Anthony Loubet // Republican // Utah House District 22

  • How have the arts, culture, and/or humanities impacted your life?
    • The arts, culture, and humanities have been a significant part of my life ever since I was a child. I grew up in Southern California and was exposed to many in the entertainment industry. I performed in several variety shows, road shows, and other plays as a teenager and young adult. When I was a young adult, the Getty Museum and local theater were frequent destinations. I even received an associate’s degree in liberal arts from my local community college, Moorpark Community College. As an adult, my wife and I have passed along our love of the arts to our children. Three of my children play instruments (baritone bc., drums, and violin), three love to sing, one of my oldest was a lead in his school play, and all my children express themselves through art and writing. I believe that when you’re exposed to art and culture throughout your life, you’re learning a lot about the world, both in terms of how it was and how it is today, as well as how it can be
  • 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 government being fiscally responsible by investing in the arts and humanities is when the government ties monies to some measurable metrics that show a tie to a benefit or a specific outcome so there is accountability to the public and to show that the monies weren’t mistreated.
  • 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 interested in an endorsement from Utah Cultural Alliance and look forward to hearing more about what the next steps are. Thank you.