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MAYOR AWARDS

Ogden City Mayor Awards in the Arts nominations are open until August 27. Shine the light of recognition on individuals or organizations that are making a difference in our community through the arts. Visit http://www.ogdencity.com/778/Mayors-Awards-in-the-Arts for the nomination form.

TWILIGHT CONCERTS

Ogden Twilight Concerts are back and the first show is August 13. Most of the shows are sold out, so if you want to attend one, get your tickets ASAP!

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

KEVIN MIKKELSEN

Kevin Mikkelsen is a landscape photographer from North Ogden. He started on film as a kid and adopted digital when it came along. Growth for him comes from expanding his skillset. He recently learned how to capture the stars through night photography. “That is a whole new ball of wax,” he said with a laugh.

He really grew as he surrounded himself with other photographers. Several years ago, he and his family were at temple square to watch a movie. They walked past the reflection pond, and he saw a man with a tripod set up. “A voice in me told me I had to go back and talk with him.” That man was Bill Crnkovich, the founder of Wasatch Camera Club. He became one of Kevin’s best friends and a hugely influential mentor. Bill organized trips to go to places like Zion National Park. He and a car full of photographers talked about photography the entire drive. Kevin learned so much on those trips.

There was a time when Kevin became discouraged by the influx of photographers. He was investing a lot of money on equipment but not getting a return. He contemplated selling it all and choosing a different path. His wife told him he would be in trouble if he didn’t use his talent. With her encouragement, he stuck with it, and that choice is literally paying off now.

An opportunity came to display his images in Ogden Clinic, and that set his career in motion. After retiring from the post office, he now works part time for Grizzly Graphics. He was drawn to them because he finally found a printer that could make a print look identical to the image on his computer screen. He does strictly landscape photography and is happy to be living his dream.

You can see his work at PhotographyOutdoors.com

UPCOMING EVENTS

August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: North Ogden Music Mondays. Free concert and dinner 6-9 p.m. at Barker Park Amphitheater. For a listings of performers, go to: http://www.northogdencity.com/parksrec/page/music-mondays-park

August 27-28: Chalk It Up. Chalk art festival and 5K Color Fun Run to benefit Just-a Break, a non-profit group that offers support to cancer patients and their families. http://www.chalkitupnorth.com for more details.

Sept 3-5: Ogden Music Festival @ Fort Buenaventura. Buy tickets at foam.org