Diane Lewis // Democrat // Utah House District 43

  • How have the arts, culture, and/or humanities impacted your life?
    • I had just been through a divorce and was lost. A friend of mine and been studying with a Hopi Shaman. She invited me to join her. He was from Colorado and would come to Salt Lake once a month. It was amazing. We learned about the directions and how the seasons coincided with what direction. What animal was the guardian of each direction. He told us agent stories, we did sweat lodges, he did pipe ceremonies and taught us so much about the ancient ways of the Hopi Culture. I studied with him for over 10 years. It impacted my life in very large way. It got me through a hard time in my life and I still use many of the teaches in life today.
  • 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:
    • My family and I enjoy going to the Zoo, we often go during the Zoo lights and always at least 3 to 4 times in the summer. I believe that we should continue the tax.
  • 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?
    • This is an issue that I will be talking about on my campaign. I believe that Parks and open spaces are a place to unwind and reflect. They increase the value of our homes and are a place for our children to play. We should have parks and open areas in every community. I will support projects that create clean, beautiful places for ourselves and our families.