PARTICIPANTS March 11th, 2017
PANEL DISCUSSION
Mark Button, Chair Dpt. Political Science University of Utah
His research areas are: History of political thought, democratic theory including citizen participation, virtue ethics, civil society and democratic activism.
Dixie Snow Huefner, The Utah Citizen’s Counsel (UCC)
The UCC is an independent, non-partisan group of senior community advocates dedicated to improving public policy on complex issues through dialogue, creative problem solving, and consensus building. Dixie Snow Huefner is the leader of the committee regarding Article VII – Transparent, Ethical, and Participatory Governance and specializes in redistricting.
Barry Gomberg, ACLU board member
is the Executive Director of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity at Weber State University in Ogden. He investigates complaints of discrimination and harassment for the institution, provides civil rights training for employees and administers the institution's affirmative action plan. He has been a school teacher, an educational equity specialist in race and sex desegregation and has practiced law, focusing on civil rights. Barry has taught a variety of courses at Weber State, including Constitutional Law, School Law, Employment and Labor Law and Criminal Justice. He graduated Cum Laude with a J.D. from Indiana University Law School. Barry joined the board in 2012.
Justin Watson, Visual Artist
is a systems artist living and working in Salt Lake City, Utah. A recent MFA graduate in Sculpture Intermedia from the University of Utah, Watson deconstructs the dynamism of new media technologies and their social, political and psychological impact on our visions of the contemporary. Watson harnesses the same technologies utilized by Hollywood, the gaming industry and high end production houses to explore relationships spanning art history, gaming culture, artificial intelligence, U.S. history and collective isolation forged by post-internet identities.
ART
Justin Watson
see above
Joseph Christensen
is a sculptor living and working in Salt Lake City, Utah. His work is composed of an immersive investigation into the societies we live and the ideals society has adopted through a four part series, “Social Topography.” Each part is segmented into family, social interaction, big business, and mass media. Miniaturization in his work leads to focal immersion and provides an omniscient narrative perspective, placing viewers in a position of power and prestige over the objects. His work becomes an expansive endeavor of growth and learning, much like how he views our society.
Tanja London
is a German choreographer, performer and filmmaker based in Salt Lake City. Her work has a feminist viewpoint and explores sociopolitical and ecological discourses like erosion of US democracy and sustainability. She holds a BA in Social Pedagogy and Contemporary Dance as well as a MFA in Modern Dance including a Screendance Certificate. Her work has been seen in Berlin, London, Düsseldorf, Boston, SLC, Brussels, New York and Shanghai.
Speakers' Corner SLC is organized by Tanja London, Meagan Bertelson, and Emma Wilson.
It is fiscally sponsored by loveDANCE more, an umbrella for community dance events in SLC. For more information of loeDANCEmore programming and fiscal sponsorship visit www.lovedancemore.org or e-mail admin@lovedancemore.org. Donations to Speakers' Corner are fully tax deductible to the extend allowed by law.
Former EVENTS
PARTICIPANTS May 16th, 2015
INTERACTIVE ART and LIVE PERFORMANCES
Melanie Martin
is a writer and activist whose work in both areas focuses on environmental justice. Over the past several years, I've been involved in a land defense campaign to stop the first potential tar sands mine in the U.S., in Eastern Utah. Last summer and fall, I took part in a 5-month vigil in the tar sands sacrifice zone and was arrested for taking nonviolent direct action to halt the mine. My writing this winter has focused on those experiences, digging deeper into the ways in which this work has changed me as a person and what engaging in radical resistance means in the face of increasing movement repression.
Michele Medina
Violinist
Ella Mendoza
is a human (or fey?), who writes, talks, and yells about climate justice, migrant rights, and queer rights. She is currently studying Child Development, specializing on Preschool and Bilingual studies. Afterwards, she hopes to start the Visual and Art Design program in SLCC.
Kate Monson
holds an MFA in choreography from Ohio State University (’99) and a BA in dance from Brigham Young University (’96) She is currently teaching as an Assistant Professor at BYU. She is co-producer of On Site: Mobile Dance Series, which presents works in non-traditional spaces all around Utah Valley. She is certified to teach Labanotation and has reconstructed works from score by Lester Horton, Bebe Miller, Yvonne Rainer and others.
Triptych Figures
A Salt Lake City based Dance and Performing Arts Company that is dedicated to Collaboration and Activism. Freshly formed in 2014, our company is comprised of experienced dancers/choreographers/teachers that strive to bring artists of all kinds together, to bring light to imperative causes, and to travel taking our passion to likely and unlikely places.
http://triptychfigures.wix.com/about
Wendy J. Pabich PhD
is an environmental scientist, speaker, educator, adventurer and artist obsessed with all things water. As the founder and president of Water Futures, Inc., Wendy works to find innovative solutions to one of the planet’s most pressing problems – the quest for sustainable water.
http://www.waterdeva.com/index.php
Will Baxter Music
Soul and Jazz Band
http://willbaxtermusic.wix.com/willbaxtermusic
Emma Wilson
is currently pursuing a BFA at the University of Utah as a modern dance major minoring in environmental and sustainability studies as well as Brazilian studies. She has written for the blog and publication of the nonprofit organization, loveDANCEmore, and is an intern for it's director, Ashley Anderson. Emma has shown her work at the Barnevelder Movement Arts Complex in Houston, Salt Lake City's Masonic Temple for loveDANCEmore's Mudson, and in the Modern Dance Department's student concert. Emma is working in the Edible Campus Gardens at the University of Utah and embarking on the creation of new dance in an ever-changing environment.
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION will be facilitated by Joe Bauman
Laura McIndoe Briefer
is the Deputy Director for Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU), a municipal entity responsible for the provision of culinary water to more than 500,000 people in the Salt Lake Valley, and wastewater and stormwater services in Salt Lake City. As Water Resources Manager, Laura’s responsibilities include managing various programs and projects related to watershed and source water protection, water conservation, water rights, and climate change issues. SLCDPU is particularly interested and concerned with mapping its own energy-water nexus, and planning for resiliency in a changing climate. Prior to SLCDPU, Laura worked for six years as the Assistant Administrator for a small city in Utah, and for eight years as an environmental consultant based in the San Francisco Bay Area conducting environmental investigations for contaminated sites and environmental compliance work throughout the country. She has a degree in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara.
Melanie Martin
see live performances
Wendy J. Pabich Phd
see live performances
David Stevens
is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Utah State University and a researcher at the Utah Water Research Laboratory. He teaches undergraduate and graduate Environmental Engineering courses. He is currently working several projects related to modeling of surface water quality for source water protection and total maximum daily load analyses. He has over 40 publications in wastewater treatment, remediation of subsurface environments, water quality modeling, and TMDL assessment. He is also interested in environmental statistics, Bayesian networks, and computer-based decision support systems for environmental management. He consults with the US EPA, Utah Division of Water Quality, and private industry.
INFORMATION TABLES
is dedicated to protecting the wildness and beauty of the Wasatch Mountains, canyons and foothills.
is an environmental non-profit that promotes renewable energy and protects Utah’s public health and environment from nuclear, toxic, and dirty energy threats.
is a nonprofit collective committed to defending a livable future through empowering nonviolent action
is a grassroots organization of people determined to prevent the imminent threat of tar sands and tar shale mining in Utah, the Colorado Plateau region
uses the power of moms to clean up Utah’s dirty air. In doing so, we are uncompromising defender’s of our children’s health.
Brian Behrmann born & raised in Salt Lake Valley, loves hiking and running, but does not like exercising in pollution or climbing a mountain to see the valley covered in smog. Using his experience of 10 years in the shipping industry to create cleaner delivery options to local businesses and residents.
BOOTHS
SLC HEMP run by Adam Wong is a retail store dedicated to spreading reliable information about industrial hemp and the many sustainable products it can produce.
Grow Wild Nursery owned by Geoff Christensen is a true gem if you are looking for drought resistant, native plants.
PARTICIPANTS July 18th, 2015
INTERACTIVE ART and LIVE PERFORMANCES
Madisyn DelPorto
is an Artist, Writer, and Cartoonist who has displayed her work at numerous local galleries including Poor Yorick Studios, The Urban Arts Gallery, and a recent Solo Exhibit at Sorenson Unity Center. Her work tends to be charged with narrative, and an intention to examine our culture and social circumstance. She feels that art’s relevance as a communication tool should be considered of equal or more importance than how aesthetically pleasing it is.
Victoris Senthunya
Born and raised in The Kingdom of Lesotho in Southern Africa, Victoria Sethunya is a mother, political activist, criminal justice worker, ESL teacher and pharmacy worker. Her personal interests are in the performing arts as a poet, opera and a prospective Harvard Divinity student living in Salt Lake City, UT.
She was actively involved with human rights issues in South Africa before she came to the US. Her motto is “Send a Strong Message”.
M. Lewis Barker
is an artist, graphic designer, and musician living in Salt Lake City, UT. His latest series, Approximation, focuses on the human figure with ink and watercolor. But the artist uses various methods to make proper representation difficult.
Monica Remes
is a Professional Dance/Performance/Video Artist currently residing in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has performed, taught and choreographed for Sugar Space co.da, Body Logic Dance Company, and founded Triptych Figures. Monica spent most of her life singing, dancing, and acting in musicals, plays, and choirs. Monica holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor degree in Cinema Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Amy Freitas
is a freelance dancer, choreographer, and babysitter in Salt Lake City. She also facilitates interdisciplinary arts collective, Porridge For Goldilocks.
Ryan Parker
"Poet is an Indendent artist and social activist, with interest in Protesting police brutality, drug reform, drug rehabilitation, violence against women, poverty, political corruption, and all those that serve injustices to our communities."
Poet:
Raised in one of the most conservative regions of the country, I was on the front lines of cultural oppression. Isolated fromthe community due to lack of conformity to the dominant religion, I used music as one of my many outlets of expression of individuality. Though due to lack of family structure, my growing pains found me running the streets at a very young age, in circles with other outsiders, and misfits. Many trials, and tribulations found myself lost with no voice, but with determination, perseverance, and still holding that burning spirit of defiance. I fought my way out of darkness to narrate my life story, while attempting to create a soundtrack to others with similar pains, and stories. I am no martyr just a painter, and a narrator."
Poet has studied at UVU in various courses such as Philosophy, and Criminal Justice. Takes part in Rallys, and community fundraisers. Originally from Orem, UT he now lives in Downtown SLC, and during his down time he is a father of 2.
Viva Le Revolucion'
Circle DISCUSSION: Police Use of Exessive Force
With YOU, ACLU representative Anna E. Brower, Utah Against Police Brutality representative Lex Scott, Laban Movement Analyst Cadence Whittier, and former journalist Joe Bauman.
INFORMATION TABLES
Utah Pride Center
Utah Pride is a catalyst for building and celebrating the strength, equality, dignity and self-determination of the LGBTQ community throughout Utah. We are committed to excellence in execution and the continuing improvement of all programs, services, education and advocacy. We value and support individuals, families, and allies and building partnerships across communities.
ACLU
The ACLU of Utah operates through public education, legal advocacy, litigation, and lobbying to ensure the constitutional rights and freedoms of everyone living in or visiting Utah.
The Rape Recovery Center
To empower those victimized by sexual violence through advocacy, crisis intervention, and therapy and to educate the community about the cause, impact, and prevention of sexual violence.
Philosophy: That every person victimized by sexual violence is treated with dignity and respect and is empowered to work toward recovery.