One of the most exciting events on campus is the Annual Fire and Ice Scholarship Gala. It was presented by the Utah Tech Foundation on March 20, 2026, in its 22nd year. The Fire and Ice Gala is an impactful celebration of community support and student success. This event, founded by Marica Wade and Dorothy Orton, has been pivotal in providing need-based scholarships for students at Utah Tech University. By coming together, the spirit of “paying it forward” is honored and helps change the lives of countless students at Utah Tech University.
As this year was focused on the arts, many different art forms were involved with over 30 Utah Tech students participating. There was a live plein air painting commemorating the occasion by Master of Fine Arts student, Tanecia Kelly Raabe, with her piece then part of the silent auction. On the walk to the event, various students became “Living Art” in a gallery of recreations of famous paintings from across history, such as The Girl with the Pearl Earring and The Son of Man.
Katie Olsen, Scene Shop Supervisor, helped create this live gallery. “Being part of the Living Art creation process for the gala event was creatively energizing. Despite the limited time frame, it allowed me to bring a design to life that captured the captivating experience of famous artworks in a three-dimensional form. With support from scene shop students Hunter and Jacob, we repurposed frames and built flats that created the illusion of images floating. I then worked on recreating the backgrounds of the artwork to give the sensation that each piece was popping out of its frame. Seeing the smiles from students and staff made me realize that I had helped support the importance of arts education and the pure joy that art can bring into our lives. The beauty of so many art forms on display showcased how art truly frames our lives—fueling creativity, inspiration, and passion.”
Patrons enjoyed stunning performances of music, dance, and theatre from faculty and students. Miles Jeppson sang “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, Kami Foster and Savannah Johansen performed “Some Things Are Meant to Be” from Little Women, Skye Thomas sang “Through Tenderness and Flattery” from The Abduction from the Seraglio, David Parry and Annalenna Jacobs performed fight choreography from Kneehigh’s Tristan and Yseult, and the piece “The Waxing of Becoming” was performed by Dance student, Calvin Clark. “Performing at the Fire and Ice Gala was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Calvin. “I want to thank Sara Gallo and Ashly Barraclough for giving me this opportunity to represent Utah Tech Dance. Two things I kept in the back of my mind throughout this whole process was ‘Fear is just another way to try harder’ and ‘Don’t give up when things get hard’.”
A jazz quartet and chamber orchestra played throughout the evening. “Having UT student jazz musicians perform for Fire and Ice was a win for everyone at Utah Tech. It was a great way for students to gain experience performing for a professional event, the music they provided fit perfectly to the atmosphere, and the public were able to see the great musicians that we have here at UT,” stated Dr. Bryant Smith, Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands.
This year’s Gala broke Utah Tech’s record for the most support collected at a single event, raising $465,965 for need-based scholarships and the Student Resource Center. It also broke the university’s record for the most support raised at a single event. Contributions to the university are greatly appreciated. More information on how to support the scholarships can be found at https://utahtech.edu/fireandice/.
By Allyson Twitchell, Marketing Coordinator for the College of the Arts