SALT LAKE CITY — Music will fill the streets of Salt Lake City, literally, when the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art opens a new exhibit.
“Play Me, I’m Yours,” the brainstorm of British artist Luke Jerram, is an installation of 10 pianos. The pianos, each given a unique look by a local artist, will be placed on sidewalks and public meeting places in downtown Salt Lake City. The title of the installation invites members of the public to become part of the art, by playing the pianos.
“Beyond solo playing, we encourage choirs, bands, other musical ensembles and even dancers to incorporate rehearsals or jam sessions at the piano sites,” said Adam Price, UMOCA executive director, in a press release about the exhibit.
The music begins with a reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. June 15 at the museum, 20 S. West Temple. The piano installation continues through June 30.
The public is invited to share videos, photos and stories about their experience with the pianos, online at www.slcstreetpianos.com.
Different incarnations of “Play Me, I’m Yours” have been created in 22 cities around the world, with an estimated reach of two million people.
“The idea for ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ came from visiting my local launderette. I saw the same people there each weekend and yet no one talked to one another,” Jerram is quoted in the press release. “I suddenly realized that within a city, there must be hundreds of these invisible communities, regularly spending time with one another in silence. Placing a piano into the space was my solution to this problem, acting as a catalyst for conversation and changing the dynamics of a space.”
“Cantastoria,” an exhibit about how artists use languages, music, messengers and witnesses to tell community stories, also opens June 15 at the museum.
Hours for the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free.
For information, call 801-328-4201, or visit the website www.utahmoca.org.