City Weekly Best of Utah 2020

Best of Utah 2020: Arts & Culture

20 reader-voted winners in arts & culture, from the City Weekly Best of Utah 2020 poll.

Ask Ave: What won Best of Utah 2020 for Arts & Culture

• Best Arts Expansion During a PandemicUrban Arts Fest Elements

  It felt inevitable that scheduled arts events would either disappear or contract noticeably throughout the summer; it was a rare bold step for Derek Dyer to make the annual Urban Arts Fest…

• Best Dance ClubArea 51

  If there's any place that feels connected to deep SLC, it's Area 51. Located near Pioneer Park, walking on those lonely streets after dark is the perfect primer for heading to one of the… — Runners-up: Sky Bar, The Sun Trapp

• Best Dance CompanyBallet West

  For many Utahns, their introduction to professional dance came via Ballet West's annual production of The Nutcracker. But the pandemic has truly demonstrated the company's creativity beyond… — Runners-up: Ririe-Woodbury Dance Co., Odyssey Dance Theatre

• Best Door-to-Door DanceSB Dance Curbside Theater Pickup

  Many performing arts organizations shifted during the early months of the pandemic to virtual performances, as people were forced to stay at home. Stephen Brown, however, has never been one…

• Best First Return to Live PerformanceWiseguys Comedy Clubs

  It was something of a leap of faith when, in early May, Wiseguys reopened its comedy club venue at The Gateway. We were still figuring out what kinds of gatherings were safe, and many…

• Best Friend of the ArtsUtah Arts Alliance

  This local organization has its fingers in so many artistic pies, it's amazing that it gets everything right as often as it does. In addition to the Urban Arts Gallery as a showcase for… — Runners-up: Diane Stewart, Cat Palmer

• Best GalleryUrban Arts Gallery

  The expression "art gallery" doesn't have to be intimidating—and that's certainly not the case at this beloved spot in The Gateway. Local artists get a showcase throughout the year doing… — Runners-up: The Leonardo, Phillips Gallery

• Best Last Meal on EarthBambara

  Steak Frites Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Because the restaurant was temporarily shuttered due to COVID-19, Bambara lovers pined for chef Nathan Powers' dishes, most…

• Best Local PodcastI Am Salt Lake

  For the third year in a row, the I Am Salt Lake podcast reigns supreme. The locally themed podcast, hosted by Chris and Krissie Holifield, offers a glimpse into what makes Utah's capital… — Runners-up: Geek Show, Radio West

• Best MuseumNatural History Museum of Utah

  A museum isn't all about its physical space—but a great physical space doesn't hurt. The beautiful Rio Tinto Center of the Natural History Museum of Utah literally glows above the landscape… — Runners-up: Utah Museum of Fine Arts, The Leonardo

• Best Party BasketsMr. Charlie's Chicken Fingers

  There are few things as beautiful as a party basket from Mr. Charlie's Chicken Fingers. You bring in this hefty aluminum tin and peel off the covering to reveal a stack of freshly made…

• Best Radio ShowRadio From Hell

  Radio From Hell hosts Kerry Jackson, Bill Allred and Gina Barberi can be penciled into this spot just about any year. The longtime Best of Utah winners from 96.3 FM have amused and… — Runners-up: Radioactive, KRCL 90.9 FM, Bad Brad Wheeler, KUAA 99.9 FM

• Best Radio StationX96

  A perennial inductee, X96 (96.3 FM) is the go-to station for alternative and contemporary rock along the Wasatch Front. Named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the five "awesome radio… — Runners-up: KRCL 90.9 FM, KUER 90.1 FM

• Best Real Estate Deal That Saved HobbitvilleAllen Park Opening to the Public

  In a welcome move, Salt Lake City saved the city's most unique, wooded property from becoming another housing development. Then, adopting its legendary name, Mayor Erin Mendenhall opened…

• Best Tattoo ArtistMike Johnson

  Mike Johnson of Studio Elev8 has been tattooing since 2002 and has developed a specialty in illustrative and realism tattoos. Johnson is also masterful in handling scar tissue, a tough… — Runners-up: Buck Harvey, Alex Gregory

• Best Theater CompanySalt Lake Acting Co.

  Many professional theater companies are taking the slow-and-cautious approach to bringing patrons back into their conventional theater spaces, but that doesn't mean that they can't provide… — Runners-up: Hale Centre Theatre, Pioneer Theatre Co.

• Best Throwback CinemaSalt Lake Film Society and Utah Film Center Pop-up Drive-ins

  In the heyday of the drive-in movie theater—the pre-metroplex age—Utah had about 30 big, outdoor screens. The Motor-Vu at the top of 3300 South was a local favorite. There, you could…

• Best TV AnchorMary Nickles

  After receiving a mammogram in 2012 to encourage other women to get screened, KUTV Channel 2's Mary Nickles learned she had an invasive, malignant tumor. The subsequent stories on her… — Runners-up: Kelly Chapman, Fox 13, Bob Evans, Fox 13

• Best TV News StationFox 13

  Going on 42 years strong, Fox 13 is the youngest among Utah's commercial TV stations. But during its four-plus decades covering all things Utah, it's built a strong reputation for news… — Runners-up: KSL-5, KUTV-2

• Best Visual ArtistSRIL Art

  Visual artists aren't often known to those who don't venture into gallery spaces, but one Utah artist has created work known to people throughout the valley—even if they don't actually know… — Runners-up: Cat Palmer, Jann Haworth