Fifteen organizations affected by the loss of concerts, live theater, and tourism have been approved for emergency grants.
The organizations receiving funds are among the state’s largest entertainment venues and cultural groups, with anticipated combined losses of more than $100 million since the beginning of the pandemic. The $9 million in grants was appropriated by the Utah Legislature from the federal CARES Act.
“This funding opportunity provides critical support for Utah’s flagship museums and arts organizations as they pivot to share their talents and exhibitions,” said Victoria Bourns, the director of the Division of Arts & Museums. “Our goal is to have these organizations open to us when the pandemic ends.”
Only organizations with an operating budget of more than $5 million qualified for the grants. The funding must be partially used to host an event or activity that will increase visitors and tourism.
An additional $7.5 million for the grants was approved by legislators during their August 20 special session. Legislative changes to the program eliminated the annual budget threshold. Through these allocations, the legislature is investing resources into Utah’s cultural organizations to be part of Utah’s recovery and Utahns’ return to positive and safe engagement in community activities. Updated grant guidelines for this second round of funding will be announced by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums in early September.
The organizations who will receive funding include:
| Ballet West | $650,000 |
| Broadway Media LLC | $200,000 |
| Dan Farr Productions | $200,000 |
| Hale Centre Theatre (Sandy) | $650,000 |
| Loveland Living Planet Aquarium | $600,000 |
| MagicSpace Holding Company & Subsidiary | $260,000 |
| Maverik Center | $250,000 |
| Natural History Museum of Utah | $730,000 |
| Red Butte Garden | $650,000 |
| Sundance Institute | $675,000 |
| Thanksgiving Point | $800,000 |
| Tuacahn Center for the Arts | $635,000 |
| Utah Shakespeare Festival | $1,000,000 |
| Utah Symphony | Utah Opera | $1,000,000 |
| Utah’s Hogle Zoo | $700,000 |
Here is a PDF of information about what these grant recipients are offering to the public.
Image: Ballet West’s Movement Mentor Program; photo by Beau Pearson