David Linn
LouAnn Wilde
Clog America
Carol Esterreicher
Suzanne Hudson
Blue Sage Band
Utah Sacred HarpLarry Nielson, Artist on Wood
"The wood tells me what to do with it, it is like it has its own spirit," says Larry Nielson, an Ephraim artist who has become known for his paintings on old and weathered wood. "Every piece of wood is a challenge, a different experience. Sometimes, I see a piece of wood and there is an immediate connection, I know just what it wants me to do with it. Other times, I have to put a piece away for a while, then bring it back out later and I will see something special in it, a face or something, that needs to come out. It is very personal."
More of Larry's artwork is found in our "Spotlight" section and still more at his website, http://www.windandwings.com/nielson_art.html.
Whirlwind Run of "Heart of a Pioneer" Assemblies
Infrequent reports are, in this case, the result of a whirlwind of activities leaving no time to report! We'll start with the thirteen "Heart of a Pioneer" assemblies that Utah Pioneer Heritage Arts has presented since February 23rd.
February 25th found us at Fox Hills Elementary School in Taylorsville, where we presented two assemblies to accomodate their large student body. Utah 4th graders study Utah history, and this group had also studied Utah pioneer games! So when Dave couldn't figure out how to play the "button whizzer" or "spinner" game, these bright students were very willing to show him how it's done. And they proved that pioneer children could make fun out of simple things they found around the house and barn: hoops and buttons, sticks and yarn!
One of the parents who came to witness the assembly caught a rare moment during the Fox Hills assembly - the midair flight of the hoop during the game the pioneers called "graces". If you look carefully you'll see a blur in the middle of the stage curtain...that's the hoop with ribbons trailing behind it!
The game is played in this manner: with two slender dowels crossed inside a ribbon-wrapped hoop about the size of an embroidery hoop, she spreads them toward the outside, launching the hoop into the air. Her counterpart then tries to intercept the hoop in its flight with her own pair of dowels, and then return the hoop in the same manner.
These young ladies had the game mastered!
Later the same day we presented "HoaP" at Vista Elementary School, also in Taylorsville. To the right you see "Water To The Seeds", an a cappella exposition of the irrigation plans the Utah pioneers put into action to allow farming of the Salt Lake Valley.
The next two photos show Vista's 4th graders reciting their original pioneer poems and engaging in an old-fashioned pioneer stick pull. Great work, Vista!
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Vista's students also wrote an original lyric to an old pioneer-era tune and sang it with gusto for all the other students. Their teachers did a great job of preparing them, and the students learned that they, too, can do difficult things, because they have the heart of a pioneer!
By March 4th, three assemblies later, we were at East Meadows Elementary School in Spanish Fork, where Dave kept 'em laughin'. Poor Dave, he tries so hard to be serious, but the subtleties of crowd control seem to elude him.
The dancers at East Meadows really put their whole hearts into the dance, and enjoyed it as much as any pioneer ever did. But this photo is priceless. If you look closely you'll see that the girl of the head couple in the center has her sleeves pulled up over her hands so that she doesn't have to make skin contact with the boy! Sometimes boys are just soooo...oh, you know!
Nonprofit Day On The Hill
Monday, February 23rd the Utah Nonprofit Association, of which UPHA is a member, sponsored its first (annual) Nonprofit Day On The Hill. The purpose was to educate the legislators to the essential role nonprofit organizations play in keeping Utah a great place to live. Bonnie and I arrived at 8:30 AM to find no parking places within a reasonable distance, so I unloaded our literature and displays and Bonnie went in search of a parking place.
I quickly found our table space between the Girl Scouts and the Jewish Community Center (I trust we were not assigned alphabetically). I began to see familiar faces from the Utah Arts Council Change Leader Institute-Amanda Castillo and Wally Bloss of the CACHE VALLEY CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Michael Moonbird and Victoria Morris of BAD DOG REDISCOVERS AMERICA, Susan Klinker of THE CULTURAL CELEBRATION CENTER, Pam Gee of UTAH FESTIVAL OPERA, and Diane Major Spencer of Gunnison's CASINO STAR THEATRE.
This was fun, but much of the fun was meeting those who represented organizations with which we were unfamiliar-The Council for Citizen Diplomacy (directed by a great fiddle player I knew from my days at the University of Utah-Laura Dupuy) which hosts emerging business and professional leaders from all over the world, The Community Foundation of Utah, which helps charitable organizations and communities build permanent endowments, Larissa Trout of SpyHop Productions, which teaches youth media production skills, etc.
But though the networking among the nonprofit organizations was great, our purpose in being there was to meet our legislators and help them appreciate our value. For Utah Pioneer Heritage Arts, meeting "our legislator" is difficult because what we do affects all areas of the state! We eventually need to meet every legislator and let them know what we do for their constituents.
So as a start we met Tim Cosgrove, the legislator from Murray where the offices of Utah Pioneer Heritage Arts are now, and Gene Davis, who represents Senate District 3 which includes Murray. But Bonnie and I have known Ron Bigelow, Appropriations Committee Co-Chair, for many years, and were fortunate to spend a few minutes with him explaining the mission and resources of Utah Pioneer Heritage Arts.
The Heart of a Pioneer
Provost Elementary School Feb. 18, 2009
Preparation without parallel, enthusiasm without equal, children without limits!
We found all of these waiting for us at Provost Elementary School in Provo. We always have a great experience with these marvelous fourth-graders, but this one was exceptional!
Our thanks go to the docents from Daughters of Utah Pioneers and This Is The Place Heritage Park who taught the teachers and students so well, and to the teachers and students who prepared so thoroughly for their presentation of The Heart of a Pioneer...it was great! And thanks to A.R.T.S., Inc. for arranging for our performance at Provost!
Intense concentration lapses only momentarily as this modern pioneer girl masters the button-whizzer.
4th-graders sing their new lyric to the tune of "O Susannah". Thanks for letting "Willingly" (Utah's Pioneer Band) be your back-up band!
Rolling the hoop is more difficult than it looks, but these 4th graders are well on their way to mastering it.
The "Heart of a Pioneer" team at Provost Elementary: Top-Lindsay Griffin, Gayle Dudley (Daughters of Utah Pioneers), Marged Kirkpatrick (This Is The Place Heritage Park), Bonnie Romney. Bottom-Dave Compton, Clive Romney, Gary Voorhees.
Dressed in pioneer style, spinning the button whizzer, playing the role perfectly! Kudos to the wonderful 4th-graders of Provost Elementary School in Provo, Utah!
