Ammon Gruwell // United Utah Party // Utah House District 15

  • How have the arts, culture, and/or humanities impacted your life?
    • I have loved good music and literature from a young age. I played in public school concert and marching bands from middle school to high school. I also sang in church choirs for many years and was a member of the BYU Men’s Chorus for a time as a college student. I also love reading good literature ranging from classic and historical fiction to modern fantasy and sci-fi. I also enjoy attending plays at the Hale Center Theater with my family.
  • Utah's humanities and arts employ 123,000 Utahns, provide $4.4 billion in earnings, and $13.2 billion in sales. This is a larger economic impact than agriculture, mining, and real estate. Do you consider the arts and cultural sector an economic driver in Utah?
    • Yes
  • Fiscally responsible government investment in the arts and humanities (including humanities and arts education) means to me:
    • I believe that Utah should increase funding for education in general, including funding for humanities and arts education. With the impending economic recession due to COVID-19, we cannot abandon arts and humanities which are so core to the lives of Utahns and to our economy in general.
  • I support the following legislative items:
    • Grants to be used for operations (jobs) as soon as possible
    • Keeping emergency loans open to nonprofits
    • Protecting the RAP taxes so that money granted to cultural organizations doesn't get repurposed
    • Increasing availability of loans to cultural businesses (non-profit and for-profit)
    • Fiscally responsible government investment in arts and humanities organizations.
    • Development of cultural districts
    • Facilitating partnerships between tourism and culture.
    • Reducing regulations of creative businesses.
    • Capital investment (in museums, performance/concert halls, studios, galleries, nonprofit office space, etc.).
    • Percent for public art programs, which optionally designate 1% of government capital costs for public art
    • Allowing municipalities to set design standards
    • K-6 Students should have increased exposure to arts and humanities education
    • 7-12 Students should have increased exposure to arts and humanities education
    • I support the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program which puts one arts specialist in most elementary schools
    • I support the POPS (Professional Outreach Program in the Schools) which sends 13 professional arts organizations to all UT school districts
    • I support the iSEE (Informal Science Educational Enhancement) which sends 10 professional science, zoological, and natural history organizations to all UT school districts
  • Anything else we should know about you?
    • I am passionate about improving education in Utah, and I think arts and humanities education plays a pivotal role in a child's education. I believe education is less about teaching facts, and more about raising a generation of well-rounded citizens who can think critically and contribute to the general well-being of society.