Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- The Utah Cultural Celebration Center's Trees of Diversity exhibit uses Christmas trees to celebrate cultural diversity.
- Over 30 Christmas trees with unique decorations showcase Andean, Mexican, Filipino and other cultures.
- The exhibit, one element of a range of holiday exhibits at the cultural center, runs through December.
WEST VALLEY CITY — Not everyone may celebrate Christmas in the same way or celebrate it at all.
The Utah Cultural Celebration Center, though, is using the holiday season — Christmas trees, more specifically — to showcase the diverse elements of the community in West Valley City and beyond and foster unity. The organization's Trees of Diversity exhibit, now in its 20th year, features 30-plus Christmas trees decorated by a broad range of cultural groups and other community groups.
The Christmas trees are meant as "a blank canvas" for the varied organizations to "share your story or paint a portrait or picture of your community and culture," said Michael Christensen, visual and performing arts manager for the center, operated by West Valley City. There are trees decorated to represent elements of Andean, Mexican, Filipino, Salvadoran, Pacific Islander, Scottish, Australian, Vietnamese and other cultures. One tree contains decorations representing Kwanzaa, the annual celebration of African and African American culture; another features popcorn and candy containers to represent Utah's "drive-in (theater) heritage."
"We like to invite people to come and celebrate their own heritage and culture, but also learn about the traditions of their neighbors, and the Trees of Diversity is one way that we can do that," Christensen said. "You recognize something of self here, but then you can also recognize something of the other as well."
An Andean-themed tree features llamas and dolls in traditional dress representing Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. A Mexican-themed tree features sombreros and monarch butterflies, which use Mexico as a winter home. A Scottish-themed tree features swaths of plaid fabrics and dolls wearing kilts.
The free exhibit at the cultural center at 1355 W. 3100 South, launched with a kick-off on Dec. 5, featuring a range of traditional dance groups, and will remain on display through the end of the month. Also on display to mark the holiday season are a series of paintings, "Winter Scenes," and a series of Nativity displays, including one made by Pilar Pobil, the late Utah artist.
The cultural center's regular operating hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The largest crowds visiting the holiday exhibits have typically coincided with events at the facility, Christensen said.
Read more:
Multicultural Utah
Looking for more news about the different cultures that call Utah home? Visit our Multicultural Utah section for more stories, events and features.
