Dance and Ecology Intertwine in Feathered Tides at part of the Wake the Great Salt Lake Public Art Project

Internationally recognized interdisciplinary artist, Mitsu Salmon, will debut her newest site-responsive performance, Feathered Tides, at the Miller Bird Refuge and Nature Park in Salt Lake City. The work runs May 24–31, 2025 as part of Wake the Great Salt Lake, a public art initiative supported by the Salt Lake City Arts Council, and Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office.

Blending dance, soundscape, visual storytelling, and nature itself, Feathered Tides explores the interconnectedness of migration — both human and avian — and reflects on themes of home, belonging, and environmental stewardship. Performed for intimate audiences of just nine people per show, the experience creates a fully immersive, contemplative atmosphere within the sanctuary’s winding trails.

“I walk the loop at Miller Bird Refuge almost every day. That quiet connection to place — and to the birds who live and pass through here — inspired the whole project,” said Salmon. “This piece honors the birds, the water, and our shared movement through the world. It’s about understanding the local in relationship to the vast.”

The path of Red Butte Creek, which flows through the Miller Bird Refuge and eventually feeds into Jordan River on its way to Great Salt Lake, became a symbolic and literal thread through the work. During the performances, audiences are guided from one location to the next within the park, mirroring the slow, intentional flow of water from the creek to the lake.

Salmon’s creative process merges rigorous movement research with deep environmental observation. “Feathered Tides” features six dancers, each embodying movements inspired by birds like the American Avocet, Wilson’s Phalarope, and Yellow Warbler — species deeply affected by the health of Great Salt Lake. Alongside her dancers, she has spent months birdwatching, studying migration patterns, and developing movement prompts that reflect both the physicality and emotion of flight, rest, and return.

“What Mitsu does so powerfully is translate ecological complexity into embodied experience,” said Andrew Shaw, Project Lead for Wake the Great Salt Lake. “The preservation of the lake affects everything — from shorebirds to snowpack to the air we breathe. Art connects these dots in a way science alone cannot. Feathered Tides invites us to feel that connection, not just understand it.”

The work’s tone balances joy and gravity. While acknowledging the dire threats facing the lake and its wildlife, Salmon’s choreography invites curiosity, awe, and hope. “There’s a quiet intimacy to this space and to this performance,” adds Salmon. “It’s not meant to overwhelm — it’s meant to draw you in.”

Performance Dates & Times

All performances take place at Miller Bird Refuge and Nature Park located at 1539 Bonneview Dr Drive, Salt Lake City, UT

Advance registration for these free performances is required. Ticketing opens May 8, 2025. Capacity is extremely limited.

• Saturday, May 24
  3:00 PM, 4:30 PM, 6:00 PM
• Sunday, May 25
  3:00 PM, 4:30 PM, 6:00 PM
• Friday, May 30
  4:30 PM, 6:00 PM
• Saturday, May 31
  4:30 PM, 6:00 PM

Reserve Your Spot (starting May 8) 

For more information, visit: https://wakegsl.org/artists/mitsu-salmon

For more about the Wake the Great Salt Lake program, visit wakegsl.org.

MEDIA-READY ARTWORK & LOGOS 

About Mitsu Salmon: Mitsu Salmon is an interdisciplinary artist whose work weaves performance, sound, and visual art with themes of migration, ecology, and memory. Drawing on personal and ancestral narratives, her practice explores diaspora, labor, and the environment. She holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA from NYU’s Experimental Theater Wing. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Performance Space 122, and Hebbel am Ufer in Berlin. A former member of Butoh dance companies in Kyoto, Salmon has held residencies at Taipei Artist Village, UMOCA, and Oxbow, and has received grants from DCASE, the Chicago Dancemakers Forum, and the Utah Performing Arts Fellowship. She has created site-responsive performances in Taiwan, Chicago, and Salt Lake City. For more information, visit: mitsusalmon.com

About Wake the Great Salt Lake: Wake the Great Salt Lake is a temporary public art project that aims to educate and inspire residents and visitors to understand and prevent the further decline of the Great Salt Lake. The project is a partnership of the Salt Lake City Arts Council, the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office, and Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge, with additional support from Kem and Carolyn Gardner, Zions Bank, the Marcia and John Price Family Foundation, and Delta Air Lines.

About Salt Lake City Arts Council: The Salt Lake City Arts Council promotes, presents, and supports artists, arts organizations, and arts activities in order to further the development of the arts community and to benefit the public by expanding awareness, access, and participation.

About the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office: Salt Lake City is the capital and most populous city in Utah, the fastest-growing state in the country. As the hub of the economy, the arts, and sports for the region, Salt Lake City is committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative, and sustainable community.

With a focus on quality of life, Salt Lake City continues to be a destination for both residents and visitors alike, having hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and welcoming the world again for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. An elected mayor, who serves as the chief executive, and seven part-time City Council members govern the City. For more information, visit slc.gov.

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