Chasing Dreams Through the Arts
When an art exhibit doubles as a spot for marriage proposals, and a place where a cancer patient decides to give their final goodbyes, you know pretty spectacular things happen there. Funded by the Utah Arts Alliance, the Dreamscapes Exhibit is an installation art project that, through projection and augmented reality, is a place where dreams come true.
The Utah Arts Alliance is an organization founded on ideals of awareness, empowerment, and connectedness. Founded in 2003 by Derek Dyer, the UAA strives to serve the artist by serving the community.
Dreamscapes taps into the subconscious through art that manipulates the senses.
The Dreamscapes Immersive Art Exhibit, located in Salt Lake City, is the UAA’s current creative frontrunner, and doubles as Utah’s first ever environmentally sustainable attraction. Through local funding, earned revenue, and private donors, this nonprofit organization is able to bring people together through unique attractions, while encouraging them to pursue their creative dreams.
Entering Dreamscapes is like entering the subconscious world with your eyes open.
“The way the exhibit progresses is like you’re falling deeper and deeper into sleep,” said Sue Raia, Director of The Dreamscapes Immersive Art Exhibit. The creators of the art envisioned a place so magical, you’ll leave feeling like a child again.
A tag left by a visitor reads, “Just kiss already!!!! We already did!”
When walking through the exhibit, one will find different rooms, each one themed as a different level of your dreaming experience. The attraction as a whole is one full piece of artwork, with each element manipulated by sound, sight, touch, and smell. The creators intended for the space to be interacted with, so as you’re experiencing the exhibit, it’s encouraged that you immerse yourself as fully as possible to enhance the wonder of your dreams.
One room in particular is modeled after an enchanted forest with hundreds of hanging tags resembling leaves on trees. These tags are left by visitors of the museum, and you’re encouraged to write whatever you wish, and tie the tag before you leave. The result is this interactive forest filled with cliché sayings, valuable advice, and
silly sketches.
It’s incredible to read the words of strangers who came before you, and it’s incredible to see what a profound impact this particular display has on environmental sustainability. All of the tags are scraps of paper most wouldn’t hesitate to toss in the garbage.
Dreamscapes is Utah’s first ever environmentally sustainable exhibit. Through locally donated materials that would typically end up in a landfill, Dreamscapes has created beautiful pieces of art, and has transformed what was once considered trash into what’s now considered education.
It’s a perfect example of, “Creative problem solving of using up-cycled and repurposed materials to bring your vision to life,” Raia said. But the environment wasn’t the only factor the creators had in mind when building this exhibit, as another one of the Utah Arts Alliance’s main goals is accessibility.
“In the development of Dreamscapes, one of our core things is making art accessible,” Raia said, meaning the walkthrough of the exhibit checks off every ADA requirement.
The Utah Arts Alliance was founded at a time when artists didn’t have nearly any opportunities. Galleries at the time would only show well-established artists, so Dyer took it into his own hands to create an organization that supported artists of all mediums.
The UAA founded themselves on the mission statement, “ Fostering the arts in all forms in order to create an aware, empowered, and connected community,” a statement that 18 years later, propels everything they do.
The UAA places a strong importance on spreading awareness through education, especially on topics such as gender roles, sexuality, and mental health. The Urban Arts Gallery, the UAA’s venue located in Salt Lake City, has supported the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, and other groups through art shows and displays. Additionally, the UAA avidly supported Pride month, and supplied a majority of the artwork on display for SLC Pride this past June.
The UAA provides local artists the opportunity to showcase work that aligns with Dreamscapes’ vision of environmental sustainability.
The Utah Arts Alliance puts on events from festivals to programs, all with a common goal in mind: bringing people together. This aspect of connectedness is a huge part of what inspires exhibits such as Dreamscapes.
“We create these special opportunities, and moments for people to connect with each other, where normally they wouldn’t be able to,” Dyer said.
Empowerment brings the UAA back to its grounding principle, by serving and supporting the artist, we in turn serve and support the community.
“We try to empower the artist by providing them with activities, educational stuff, opportunities to connect, opportunities to make money, and opportunities to pursue their creative dreams through professional development,” Dyer said. By giving the artist the resources they need to be successful, the UAA is making the community a better place.
The Dreamscapes Immersive Art Exhibit is just one way The Utah Arts Alliance gives back to the community.
“Nothing is impossible. If we have an idea, as long as it fits within our mission statement, we believe anything can happen,” Dyer said.
Whether you’re an artist or someone who’d like to connect with the arts, the UAA has created a place that belongs to everyone.
