12 Minutes Max is a monthly showcase of short works and works-in-progress by local artists in many disciplines.
One Sunday a month, we present three original pieces in a varied mix, chosen from music, dance, film, writing, theater, performance art, and the like—each 12 minutes or less. The whole event is short and sweet, taking about an hour.
After each month's performances, coffee and cookies are served — a time for conversation and feedback.
SEPTEMBER 16 PERFORMANCES
T.E.V. will perform Portraits, interpreting volunteers faces through music and dance. T.E.V. is a performance troupe whose focus is on nontraditional instruments (or the inverse), musical/action scores and free improvisation. They have performed with bowling balls, wire hangers, flamethrowers, bottle rockets, glockenspiels, bb guns, saxophones, double flute drone, prepared tape, plastic bags, pumpkins, slide whistles, radios, microphones etc. Recently, they have begun applying their experimental style to more traditional song structures.
Filmmaker Trent Harris will screen MONDO UTAH, a collection of three short pieces celebrating just how wonderfully weird our state is. Independent Film & Video Magazine called Trent Harris, “One of America’s premiere cult directors.” His films have played at Sundance, the British Film Institute, the Museum of Modern Art in Vienna and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art as well as festivals worldwide. He has been honored with retrospectives at 92 Y Tribeca in New York City, Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Argentina, Lausanne Underground Film Festival in Switzerland, and the Raindance Film Festival in London. He is best known for his feature films, Rubin and Ed, and Beaver Trilogy.
Artist Lexi Johnson will perform I Used to Dance All the Time, about which she says:
“I used to dance all the time. With cousins, with friends. At sleepovers, for talent shows.
I never felt any anxiety about whether or not I danced particularly well.
I, & my friends around me, just knew we were meant to dance.
I will now attempt to remember what that felt like, and forget the awkwardness that accompanies self-awareness.
After which, if I can regain that sense of confidence, I'll just dance how I want.
Any of you who'd like to can come and dance up here with me, however you want.
Try to remember, along with me, what it felt like to not care about your skills, and just know that it is time for you to dance.”
Lexi earned her BFA in 2015 and, despite all odds, continues to make art. She works at the Library, and at Tin Angel, has a studio at Poor Yorick, is earning her MLIS and forgets people’s birthdays. But at least she is still making art.
This program is modeled after 12 Minutes Max, a performance laboratory originated by On the Boards in Seattle.
AGE GROUP: | Teens | All Ages | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Performances & Presentations | Music | Arts & Creativity |
NOTE: The Main Library's Rooftop Terrace is closed for renovations.
Salt Lake City's Main Library, designed by internationally-acclaimed architect Moshe Safdie in conjunction with VCBO Architecture, opened in February 2003 and remains one of the most architecturally unique structures in Utah. This striking 240,000 square-foot structure houses more than 500,000 books and other materials, yet serves as more than just a repository of books and computers. It reflects and engages the city's imagination and aspirations. The structure embraces a public plaza, with shops and services at ground level, reading galleries above, and a 300-seat auditorium.
A multi-level reading area along the Glass Lens at the southern facade of the building looks out onto the plaza with stunning views of the city and Wasatch Mountains beyond. Spiraling fireplaces on four floors resemble a column of flame from the vantage of 200 East and 400 South. The Urban Room between the Library and the Crescent Wall is a space for all seasons, generously endowed with daylight and open to magnificent views.
