“TRUNK” by Riley Samuel Merritt is an interactive one-man show that narrates the trials of a young artist circumnavigating his imminent demise. Presenting poetry, music, and years of cumulative writing, Merritt grapples with the nebulous nature of ambition, love, and identity through the eyes of a flawed everyman. Riley Samuel Merritt is an actor, writer, and musician raised in the rugged four corners region. Riley graduated from New Mexico State University with a degree in musical theatre, and has spent his years since training and creating in Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico, having acted in such shows as Little Night Music (Henrik), You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Charlie Brown), Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Kevin), Taming of the Shrew (Bianco), and many more. Now ready to move to metropolitan Chicago, Riley is touring “TRUNK”: an original one-man show which celebrates art and humanity through the use of poetry, song, and years of cumulative writing. May 10th, 7:00, MadKing's Fellowship theatre, 167 S Rio Grande, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 Tickets at the door, pay-what-you-will

Queer Spectra is an interdisciplinary arts festival; this May 15-17, we are hosting our 7th annual festival on the theme of Flux & Fracture. The festival is about building queer community around art and is free to attend! We will have a full weekend of keynotes, workshops, performances, gallery time, and more planned. Thursday, May 15 6:30pm - Live performance: music, dance, film, and poetry followed by an artist panel Friday, May 16 6:00pm - Gallery Reception with snacks and nonalcoholic beverages  7:00-8:30pm - Queer Bachata Workshop hosted by Rue Zheng from SLC Queer Latin Dance  Saturday, May 17   1:00-1:45pm - Keynote Speech 2:00-3:00pm - Community Organizing Workshop 3:30pm-4:30pm - All-Ages Collage Workshop - Drawn From Home: Journaling Family Stories through Collage and Mixed Media with Pablo Cruz-Ayala 5:00pm - Live performance: music, dance, film, and poetry followed by an artist panel For more information, check out our website: https://www.queerspectra.com/2025-festival

Free to Attend Powerful. Soul-stirring. Snap-worthy. Salt Lake Speaks is a FREE night of slam poetry from 10 local artists that you simply can’t miss, filling the Eccles Theater Grand Lobby and spilling out on the Main Street sidewalk. These local poets will leave you breathless as they speak their truths and celebrate the power of the spoken word. Join us on Friday, June 6 at 7pm for the first evening of our Steppin’ on Main summer series events. More info at SaltLakeCountyArts.org

The 2025 Utah Arts Festival celebrates creativity and community with world-class entertainment and interactive art experiences in downtown Salt Lake City from Thursday, June 19th through Sunday, June 22nd.
Headliners include jamgrass legends Leftover Salmon, pedal steel guitar virtuoso Robert Randolph, hip-hop icons Souls of Mischief, and Latin Grammy-nominated MV Caldera supported by local bands Theoretical Blonde, Sister Wives and many others! Utah’s largest outdoor multi-disciplinary arts event presents 170+ visual artists and 5 stages of music, dance, and literary arts performances.
What to know: Thursday, June 19, runs 5pm-11pm and features a $12 discount ticket for all adults with kids 12 and under free!
Friday, June 20, offers $12 ticket from noon to 3pm
Hours: Thursday (June 19) runs 5pm-11pm with Friday, Saturday and Sunday (June 20-22) run noon to 11pm
What not to miss: • Street theater, including graffiti stiltwalkers, contortionists, and living masterpieces roaming the Festival grounds • Live graffiti mural artists • Kids Art Yard celebrating “Frozen Spaces” with wooly mammoths, polar bears, and penguin sculptures with dozens of nonprofit arts orgs with hands-on projects for kids • Mini “Fear No Film” Festival featuring short independent film s in the Library Auditorium • Interactive art exhibits for all ages • Artist demonstrations and workshops Schedule and tickets at uaf.org.