THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR FEB 29 - MAR 6 

• Smithsonian American Art Museum

Pictures of Belonging @ UMFA
The artistic canon is always evolving, and always looking to address historical inequities in representation. Three of the most active female artists of Japanese descent in the pre-World War II era—Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi and Miné Okubo—are only just becoming subjects for study in 20th-century art history, and the Utah Museum of Fine Art is proud to participate in the re-discovery of these artists, with the touring exhibition Pictures of Belonging showcasing more than 100 of their works, and making its first stop in Utah.

By showcasing the work by these three women, UMFA and Pictures of Belonging bring to the forefront voices that have often been diminished. The artists depict everyday life of their time, like Hisako Hibi's 1955 oil painting "Waiting for a Bus to Work," yet are also chronicles of very particular historical moments. Hibi and Okubo were both among the thousands of Japanese-Americans unjustly imprisoned in internment camps during World War II, and their work offers an insight into the experience of those places (Okubo's 1943 watercolor "Wind and Dust" is pictured).

Pictures of Belonging runs now through June 30 at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (410 Campus Center Dr.), with regular hours 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday – Sunday, and 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Wednesday. Events associated with the exhibition will include a curator talk with Dr. ShiPu Wang at the museum on March 13 at 6 p.m., and a Third Saturday for Families opportunity to use the paintings as inspiration for your own paintings on March 16, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Visit umfa.utah.edu for additional information. (Scott Renshaw)

• Courtesy photo

Healing Palette of Mystical Mestizaje @ Ogden Contemporary Arts
It's easy to exoticize the traditions of cultures from which we ourselves do not originate, losing track of their cultural significance as they are appropriated into generically "new age" spirituality. Artistic work can often ground those traditions in a cultural present, making it clear that they emerge from the lived existence of a people. The fascinating solo exhibit Healing Power of the Mystical Mestizaje at Ogden Contemporary Arts finds artist-in-residence Luis Álvaro Sahagún Nuño exploring indigenous healing practices through a wide range of creative forms.

Through painting, sculpture and installations, Sahagún Nuño reveals how healing practices are inextricably connected to cultural identity, including items like the cobija blanket. "The use of the Mexican cobija in a contemporary art gallery offers a unique opportunity for critical engagement with issues of cultural representation, power dynamics, and the complexities of identity in a multicultural world," Sagahún Nuño says. "It challenges the tendency to exoticize and fetishize 'otherness,' breaking down stereotypes and encouraging a more nuanced perspective on cultural exchange." The gallery is also scheduled to host several events in conjunction with the exhibition, including an artist talk at Weber State University's Shaw Gallery and educational workshops designed to deepen public engagement with the exhibition's themes.

Healing Palette of Mystical Mestizaje runs at Ogden Contemporary Arts (455 25th St., Ogden) March 1 – April 21, with an opening reception featuring the artist on March 1, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Visit ogdencontemporaryarts.org for additional event information. (SR)

• Izzy Arrieta

RDT: Regalia
For several years, Repertory Dance Theater's annual Regalia fundraiser has been focused around a beat-the-clock test for multiple choreographers creating new work in just a matter of hours, competing for a chance to get a commission with the company based on audience vote. For 2024, however, RDT has opted to shake things up a little: The folks tasked with creating new work in over the course of just four hours aren't actually choreographers (at least not professionally). Instead, Regalia: So You Think You Can Choreograph brings civilians into the process of building a dance performance from the ground up.

The participants are five locals, each of whom raised $2,000 for the chance at one of the available spots: Abbie St. Vaughan, an academic program coordinator at the University of Utah; Loren Lambert, a worker's compensation and disability attorney; Lorie O'Toole, a family and parenting instructor for immigrants and refugees; Eddee Johansen, a veteran Utah restaurateur; and Dr. Richard Jaffee, a retired radiologist. Some have a little dance training, some are just fans of dance, but all will be making their first efforts at actual choreography while paired with an RDT mentor, with their creations shown to the Regalia audience. Attendees will get a chance to enjoy drinks and appetizers, tour the studios to watch the works in progress, bit on silent auction items and meet the participants.

RDT's Regalia comes to the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (210 E. 300 South) on Saturday, March 2 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $75; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)