In 1980, a powerful windstorm with gusts of up to 70 mph caused segments of the Utah Capitol dome’s original copper cladding to fly off, and much of the copper that remained was damaged. The copper cover was then replaced. Seeing the recovered material as an opportunity, the state held an art competition to use the salvaged material. Governor Scott …
Kudos to Marie Desrochers on Her Utah Museums Association Award
At this year’s Utah Museums Association (UMA) conference in Vernal, our own Marie Desrochers was recognized with the Public Service Award. Marie is the Outreach Preservation Coordinator for our agency and the keystone of our Utah Collections Preservation Program (UCP). UCP delivers training designed to elevate the preservation literacy of collections stewards across Utah. Marie developed and delivered broad curricula …
Farewell to Our Outgoing Board Members
Thirty-six years of cumulative service were recently celebrated as five board members retired from Utah Division of Arts & Museums board service. Staff and board members honored them with the following thoughts. Utah Museums Advisory Board: Tim Glenn (2015-2023, chair 2022-2023)Tim led our board with humor and thoughtful questions. He brought great energy to our board and leaves a legacy …
Announcing Our 2023-24 Folk Arts Apprenticeship Recipients
We’re excited to announce the eight apprenticeship pairs for the 2023-24 Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program. Since 1989, our Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program has supported a rich multitude of traditional artistic expression in the Beehive State. For more than 30 years, we have supported numerous apprenticeships in traditional dance, craft, music, and other art forms. Over a period of several months, …
Hey, It’s Peter Hay!
We want to welcome our new Visual Arts Coordinator, Peter Hay. Peter has called Salt Lake City home for the past three years. His background is as a cultural programmer, educator, and artist. He grew up for the most part in Oklahoma and received an associate of arts degree from Northern Oklahoma College, a bachelor of arts degree from Northeastern …
Utah Poet Laureate Lisa Bickmore Receives $50,000 Grant from Academy of American Poets
We’re pleased to announce that Utah Poet Laureate Lisa Bickmore will be one of 23 poets laureate across the United States to receive an award of $50,000 for creative projects from the Academy of American Poets. Bickmore will create and digitally archive micro-editions of chapbooks with writers throughout Utah. She will also work with youth and educators to publish broadsides …
The Arts and Healing
Our assistant director, Natalie Petersen, recently wrote a wonderful blog post for Get Healthy Utah about the connection between the arts and healing in the area of mental health. Give it a read at this link or by viewing this PDF.
Staff Highlight: Jenna Ehlinger
Jenna Ehlinger is our new Chase Home Museum Administrator and Accessibility Coordinator for the division. She has a master’s degree in folklore and public culture from the University of Oregon, a B.S. in anthropology from Wisconsin Lutheran College, and is a certified archaeologist. She got her start in museums working for the Milwaukee Public Museum’s anthropology department as an intern …
Creative Aging at Saltgrass Printmakers
Our agency has distributed funding to support creative aging initiatives. Here’s a highlight of Saltgrass Printmakers, one of our grantees through this project. We recently interviewed Stefanie Dykes, the host of a 10-person workshop at Saltgrass, to find out more. Q: Tell us a little about the project. A: At Saltgrass Printmakers, the Creative Aging participants are learning how to …
Check out ‘Along 89’ at Chase Home Museum
For nearly a century, U.S. Highway 89 has served as the backbone for the state, connecting the Bear River Mountains along the Idaho border to Red Rock Country in Southern Utah. Along the way, the road winds through rural farming communities and the heart of urban neighborhoods through the Wasatch Front. Utah Heritage Highway 89 is an adventure through scenic …
Cultural Industry Advocacy Day 2023
With Utah’s cultural community, we celebrated Cultural Industry Advocacy Day on February 7, 2023, at the Utah State Capitol. More than 300 individuals representing arts, entertainment, film, humanities, libraries, museums, and STEM joined together in the rotunda to advocate for a friendly funding and policy environment that enables the industry to best transform lives. The day was a great success, …
Governor Includes UA&M Requests in His Budget
We’re pleased that Governor Cox has included several items for our agency in his 2023 budget request. Read the details below. $75,000 – New Art Transportation Vehicle (one time) $300,000 – Alice Merrill Horne Art Acquisitions and Management (ongoing) $1M – Ongoing for UA&M Grants Budget $4M – One Time for UA&M Grants Budget