Come visit every Sunday throughout March, from 10AM to 2PM!

I will be offering activities for all ages focused on:

self-esteem, emotional regulation, and emotional intelligence.

Opening celebration May 13

On display May 23–September 16

The Art of Belonging

A new initiative at The UVU Museum of Art, The Art of Belonging explores themes of belonging in community and culture.  

The Art of Belonging opens with a celebration of BIPOC culture on May 13, and will continue through September 16. Public programs include artist lectures, film discussions, educator workshops, collaborations with faculty, performance art, family art making, and more.

Featured programming includes: 

The Art of Belonging: Juried Exhibition

Maruch Santíz Gómez: Beliefs of our Forebears

Jorge Rojas: Material Meditations 

The Art of Belonging: Performance Art Series

The Art of Belonging is a collaboration between The Museum of Art and artist, curator, and art educator Jorge Rojas, and Artes de México en Utah, led by cultural advocate Fanny Guadalupe Blauer.

BOOMBOX BENEFIT Closing Celebration

You are cordially invited to attend the Boombox Benefit Auction & Closing Celebration on April 22nd, 2023 from 6pm to 9pm at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art: 20 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City UT.

The Boombox Benefit is a collaborative exhibition and auction developed by local artists to support organizations whose work is vital in our community. 

In addition to great tunes with DJ Skratch Mo, break dance performances by dancers from HERC SLC, and drinks and hors d'oeuvres, Restoring Ancestral Winds a local non-profit that is near and dear to my heart for their tenacity and resistance will receive the proceeds from my BoomBox in the auction! My entry, Te quiero mija, cuídate, is a loud call to fight with love when protecting ourselves and each other. This boombox is a one-of-a-kind artwork collaboration between artist Horacio Rodriguez and myself. Finding a buyer will not only help to foster education, but also will help to nurture and grow strong (and much needed) roots among community partners and residents.

Over the course of four months, Salt Lake-based ceramicist Horacio Rodriguez cast ten porcelain boomboxes. Once molded and fired, each boombox was then passed to local artists: Lilian Agar, Andrew Alba, Fidalis Buehler, Hazel Rodriguez Coppola, Miguel Galaz, Jiyoun Lee-Lodge, Vicky Lowe, Andrew Rice, and Jorge Rojas to embellish with our own artistic style.

Working in various media and styles, the artists created integrated and layered boomboxes born from collaboration. Each contributing artist was asked to choose a nonprofit organization that has helped them or benefited their community. You can read more about this meaningful project in The Salt Lake Tribune, Southwest Contemporary, Juxtapoz magazine and The Utah Review. I hope you will join us in this one of a kind community event. It's going to be a lot of fun and it would be great to see you there!

Pre-Registration is required to attend this private event. 

Pre-Registration is required to attend this private event. 

If you have any questions about the project or need assistance with your RSVP registration, please contact the organizing artist, Horacio Rodriguez, at horacito@mac.com or 281.793.4260.

Thank you for your support!

Join us for another year of Healing Out Loud, a short film contest dedicated to normalizing mental health and encouraging all of us to hold more open and inclusive conversations.

- NEW DEADLINE: APRIL 21 -

Mental health shouldn’t be a crisis in hiding. One in five Americans - over 65 million people - cope with mental health issues, and suicide is the leading cause of death in Utah for people age 10-34. But the stigma around mental health is as strong as ever.

Mental health is one of the most ignored, downplayed and misunderstood challenges in America today. But you can help change that by sharing your story.

If you are age 15-30 and live in Utah, we want to hear from you. Share your vision of “Healing Out Loud” in a short video. It can be anything: original music, dance, spoken word, art, poetry, or speech. The only requirement is to be creative and be yourself.

Entering is simple:

• Upload a video into one of two categories:

  • A short, 30-second or less video

  • A little longer video, up to 5 minutes

• Complete all required entry forms

• Contest Rules Include:

  • Avoid showing and promoting brands and organizations

  • "Safe Messaging" guidelines have been followed with sensitive and/or triggering content

  • Music meets all sync rights and copyright standards

  • Consent has been given by anyone in the film outside of the contestant (this includes parents of minors)

    • A form will need to be signed once your video is submitted

  • Review full contest rules 

Then, if you’re comfortable sharing, post your video to social media, use the hashtag #HealingOutLoud and tag @uofuhmhi. We also encourage you to invite your family, friends, and networks to participate.

BOOMBOX BENEFIT IS HERE

Before smartphones and Bluetooth speaker systems allowed near-constant access to music, boomboxes were vessels that could be carried anywhere to rouse listeners and take up space. Marked by their resoundingly heavy bass, boomboxes became an icon of 1980s street culture that could transform the mundane, offer entertainment, and act as a form of rebellion for carriers. Boomboxes were disruptors that both challenged and energized communities.

Over the course of four months, Salt Lake-based ceramicist Horacio Rodriguez cast ten porcelain boomboxes. Once molded and fired, each boombox was then passed to local artists—Lilian Agar, Andrew Alba, Fidalis Buehler, Hazel Rodriguez Coppola, Miguel Galaz, Jiyoun Lee-Lodge, Vicky Lowe, Andrew Rice, and Jorge Rojas––to paint and alter. Working in various mediums and styles, the artists collectively create an integrated and layered piece born from collaboration

Leaning on the concept of resonate disruption, Boombox Benefit is a collaborative exhibition and auction that engages local artists and organizations whose work vitalizes Salt Lake City communities. Each contributing artist was asked to choose a nonprofit organization to support that has helped them or benefited their community.

Half of the proceeds will go to the chosen non-profit organization, and half will go to the artist.

Participating Artists

Lilian Agar; Andrew Alba; Fidalis Buehler; Hazel Rodriguez Coppola; Miguel Galaz; Jiyoun Lee-Lodge; Vicky Lowe; Andrew Rice; Horacio Rodriguez; Jorge Rojas

Join us as we welcome some of the Utah’s greatest facilitators for a month of classes focused on Love, Connection, Safety & Support - inspired by Lilian’s 9 muses from her home country of Mexico.

* Scholarships available *

* A percentage of the earnings will be donated to pertinent agencies supporting this cause *

BECOME AN SPONSOR

Do you want to support the cause but can't attend? Don't worry!

By becoming a Sponsor (you or your company) can secure a spot to those who may be experiencing economic distress. Best part? Scholarships are valid for any of our sessions!!


** If you are experiencing economical distress, please mark the box regarding Scholarships in your check out for consideration **

Opening

Timeline

Meet your Facilitators

Thank you

for being part of this community effort against Domestic Violence.

We hope you enjoy it!

If you are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. For anonymous, confidential help, 24/7, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).

“This project is a tribute to life,” said artist Lilian Agar, who paints portraits of members of the Salt Lake queer community in bright, hopeful colors, paired with audio files of the sitter’s coming out story. The stories and the portraits themselves feel brave, thoughtful, nuanced, self-accepting, and relatable.

Such a project felt immediate and urgent, for Agar, who was raised Catholic in Mexico and struggled with suicidal ideations as they sought to claim their identity. Like Agar, many LGBTQ+ youth face deep rejection from their community, their religion, and their family. Is sadly at times, that their lives become a high price to pay for truth and peace. The Trevor Project’s 2020 national survey on LGBTQ+ youth mental health found that 40% of the 40,000 respondents had seriously considered attempting suicide in the past twelve months. In Utah, which ranks 6th in the nation for suicide mortality, these patterns present a serious health crisis.

The title of the exhibition, A Hug Away: A Breathing Temple of Love, is an offering of affection to those struggling. “Society has normalized the understanding that ‘advocating’ urges to ‘fight’ for what’s right,” said Agar. “But what if we can ‘fight’ by accepting each other’s choices, respecting each other’s identities and sexual orientation and celebrating diversity?” Using her interactive artwork as a site to create more safety, healing, and hope for a more inclusive future for LGBTQ+ people, Agar said, “It’s imperative that we work together to build a better Utah for our queer youth because they deserve it, and we as society deserve it. We have no time to lose, and so many lives to save.”

** Due to COVID19 the general and solo receptions are still yet to be confirmed. The artworks will be showcased as listed, stay tuned! **

“This project is a tribute to life,” said artist Lilian Agar, who paints portraits of members of the Salt Lake queer community in bright, hopeful colors, paired with audio files of the sitter’s coming out story. The stories and the portraits themselves feel brave, thoughtful, nuanced, self-accepting, and relatable.

Such a project felt immediate and urgent, for Agar, who was raised Catholic in Mexico and struggled with suicidal ideations as they sought to claim their identity. Like Agar, many LGBTQ+ youth face deep rejection from their community, their religion, and their family. Is sadly at times, that their lives become a high price to pay for truth and peace. The Trevor Project’s 2020 national survey on LGBTQ+ youth mental health found that 40% of the 40,000 respondents had seriously considered attempting suicide in the past twelve months. In Utah, which ranks 6th in the nation for suicide mortality, these patterns present a serious health crisis.

The title of the exhibition, A Hug Away: A Breathing Temple of Love, is an offering of affection to those struggling. “Society has normalized the understanding that ‘advocating’ urges to ‘fight’ for what’s right,” said Agar. “But what if we can ‘fight’ by accepting each other’s choices, respecting each other’s identities and sexual orientation and celebrating diversity?” Using her interactive artwork as a site to create more safety, healing, and hope for a more inclusive future for LGBTQ+ people, Agar said, “It’s imperative that we work together to build a better Utah for our queer youth because they deserve it, and we as society deserve it. We have no time to lose, and so many lives to save.”