Salt Lake City

"Drawing Lab," a new hands-on, interactive exhibition opening Friday, May 17 at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA), invites visitors not just to look at artwork but to participate in its creation. Visitors can add to a chalkboard drawing, draw directly on a coffee table, draw from objects in the Museum's permanent collection, create drawings with tape and paper, or contribute to a "metamorphosis" scroll drawing.

"Drawing Lab" is inspired by the idea that mark-making is a fundamental human impulse, and there is no wrong way to do it. Museum visitors of all ages and artistic abilities are welcome. "I think the desire to make a mark grows out of the same impulse that drove prehistoric people to make cave drawings or that inspires people now to lie in the snow and make impressions of their bodies," says Kerry O'Grady, UMFA director of public programs and an artist who devotes her own practice to drawing. "It's all about saying: 'I am here.' The drawing happening in this show will create a bit of a portrait of our visitors. I urge them to boldly be themselves when they come."

The exhibit also features a collaborative, experimental drawing called "I See the Fish, Finally," created by eight students from the University of Utah art department. A time-lapse video of the installation is available on YouTube:

"I See the Fish, Finally" Time Lapse Video

Salt Lake City's Top Attractions

Photo courtesy Utah Museum of Fine Arts

Farmers Markets are popular events throughout the Salt Lake Valley, and it's no wonder - a great farmers market offers not just fresh produce and local food products but also a connection to the land and the community. The People's Market at Jordan Park kicked off on Mother's Day, and the Wasatch Front Farmers Market will celebrate Farm Fest at Wheeler Farm this Saturday, May 18. The Downtown Farmers Market starts its summer season June 8 at Pioneer Park, and this year they will feature live local bands from noon-2 p.m.

I can't wait for the start of summer produce season, the best time of year to eat in SLC! Browse the list to find a farmers market near you. I've also included a link to some tasty Utah farmers market recipes, from the Utah State University Cooperative Extension.

Salt Lake Area Farmers Markets

Utah Farmers Market Recipes

Image by Digital Vision

Mother's Day, celebrated in the United States on the second Sunday in May, was declared an official holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914 after a tireless campaign by activist Anna Jarvis. Jarvis' conception of Mother's Day honors the mother's role in the home, unlike the Mother's Day for Peace championed by 19th-century activist Julia Ward Howe, which encouraged mothers to publicly oppose all forms of war. Here are a few Mother's Day facts from About.com's Guide to Women's History, Jone Johnson Lewis.

• Anna Jarvis encouraged the use of carnations to celebrate Mother's Day, because it was her mother's favorite flower. Traditionally, a white carnation would be worn to honor a dead mother, and a pink carnation to honor a living mother.
• After Mother's Day was established as an official US holiday, Jarvis protested its commercialization.
• 96 percent of US households celebrate Mother's Day.
• Mother's Day is the second biggest gift giving holiday in the US after Christmas.
• Mother's Day is the busiest day of the year for many restaurants.
• In Utah and Alaska, women on the average will have three children before the end of their childbearing years. Overall, the average in the United States is two.

To help you plan your celebration of Mother's Day in Salt Lake City, I've put together a long list of ideas including special events, gift ideas, shopping suggestions, brunches, dining specials and more. Take a look, and I'm sure you'll find something special to add to your celebration. I've also added a link to a great list of non-material ways to celebrate Mother's Day.

Mother's Day in Salt Lake City

Non-Material Ways to Celebrate Mother's Day

Image by Stockbyte

Mother's Day will be here before we know it - Sunday, May 12 - and it's time to start thinking about what gift will show Mom how much you appreciate her. Tickets to a favorite music, entertainment, or theater event can be a great gift. Moms usually enjoy an evening out, and they don't always splurge on themselves.

Some of the ticket gifts I've been eying this year include Les Miserables at Pioneer Memorial Theatre, The Barber of Seville at the Utah Opera, and Jerry Seinfeld at Abravanel Hall. Click on the link for a full list of Salt Lake City events for Mother's Day gift giving, and have an entertaining Mother's Day!

Entertainment Gifts for Mother's Day

Image by artpartner-images.

Reservations are filling fast for Salt Lake's favorite Mother's Day brunches. A relaxing weekend brunch is a great way to spend time with Mom, whether you prefer an extravagant buffet like Grand America, a casual plated brunch like Z'Tejas or Caffe Niche, the gorgeous gardens at La Caille, a Saturday option like Harvest at Thanksgiving Point, or a mountain getaway like Snowbird or the Homestead. Mother's Day 2013 is coming up Sunday, May 12, so plan now to show your appreciation to dear old Mom!

SLC Mother's Day Brunches

Quick and Easy Brunch Recipes

Photo by Inti St. Clair

Cinco de Mayo is a commemoration of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla, but also a celebration of Mexican heritage throughout the United States. Salt Lake City will celebrate Cinco de Mayo this weekend with festivals, cultural events, music, food and drink. This weekend is a great time to celebrate the influence of our neighbors south of the border. Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

SLC Cinco de Mayo Events

Photo courtesy Telemundo Utah

What does downtown Salt Lake City mean to you? Is it full of memories from years of lived experience, or is it new and interesting, with unexpected discoveries around every corner? The SLC Downtown Alliance is calling for amateur and professional filmmakers to submit creative portraits of downtown Salt Lake City for their "I Am Downtown" video contest. Films of no longer than 100 seconds will be accepted now through June 17, and the winner will receive a $5000 cash prize. Contest organizers are looking for creative, unexpected stories of Salt Lake's downtown, told from unique perspectives.

The spring edition of the "I Am Salt Lake" video contest follows a successful winter edition,  which was held in November and December 2012. More than 40 videos were submitted for the winter contest, with finalists shown at EVE.

"We don't know what will happen in these user-submitted videos, and that is the best part," said Jason Mathis, Downtown Alliance executive director. "Downtown means different things different people. This contest aims to find out what downtown represents to individuals and show their connection with the people and physical space of downtown."

Full details and submission guidelines can be found at the Downtown Alliance Facebook Page.

To watch the five finalists from the winter contest, visit the Downtown Alliance YouTube Channel. I recommend taking a few minutes to look at these creative films - they're a lot of fun.

Salt Lake City's Iconic Buildings

Free Things to Do in SLC

Image courtesy SLC Downtown Alliance

Saturday, April 27 is National Cornbread Day - and who doesn't love a good slice of cornbread slathered with honey butter? Some of my favorite cornbread on the planet is made at Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill, at The Gateway shopping and entertainment center in Salt Lake City. The hot cornbread at Z'Tejas comes free to every table. It's not too moist, not too dry, sweet but not too sweet, with a chewy texture and a crisp outside that comes from being baked in a small cast iron skillet. If you haven't tried Z'Tejas, National Cornbread Day would be a great time to do it. Besides the cornbread, some of my other Z'Tejas favorites are the Tableside Guacamole and the Wild Mushroom Enchiladas.

If you want to try making Z'Tejas' cornbread at home, here's the recipe:

Yields four 6 ½-inch skillets

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups corn meal
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon creamed corn
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon frozen corn kernels
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 3 Eggs
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Preheat convection oven to 375 degrees or regular oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, preheating the skillets at the same time. In a large mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients together. In another bowl, whisk wet ingredients together. Blend dry ingredients into wet ingredients, being careful not to over-blend.  Spray hot skillets with non-stick cooking spray,  or coat lightly with butter. Fill each skillet with about 9 oz. of batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 16 minutes. Rotate after 8 minutes. Test for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the center of the corn bread. The toothpick should come out clean. If you don't have four small skillets, you could use a single 10-inch cast iron skillet. Adjust baking time to 25-30 minutes.

Restaurant Review - Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill

It's difficult to imagine right now, when kids, parents and teachers are impatiently counting down to the end the school year, but the freedom of summer can turn to boredom if kids don't have an outlet for their boundless energy. Short-term summer day camps allow children to pursue a favorite activity or try something new, and still save plenty of time for unstructured play and relaxation.

Browse the list of Salt Lake area summer day camps, and you're sure to find something that will spark your child's interest. The possibilities are exciting and nearly limitless, whether your child is into sports, outdoor recreation, music, drama, science, art or all of the above. While you're at it, you could think about signing up for a class or two yourself, through University of Utah Continuing Education or Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation.

Salt Lake City Summer Day Camps

Photo by Yellow Dog Productions.

Locavores rejoice - the Downtown Alliance is holding their last Winter Pop-Up Farmers Market of the season this Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Salt Lake Hardware building, 105 North 400 West. You'll have a chance to stock up on the freshest early spring produce - spring greens, garlic, potatoes, sprouts, spinach, kale, chard, and radishes, as well as greenhouse-grown zucchini and pickling cucumbers. There will also be garden plants and seeds sold by local growers.

The market will include more than 50 vendors offering not just produce but also farm-fresh eggs, meats, honey, yogurt, cheeses, gourmet spreads and jams, bagels, breads, pastries, gluten-free products and prepared foods. Some of Salt Lake City's favorite food trucks will also be on hand offering freshly prepared meals for hungry shoppers.

Here's a list of the vendors and food trucks that will be at the market Saturday:

• Adam's Heirlooms
• Biocentric Bros
• Blue Star Coffee
• BUG Farms
• Chad's Produce
• Chapul Bars
• Charming Beard Coffee
• Cheese Bread Mania
• Clifford Family Farm
• Creative Capsule
• Cupcakes by Kasthuri
• Dessert Bites
• Drake Family Farm
• Epicurean Chefs
• Good Grains Gluten Free
• Instant Karma
• Lark's Meadow Farms
• Lau Family Farm
• Laziz Mediterranean
• Lorenz Mobile Sharpening
• Millcreek Olive Oil
• Mololo Gardens
• Paul's Vegetable Farm
• Rico Foods
• SmooTHe SLC
• Snowy Mountain Creamery
• Sugarbear Kettlekorn
• SugarDaddy Sweet Shoppe
• Sugared Confections
• Tagge's Famous Fruit
• Tankinz Noodles
• Tequenos Factory
• Terrapin Station
• The Bagel Project
• Tifie Ranch
• Tree Hugger Granola
• Turbo My Garden
• Urban Compost Systems
• Urban Pioneer Foods
• Utah State Extension Office
• Wasatch Community Gardens
• Zoe's Natural Garden
• Lewis Brothers Food Services
• 3 Brothers Tacos
• Off the Grid SLC
• Street Sweets and Eats
• Chow Truck

SLC April Events

Earth Day and Green Events

Photo by Beverly Logan