The exclusive premiere of documentary, Follow the Sound of My Voice, will take place Saturday, October 15 with a full day of events in celebration of the film. Activities include adaptive archery and cycling, a Q&A with director Ben Stamper and subject Troy Shumway, and a screening of Follow the Sound of My Voice. Centered around the story of a young man’s experience climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with autism, the film is a study in resilience. This day-long event will be located at Santy Auditorium at the Park City Public Library and runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Despite his autism, Troy Shumway has never backed down from a challenge; whether attending college, or climbing one of the highest mountains in the world. This is his story,” reads the movie’s tagline. A graduate of Utah State University, Troy Shumway has told his story to raise awareness and money for the Aggies Elevated Program.

Other events scheduled for the premiere include free popcorn, information about Autism support services and research and a screening of Ben Stamper’s documentary Don’t Foil my Plans. Also discussing autism, Don’t Foil my Plans follows the story of a young musician coming of age.

For more information on the event, click here.

A new fine art cooperative is opening their doors to the community for the first time on Friday, October 21. Downtown Artist Collective will premiere three new spaces, a gallery, a workshop and a studio space, where artists can create work and interact with the community. The grand opening features art from all members of the collective, including local favorites Chris Bodily and Jake Buntier. Beginning at 6 p.m., they invite Salt Lake residents to come celebrate fine art, enjoy refreshments and listen to live music from “The Bookends” and Gillian Chase.

The collective began when Amy Leininger, local supporter of the arts, and artist Desarae Lee met and discovered they had the same desire to provide a new space to showcase local talent.

“I’ve felt the lack of an active, collaborative arts community for people who do the type of work that I do and I saw a chance to create that space for myself and for others,” Lee said.

As the collective began to grow, a new mission was added in the form of community outreach. By connecting with locals, the collective wants to create an environment of art exposure and education, which they hope will inspire blossoming artists.

“We want to cultivate relationships with organizations and people in our community, a place where questions can be asked, mistakes made, and artists born,” Downtown Artist Collective board member Sarah May said.

The Downtown Artist Collective is a newly founded co-op and located at 258 East 100 South in Downtown Salt Lake City. Members of the community will have the opportunity to meet artists, interact with their work and sign up for the collective’s upcoming workshops and classes during the event. For more information on The Downtown Artist Collective, click here.

-Brieanna Olds

Not in your wildest nightmares could you imagine SB Dance’s “All Saints Salon” Halloween show. Limited to only 80 audience members and four performances, the show combines dance, theater and spectacle to create an experience unlike anything most people have ever seen. Specializing in interactive theater, “All Saints Salon” promises a unique experience for each audience member. The limited set of performances will be held October 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

The performance is described by creator Stephen Brown as “a visceral adventure that asks you to make choices about where to go.” 

Participants should not get too carried away, however, as they are required to follow the “Rules of Engagement.” Come dressed in black. Do not touch. Do not talk. (Make sure you use the restroom before the show). And come prepared to actively participate in art.

SB Dance is a local non-profit, that hosts year-round events, like “WTF Wine Theater Food” in January and a new creation every June. Creating unique and boundary-pushing work, SB Dance says on their website that they “aim to encourage people to think for themselves and to provoke curiosity about art and the artistic process.”

The show is 21 and over with beverages served as part of the experience and free swag available to take home. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.

-Brieanna Olds