THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR JUN 15 - 21 

• Courtesy Photo

Gary Vlasic: Fever Dreams
Creeping up on its one-year anniversary, Current Work Contemporary Art has been providing both a consultation service for individuals and businesses looking to support and install contemporary art, and a gallery space with exciting exhibitions to support the work of local and regional contemporary artists. It's the latter that becomes the focus this week, as Current Work uses the Gallery Stroll week to showcase the work of veteran Salt Lake City artist Gary Vlasic.

Fever Dreams finds Vlasic creating images based on pieces found in fashion magazines; he then enhances the original images with ink, paint and photo transfers. The longtime fixture in the local art community—Vlasic has served on the board of directors of the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and NOW-ID Dance Company, as well as having a permanent installation in the Weber County Library in Ogden—describes this series in his artist statement as "feverish pursuits of motion and emotion." They're built on the idea of life itself as collage, filled with a deluge of Information Age data and images that we're required to respond to and make sense of.

Gary Vlasic's Fever Dreams shows at Current Work (826 S. 500 West, Suite 2) in the Granary District as part of the June Gallery Stroll on Friday, June 16, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.; the exhibition continues through July 7 on an appointment basis. Many additional local galleries participate in the monthly Gallery Stroll, with a full list and additional information at gallerystroll.org. For more information about Current Work and its exhibitions, visit currentwork.art or call 801-230-4410. (Scott Renshaw)

• Courtesy Photo

Juneteenth Celebrations
The story of Juneteenth is one of waiting too long for the arrival of good news, so it's sadly appropriate that it too until 2022 for it to be recognized as a Utah state holiday for the first time. Now that it is finally a day of rest and reflection for many people, there are several ways to celebrate locally.

The biggest such event in Utah is the 34th annual Juneteenth Freedom & Heritage Festival in Ogden, sponsored by the Project Success Coalition. Taking place over several days, but focused on the weekend of June 17-18, the festival includes a showcase two days of concerts at Ogden Amphitheater (343 E. 25th St.), with headliners DJTJ and Nmotion on Saturday, and the George Brown Jazz Ensemble on Sunday. Other festival offerings include a 5-on-5 basketball tournament and 3-point shootout on Saturday, plus Golden Clipper Barber Battle and The Crown Braid Battle on Sunday. Visit projectsuccessinc.org for full schedule of events and additional information.

Meanwhile, The Gateway hosts SLC's own Juneteenth festivities. The free community event takes place on Monday, June 19 from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., and features a Black-owned businesses expo of vendor booths, plus an art exhibition, food trucks, live music and other entertainment, a barber battle, kids' activities and live storytelling. Visit atthegateway.com/calendar for additional information.

For something a little different, SLC is one of several cities nationwide participating in reenactments of the 1970s Ebony Fashion Fairs. Head to the International Peace Garden (1000 S. 900 West) at 2 p.m. for a poetry reading and fashion show, plus competition for best-dressed African-American-inspired Fashion Enthusiasts. Visit internationalpeacegardens.org for info. (Scott Renshaw)

• Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Broadway at the Eccles: Les Misérables
The line between "opera" and "musical theater" is often an arbitrary one, but it's hard to argue that the former term isn't particularly appropriate when applied to Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil's stage adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. The through-sung story is full of grand music, tragic deaths, romance and an epic historical setting—all of it with a theatrical staging that has proved remarkably dazzling to generations of theater-goers. As "Les Miz" approaches the 40th anniversary of its English-language version and holds a status as one of the 10 longest-running Broadway shows of all time, it has lost none of its emotional power.

Set in early 1800s France, it follows the story of Jean Valjean (Nick Cartell), a man imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread, and whose escape from parole sets in motion a pursuit by the relentless inspector Javert (Preston Truman Boyd) over the course of nearly 20 years. He also becomes involved in a student uprising, as Valjean's adopted daughter Cosette falls in love with young revolutionary Marius. As the events spin toward war and final confrontations, the show offers up a series of instantly-memorable songs: "I Dreamed a Dream," "Do You Hear the People Sing?" "One Day More," "On My Own," "A Little Fall of Rain" and many more. It's spectacular, yet intimately human.

The current touring production of Les Misérables stops in at the Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) June 20 – July 2. Limited seats remain for the 15-show run as of press time; visit arttix.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)