By Cassie Goff | [email protected]

The Cottonwood Heights Arts Council will be hosting a variety of events during 2022. Starting with auditions for their annual community play on March 11 and 12 (this year, the Arts Council is excited to be thrown into the world of “Willy Wonka”), moving to various photography and literature events, and ending the year with holiday decorating contests.

“Our events share creativity and talent with the community,” said Arts Council chair Laura Garcia on Feb. 1.

Auditions will be held both in-person and online. In-person auditions will be held March 11 from 6-9 p.m. and March 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reservations must be made by signing up for a timeslot through the Arts Council page on the Cottonwood Heights City website. Video submissions will be accepted until Thursday, March 10 and can be emailed to [email protected]

Those wishing to audition should prepare 16-32 bars (30-45 seconds) of a song similar to those heard within the musical. The Arts Council asks community members to not audition with a song directly from “Willy Wonka,” however. Resumes and headshots are also preferred.

The council is also looking for costumers, set builders and sound designers.

Callbacks will be held March 19, with rehearsals beginning on April 11 at City Hall (2277 Bengal Blvd.) and Butler Middle School (7530 S. 2700 East), with varying evenings and weekend mornings. Performances for Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka” will be held July 8, 9, 11, 14, 15 and 16 at Butler Middle School.

The annual play is only one of the Arts Council’s upcoming events. The Arts Council will begin accepting submissions for the Photography Show displayed in City Hall in March, as well.

With a handful of new members serving on the Arts Council, they are hoping to sponsor and host even more events this year. Tentative discussions have included plans for literature, visual arts, photography, and theater events.

“We are hoping to have in-person events soon,” Garcia said.

Educational workshops, master classes, and literature events will be held in attempts to draw more adults into the art community within the city. The Arts Council hopes to partner with local schools as well in order to host events incorporating arts into the lives of the city’s youth. There have also been discussions about forming a community choir.

The Chalk Art Contest during Butlerville Days and Painting in the Park events will continue throughout 2022. As the first Gingerbread Contest seemed to be a hit event this past holiday season, it will return in 2022 as well. 

A sculpture will be installed in the plaza of City Hall. The current artist’s rendering depicts a Cottonwood leaf mounted on a 6-foot by 5-foot boulder. The intent behind installing the sculpture is to inspire passion for the arts and illustrate just how much Cottonwood Heights values art within its community.

The sculpture was commissioned by the Arts Council and will be made “with recycled materials within the veins of the leaf,” Garcia said. 

The Arts Council receives funding from local businesses and resident sponsorships, ZAP (Zoo, Arts & Parks) and UDAM (Utah Division of Arts and Museums) grants, and city contributions and receives help from community volunteers. The Arts Council has tiered sponsorship opportunities, ranging from $25 to $2,000.

“City liaisons and volunteers really help us out,” Garcia said.

Additional Arts Council members include vice-chair Tammy Ross, Amanda Jean Babcock, Ciara Powers, Penny Broussard, Carol Whitaker, Joy Henrichsen, Elise Hogan and Katy Mitari.

“We have a passion and interest for the arts,” Garcia said. “The Arts Council mission is to enrich the lives of residents by providing engaging cultural events and educational opportunities that foster creativity and passion for the arts within the community.”

To become a CH “pARTner,” email: [email protected] or call 801-944-7040. To donate to the Arts Council, drop by Cottonwood Heights City Hall or visit: arts.ch.utah.gov.

The Arts Council is currently seeking volunteers. To serve on the council or to volunteer, email [email protected].

To learn more about auditions or other Arts Council events, visit their page on the Cottonwood Heights City website: www.ch.utah.gov/community/arts-council

Or catch their social media at: CHArtsCouncil or CHCityArts