This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The curiosity of this online social club starts with the name: SLC's Liberal-Minded Culture Seekers.
Before you dismiss the group as "Liberals Doing Things Liberals Like," consider this: Once-lonely Nancy Haremza says the group has expanded her sense of community and amped up her love life.
"I was doing online dating and couldn't find anyone," Haremza explains while sampling Japanese cuisine at Aki Matsuri, the Japanese autumn festival. "But then I joined Liberal-Minded Culture Seekers and met so many people."
The online meet-up group's name might be a bit misleading. Culture Seekers leader Elias Caress says the group's purpose isn't political activism. If members are to be believed, a more accurate name might be: Friends-Who-Have-Never-Met-Who-Do-Offbeat-Stuff-in-a-Right-Wing State. "The group is not really political," emphasizes Caress. "We just try to do unusual stuff."
If you're asking what could be more unusual in Utah than being a liberal, you're still on the wrong track. The "unusual" stuff the Culture Seekers attend includes ethnic festivals, such as the Hare Krishna Temple gatherings and the Living Traditions Festival, and gallery strolls. But it also includes less exotic outings to stand-up comedy clubs, karaoke nights and lunches at newer restaurants.
The charm of the online group, say members, is that it connects — face to face — anyone with a mind open to culture and fun. Members range in age from late teens to late 50s. It's not primarily a singles group, but Caress admits that it functions as one for many members.
Haremza, another group leader, is a case in point. For the past few months, she has been dating another avid Culture Seeker. "I can honestly say it changed my life. I was single and it was hard to meet people here. It's really different meeting someone online and meeting someone at something like this," she says of the Japanese festival. "You've got instant friends and it's a more natural way to meet people."
But the tag "liberal" in the name does have an important function, members say, in helping newcomers, who are often intimidated by the state's dominant Mormon religion and conservative culture, find like-minded folks. In short, the group tries to be a connection to cool-seekers in a state some pundits call "GlennBeckistan."
The "L" word also wards off those at the right end of the spectrum. "The name invites open-minded people," Caress says. "We've never done anything political. But it's nice to be around people who have similar ways of thinking."
Adds Haremza: "It's nice to know you can speak freely without starting an argument. You don't have to be careful with what you say."
Culture Seeker Kim Correa loves the group's emphasis on doing off-the-wall things. "This group is the antidote to groups that go bar hopping and dancing every week."
Caress says the group has few guidelines about choosing activities and instead is mainly guided by what people are willing to show up for. Simple outings, for example, are often the most successful.
Caress connected the group with a beekeeper for a mead tasting. And Haremza says a regular cadre of members love Really, Really Bad Movie Night, at which everyone fires snarky comments and popcorn at the screen in a riff on the old "Mystery Science Theater 3000" show.
Suggested upcoming events include the India Fest at the Hare Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, a prehistoric-themed Really, Really Bad Movie Night and Oktoberfest at Snowbird Ski Resort. But group members probably shouldn't expect any outings to tea parties or Glenn Beck rallies.
On a mission to find culture
The mission statement of SLC's Liberal-Minded Culture Seekers: Please bring your open, curious and fun-loving mind! Be warned: This might not be the group for you if you are allergic to:
Art (including nudes).
A suggestion to try some new ethnic restaurant.
An invite for coffee.
The option to have wine with dinner.
People who can hold an intelligent but fun conversation.
And, God forbid, laughter!
Liberal-Minded Culture Seekers
Members • 570 (about 100 are regularly active)
Meet • Events planned every week to two weeks
Fees • No cost except event admission fees
Note • It helps if you are liberal, at least about having fun