Pain and Possibility: A Community Art Series

From August 22 to September 6, 2020, a group of local artists will create a series of public art projects across Salt Lake City. Through mural painting, sculpture, dance, video and other media, this diverse group of artists that include BIPOC, LGBTQ and Allies, will help our community engage with today’s reality while reimagining tomorrow.

We are living in an historic moment and we do not yet know where it will lead us. Like all moments, it is complex. Fear, pain, and isolation exist side-by-side with hope, healing, and solidarity. Deep-rooted injustices have been ripped into the light of day by a global pandemic that is disproportionately ravaging communities of color, Indigenous communities, and communities of immigrant and refugee background like those on Salt Lake’s west side. At the same time, a massive uprising is forcing society to reckon with its 400-year history of murdering Black people in the name of law and justice. Calls to defund the police and abolish prisons are gaining new ground, along with intersectional struggles like the fight for Black Trans lives. Artists and cultural workers have important roles to play this moment of pain and possibility. Sugar Space Foundation, Mestizo Institute of Culture and Arts, and a collective of community partners are joining together to provide a platform for artists to engage with this painful present in all its complexity and contribute to collective healing and action.

The following six projects are a part of the Pain and Possibility series. For up-to-date information visit http://thesugarspace.com/ or our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/294268531784429/

“WORKED” by Andrew Alba is a multi-site sculpture display commenting on the idea of non-essential vs. essential workers in the COVID-19 era. At UMOCA, 20 S W Temple, SLC, on August 28th, 2-6pm. At Modern West Fine Art, 412 S 7th W, SLC, September 3 from 2-5pm. Other dates TBA.

“Capoeiristas for Black Lives Matter,” supervised by Mestre Jamaika of the Salt Lake School of Capoeira, is a concept dance video about racial oppression and capoeira as a tool of resistance. Film screenings will take place at Sugar Space, 132 South 800 West SLC, on August 28th and 30th at 8pm with multiple showings each night. For RSVP links and more information please visit the website.

“Tomorrow’s Monument” by Kathy Tran and Alejandro Moya is a participatory piece in which people are invited to commit to and reflect on our roles in antiracism. Screenings at Sugar Space, 132 South 800 West, SLC, on August 28th at 8pm and 30th at 6:30pm with multiple showings each night. Live Zoom show with Q&A September 3 at 7:30pm.

“A Shedding,” presented by Dominica Greene and Courtney Mazeika, is an outdoor evening of live performances created by and for Black, LGBTQIA+, Artists of Color, and allies in the Salt Lake community to mourn, address, discuss, and celebrate our experiences. Shows are on August 22nd and 23rd at 7pm, donations requested at sliding scale, RSVP required at https://www.ashedding.com/

“A World of Hope” by the Roots Art Kollective is a public mural to celebrate humanity in a time where compassion is essential for society to accept a new and equitable world. The mural will be located at Sugar Space, 123 South Jeremy Street SLC, and unveiled on August 22nd.

Uprising” by Dulce Horn, Ashlee Jackson, and Mikel Lawlor is a series of short dance performances exploring the emotional and experiential arc of a social movement. Dance will be performed on August 29 at Sugar Space, 132 South 800 West SLC, and August 30 at First Unitarian Church, 569 South 1300 East SLC, in SLC. Dance will be performed 3 times each day starting at 8:15pm. For tickets please visit the website.