p.m. - Salt Lake City Library
4 p.m. - Chamber Music to Go
5 p.m. - The Rainbow Factory
Art Street Demonstrations:
Noon - Valerie Parker nd Dayna Serna
1 p.m. - Chris Coleman
2 p.m. - John & James Rees and Gwen Reddish
4 p.m. - Greta de Jong
6 p.m. - Alex Caldiero
7 p.m. - The Grossman Trio
SATURDAY, JUNE 27:
Plaza Stage:
7 p.m. - Leraine & the Heavies
8 p.m. - Stefene Russell
8:30 p.m. - Insatiable
9:30 p.m. - Toni Byrd
10 p.m. - Laura Love
Amphitheater Stage:
7:30 p.m. - Utah Festival Opera Company
8:30 p.m. - Hector Ahumada
9 p.m. - Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company
10 p.m. - Hector Ahumada
10:30 p.m. - Utah Contemporary Dance Theater
Park Stage:
Noon - Musica Reservata
12:45 p.m. - Sandy Anderson
1:15 p.m. - Lynnette Thredgold & Band
2 p.m. - Sandy Anderson
2:30 p.m. - Ryan Shupe & the Rubber Band
3:15 p.m. - Sandy Anderson
3:45 p.m. - Pat Carnahan
4:30 p.m. - Stefene Russell
5 p.m. - Soul Latino
6 p.m. - Toni Byrd
6:30 p.m. - Soul Patrol
9:30 p.m. - Perla Batalla
Bristo Stage:
12:30 p.m. - Lightwood Duo
1:30 p.m. - Shanahy
2:45 p.m. - Voice Male
Festi-LIVE! Stage:
5 p.m. - F'LOOM
7 p.m. Northen Utah Writers Star Coulbrooke
8:30 p.m. - F'LOOM
10 p.m. - Quick Wits
Planet Discovery Stage:
Noon - Sister Maryam
1 p.m. - Nibley Children's Theater
2 p.m. - Salt Lake City Library
3 p.m. - Unicorn Children's Theater
5 p.m. - The Rainbow Factory
Art Street Demonstrations:
Noon - Wayne Chubin and Karen Kahn
1 p.m. - Chris Coleman
2 p.m. - John & James Rees
4 p.m. - Jim Moreno, Melissa Bond and Teresa Flowers
5 p.m. - Valerie Parker and Kirsty MacDonald
7 p.m. - El Producto
SUNDAY, JUNE 28:
Plaza Stage:
5:30 p.m. - Invasion of the Johnny People
6:30 p.m. - Melissa Bond
7 p.m. - Ogden Concert Band
8 p.m. - Alex Caldiero
8:30 p.m. - Calvary Baptist Church Choir
Amphitheater Stage (Dance Party):
6 p.m. - Crestmark Orchestra
7:30 p.m. - Lisa Marie & the Codependents
9 p.m. - Salsa Brava
Park Stage:
Noon - Elbo Finn
12:45 p.m. - Sara Caldiero
1:15 p.m. - GiGi Love
2 p.m. - Sara Caldiero
2:30 p.m. - Thirsty Alley
3:15 p.m. - Melissa Bond
3:45 p.m. - Gaslight District
4:30 p.m. - Melissa Bond
5 p.m. - Sun Masons
6 p.m. - Alex Caldiero
Bristo Stage:
12:30 p.m. - Jesse Thurgood
1:30 p.m. - Kathryn Warner
2:45 p.m. - Llajtayku
Festi-LIVE! Stage:
5 p.m. - Neil Hollands
7 p.m. - Northern Utah Writers
8:30 p.m. - Poetry: The Next Generation
Planet Discovery Stage:
1 p.m. - Chamber Music to Go
2 p.m. - Sister Maryam
3 p.m. - Global Artways
4 p.m. - The Rainbow Factory
Art Street Demonstrations:
Noon - Karen Kahn
1 p.m. - Chris Coleman
2 p.m. - John & James Rees
3 p.m. - Karey Rawitscher
4 p.m. - Chris Coleman
5 p.m. - Valerie Walker & Kimberly Schmit