Click here to read the 2021 Annual Report!
Founded in 1980, the Utah Cultural Alliance (UCA) is a statewide voice for culture working to advance arts, museums, and humanities. As an industry association representing 400+ cultural organizations and thousands of creative professionals, UCA’s two arms, a 501c3 and 501c4, share a unified vision and mission thereby allowing it to advance culture in both the public and private sectors.
The Utah Culture Alliance Foundation (501c3 arm) works to facilitate an environment in Utah that values the transformative power of arts, humanities, and culture; and prioritizes robust public and private investment in culture through programming, attendance, and lifelong cultural education. To reach this end, we are expanding our major program areas which are 1) providing career development for creative professionals to expand the capacity of the cultural sector to do their work and share their stories; 2) maintaining a state cultural asset map which provides a space for arts and cultural organizations to market their work, as well as connect with each other and patrons; and 3) collecting and reporting data to show the positive impact of the cultural sector on the economic, family, and community life of Utahns.
The organization began in 1980 as Utah Citizens for the Arts and lobbied for the passage of legislation that created "1% for art" public art programs for the state of Utah. In 1993, with the conception of the 1/10th of 1% RAP-type sales tax to benefit cultural organizations (known as ZAP in Salt Lake County, RAMP in Weber County, RAPZ in Cache, etc.), Utah Citizens for the Arts added humanities, zoos, and botanical organizations to its scope and became the Utah Cultural Alliance to lobby for the passage of this legislation. There are now 41 RAP type taxes in Utah municipalities. In 2016, we grew to include a 501c4 arm focused on advocacy. To keep the focus of these arms separate, the 501c3 arm is now known as Utah Cultural Alliance Foundation, while the 501c4 arm is known as Utah Cultural Alliance.
Founded by Visit Salt Lake, Utah Division of Arts and Museums, and ZAP, NPU has been managed by Visit Salt Lake since 2008. In mid-2018, Visit Salt Lake CEO approached UCA's Crystal Young to propose that NPU should be managed by a statewide cultural service organization and that he thought the best home was Utah Cultural Alliance. The boards agreed and by fall 2018, NPU has been managed by Utah Cultural Alliance Foundation. The boards wished to remain separate entities and thus NPU contracts with Utah Cultural Alliance Foundation for management. The finances are separate. NPU does not contribute to the salaries of UCAF staff (including its ED) and employs its own staff including a full-time Director of Outreach and part-time content administrator and website administrator. The UCAF executive director does function as the chief vision officer and manager for both entities. This management change was made for a variety of reasons, including the close alignment of our visions and mission.
Since that change, NPU has seen significant changes. In 2018, content management was brought in-house and is overseen by a full-time Director of Operations of NPU. Previously, it was outsourced to a firm in Seattle. The board and UCAF executive director worked to draft NPU’s first strategic plan. NPU surveyed stakeholders and users and in 2019 and 2020 have worked on a complete site overhaul. Traffic has increased by 91.9% increasing site impact (click through to purchase tickets) by an unprecedented 2707% since UCA incorporated NPU into its programming.
Today, 108,560 Utahns are employed in the arts, humanities, and cultural sector—including nonprofit staff, independent artists, and creative business professionals—across the state. In the last year, arts and cultural businesses in Utah generated $17.8 billion in sales and impacted the state by $309 million in total tax revenue. Despite the positive impact of their work on Utah’s economy and quality of life, they are continually threatened by lack of funding, partnerships, and other support necessary to sustain their organizations. The Utah Cultural Alliance serves as a major force in shaping statewide arts, culture, and humanities by providing capacity-building resources.
MEMORIES FROM PRIOR STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS
Vicki Panella Bourns / Board Member 1997-2000, Executive Director 2000-2004
Currently: Director of Utah Division of Arts & Museums
In the summer of 1979 an assembly of artists and arts administrators from throughout the state was held in Salt Lake City to assess the needs of the arts in Utah and to make recommendations. One of the resolutions passed was that a statewide, non-partisan, grassroots, all volunteer art advocacy group be formed to lobby for the arts on all levels of government. – local, state and national, and also to serve as a watchdog over the state arts agency. In the fall of 1979, Walt Smith, Chair of the Utah Arts Council, and Ruth Draper, Utah Arts Council Director, asked Beverly Whitney to spearhead the formation of such a group. A steering committee based on immediate needs, consisting of Margot Kimball (now Kadesch) who drafted goals and membership letters, John Pace who designed the logo, and Nancy Waldo who helped keep the group on track. Gwen Springmeyer was also involved early on.
The Utah Citizens for the Arts was in a dormant phase when prominent business and community leaders in Salt Lake County, began to propose (in the early 90’s) legislation that would benefit the arts community. Eventually this legislation was passed as the 1/10th of1% Optional Sales Tax Funding for Botanical, Cultural, Recreational, and Zoological Organizations. In 1993 the organization changed its name to the Utah Cultural Alliance and broadened its focus to include museums, (arts, history, science, botanical gardens, zoos), humanities, archives, and heritage organizations. The Utah Cultural Alliance was part of the steering committee that worked with the Bailey Group and People for a Nicer Community to help pass the ZAP referendum in Salt Lake County.
- Developed bylaws
- Formed a board based on specific jobs
- Were incorporated as the Utah Citizens for the Arts in March 1980
- Received nonprofit status (October 1981)
- Lobbied state legislators annually for increased funding for the Utah Arts Council
- Mailed call for action (during 1980’s Reagan administration and his threat to abolish the NEA)
- Produced quarterly newsletters
- Held an annual business meeting for whole UCA membership
- Held an annual evening for the arts with legislators (at the Capitol Theatre and at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts)
- Held an annual membership drive
- Lobbied successfully for public at to create 1% for arts legislation, State ordinance enacted, County ordinance enacted and Salt Lake City ordinance revised.
Initial UCA members included:
- Utah Arts Council
- Salt Lake City Arts Council
- Utah Humanities Council
- Art Access
- Kimball Art Center
- Utah’s museum community through the then Office of Museum Services. I held this position through 2004.
During my tenure, the Utah Cultural Alliance joined the State Arts Advocacy League of America (SAALA) and I served as the Treasurer for SAALA for three years. During this time, I was also involved in the transition between SAALA and SAAN – the State Arts Advocacy Network of Americans for the Arts. This association was important to the development of the Utah Cultural Alliance, as I was able to share national trends and successful strategies with the UCA board. Such as candidate surveys and state arts caucuses.
Thus during this time UCA initiated the Utah Arts and Cultural Caucus, and the first candidate survey published in Catalyst Magazine. (See photos of published survey)
One early initiative was a cultural facilities bill in the Utah Legislature. This was envisioned as a clear and equitable way to raise capital funding for cultural organizations from the legislature. The bill failed, but was a wonderful coming together of the cultural community.
Cary Stevens Jones was very instrumental in helping to form the Utah Cultural Alliance. She was director of Art Access, the Hippodrome Gallery (part of the now defunct FHP medical center) and the Children’s Museum. Cary was extremely gracious and personable and helped build the UCA coalition. Her death in 2001, was a great loss to me personally and our arts and cultural community. I remember working on Utah Cultural Alliance business with Cary while at the Hippodrome Gallery. Prior to the formation of the Utah Cultural Alliance, Cary and I worked diligently with leaders to ensure the lesser known and smaller arts agencies would be funded through the “RAP” legislation. A meeting was held at the Salt Lake City Art Barn. In attendance was Bonnie Stephens, Director of the Utah Arts Council, Ardean Watts, chair of the UAC board and Jim Bradley, then Salt Lake County Commissioner. After Cary presented a reasoned and passionate accounting of why it was important to include more than just the well-known larger groups in the 1/10th of 1% optional sales tax initiative, Ardean was moved to agree that the Utah Arts Council would support inclusion of all groups in the initiative. It was a sweet and important victory for Utah’s arts and cultural community. The popularity of ZAP and it’s increasing support is due in part to the support provided to the smaller arts councils and arts and cultural organizations throughout Salt Lake County (another important reason is the inclusion of parks and recreation).
In 1997 a board retreat was held at Kris Widner’s home. The retreat focused on the recent membership survey results, issues and principles and strategies to deal with the issues. 1997 Priorities included:
- Young Audiences
- Dance Theatre Coalition
- Gina Bachauer
- Another Language
- Utah Office of Museum Services of Fine Art
Annie Hatch’s parent’s home in federal heights. The Utah Cultural Alliance was part of the coalition that helped garner $1 million for Salt Lake Art Center
Utah Symphony
- Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company
- Repertory Dance Theatre
- Utah State Historical Society
- Springville Museum
- Nora Eccles Harrison Museum
- Utah Opera Company
In 2000, I was the first paid Executive Director (part-time). We had several annual planning retreats at the home of board members.
Reauthorization of and increased federal funding support of the National Endowment for the Arts Reauthorization of and increased federal funding support of the National Endowment for the Humanities
----------
Charles R. Loving / Board member 1984 - 1988
Currently: Director, Snite Museum of Art (Notre Dame, IN)
I was a board member of the Utah Citizens for the Arts from 1984 to 1988, principally to assist lobbying for Utah Percent-for-Art legislation. While a University of Utah graduate student, I served an internship at the Utah Arts Council under the direction of Ruth Draper and Dan Burke. I conducted research and developed a feasibility study for a potential percent-for-art program for Utah. I was subsequently hired by the Utah Arts Council for two years, during which time Draper, Burke, and the Utah Citizens for the Arts lobbied for passage of the bill. I believe the bill passed during the third subsequent legislative session, in 1985, and it is currently managed by the Utah Division of Arts and Museums. While initially a small band of inexperienced, but passionate, arts advocates, the Utah Citizens for the Arts made a positive difference for the citizens of Utah and it has successfully evolved into the Utah Cultural Alliance. I believe other early members included Kim Duffin and Beverly Whitney.
----------
Cynthia Buckingham / UCA board member 1995 - 2001
Currently: Utah Humanities Council Executive Director
After the first ZAP vote failed in Salt Lake County (1994), a small group of cultural sector leaders, headed by Nancy Boskoff, Vicki Bourns, and Cary Stevens Jones, got together to strategize. We agreed that the ballot measure was unsuccessful in large part because its primary benefits would have been limited to a small number of organizations, so the wider sector didn’t have much incentive to back it or work for its passage. In order to build a true alliance of cultural entities, we would need to convince everyone that ZAP had the potential to help all of us and then the sentiment would change from “what’s in it for us?” to “all for one and one for all.” To us, it was a matter of fairness, as well as the long-term stability and health of the sector. The wonderful people who had helped originally to advance the effort through the legislature (Ken Knight, Ken Hill, and Tony Rampton) agreed that a “share the wealth” philosophy could win the broad support necessary to pass the referendum. Once the terms were reformulated, creating two tiers of cultural funding, dozens of cultural organizations bought in, and adding Zoo and Recreational segments meant that almost everyone in the County had a reason to work for passage. When the referendum passed with a strong popular vote in 1996, the case for working together with a united voice was proven, and the Utah Cultural Alliance as a membership organization has thrived ever since.
Continued federal support of the Institute for Library and Museum Services
Continued and increased state support for the Utah Arts Council
Utah Office of Museum Services Utah State History Grant Program
Utah Humanities Council Utah State Library
Arts in Education Programs
----------
Nancy Boskoff / Longtime friend of UCA
It's important to give credit to Bonnie Stephens, executive director, Utah Arts Council, whose political expertise was invaluable. Because of her, the leadership engaged professionals to run the second campaign. Also important is Mary Ann Kirk from the City of Murray. Her voice was influential in convincing the leadership of the ZAP movement to broaden the constituencies to include smaller budget organizations and local arts agencies.
----------
Fran Pruyn / UCA board member, 2002-2006
Currently: CRSA, Corporate Secretary and Director of Marketing and Business Development and Board Chair of Pygmalion Theatre
Mostly I remember: Meetings at the Salt Lake Roasting Company, with a group of lovely people, and eating scrumptious pastries.
working with the board to come up with the concept of Culture Bytes –and someone like Leslie Peterson naming it Culture Bytes.
Working with our graphic designer to promote Culture Bytes, using models like Alexis Baigue and Brandon Stauffer.
Then going to Arts Day at the Utah State Capitol. I was pretty hopeless there.
----------
Robin Pratt / UCA Administrative Director 2005 - 2007
Currently: SLC Mayor’s Office
As the second paid staffer for UCA, I worked quarter-time in what felt like a very progressive work environment for 2005 - my basement office! UCA's founder, Vicki Bourns, handed over the files, along with the office cell phone which she had loaded with contact information and photos of all the Board members I would be working with. Back then, the e e-newsletter was produced in Word (2000?), and it helped to know some HTML to update the very basic website.
Almost everything I did was a new adventure: going up the Hill to learn the legislative process, planning member socials, and encouraging members to send emails to their Congressional leaders, advocating support for Arts and Culture. I was very fortunate to have Susan Sandack as the Board Chair, and my mentor. Fast forward to 2016, and the UCA colleagues I worked with back then still cross my path, in the community, and in the Salt Lake City Mayor's office, where I work now. I'm proud to work for a Mayor who has a dedicated staff member as her Advisor for Art and Culture!
----------
Jayceen Craven Walker / UCA board 2005-2010
Currently: Jayceen Walker Consulting, including working as UCA’s lobbyist (2014 to present)
Congratulations to the UCA on celebrating 35 years of serving the cultural community of Utah. When I joined the Board it was decided that we needed an Advocacy committee which I sat on first and then was the chair for the rest of my term. It was during this time that we started our Arts Day on the Hill. A lot of the legislators knew about the larger cultural organizations but not necessarily the smaller local ones and that is one of the places where the UCA shines. We have gotten better over the years in training the members of the UCA as to how to become better advocates for their organizations and how to get involved in the advocacy process whether it's on the city, county, state or federal level. Another bright spot is that the UCA has reinstated the Cultural Caucus on Utah's Capitol Hill. We know many legislators are very supportive of Utah's Cultural Organizations. As we move forward with the C4, we will be able to enlist their support in a more substantive fashion. The UCA is a member of the Americans for The Arts (AFTA), State Arts Action Network (SAAN) and as such has provided information for arts networks across the country as well as soliciting information from those same organizations. I'm proud of my service on the UCA board and even more proud to be the Government Relations/Advocacy Consultant for the UCA as we prepare for the next legislative session.
----------
Amanda Finlayson / UCA Board 2006 - 2011, 2006-2007 Treasurer, 2008-2009 Vice Chair, 2010-2011 Chair
Currently: Art Access Assistant Director
&
Beth Branson Jones / UCA Administrative Director 2007-2008
Currently: Artspace
UCA received the Mayor’s Artist Award in 2008 for Service to the Arts by an Organization. Several board members and the organization’s administrator at the time, Beth Branson, attended the ceremony to accept the award. When we all walked onto the stage, Ginny McOmber initiated a Broadway-style kick line, adding her always charming mirth to the occasion.
Crystal Young addition: In 2008, we also applied for, and received, donated consulting services through the Americans for the Arts. Alene Valkanas assisted the organization in assessing our goals and our vision for the future of the organization. She actually suggested we form a 501(c)4 at the time.
----------
Jason Myers / UCA board (2012 - 2017), board chair (2016-2017)
Currently: Children’s Miracle Network, Director Content Manager
My first memory of attending UCA was attending a small Culture Bytes in the box at the Utah Opera with about 20 people and now we're taking Culture Bytes on the road to communities throughout Utah. Five years into my board service, I'm proud that we've established our 501(c)4 and gone through our first strategic planning process, which will help set us up for future growth.
----------
Crystal Young / UCA board (2007-2010), Administrative Director (2010-2014), Executive Director (2014 - present)
I think that my very, very first Utah Cultural Alliance event was a Culture Bytes forum at the library in 2005 on the topic of technology. I remember that it was small, like 10 people. I soon became a Culture Bytes addict and loved meeting people in the cultural community through UCA. The first time that I applied to join the Utah Cultural Alliance board, I wasn’t accepted! I was very new in the cultural community. However, they suggested I reapply the next year and I did. My first board job was serving on the Membership committee and planning the Culture Bytes forums with Fran Pruyn for a few years, I then became the Marketing/Outreach/Membership committee chair around 2007, and then eventually becoming the board vice-chair. I was about to become board chair when Beth Jones left us for another company, and the board offered me the position of Administrative Director. I had recently left full-time employment at Utah Symphony | Utah Opera and started a marketing business that I operated from home, so it worked out for me to become the part-time Administrative Director. I’ve since evolved in the role from simply managing membership renewals to directing the organization as the Executive Director. Here are some of my highlights/memories of UCA. General things are listed first and then sorted by year.
In my six years working for UCA, we’ve more than doubled the budget, we’ve doubled memberships, and we’re about to at least double the budget again in 2017.
Connections // nearly everyone I know in Utah’s cultural community, I’ve met through UCA in some capacity or another. So many of my close, personal friendships began at UCA.
Cultural Caucus // As of the 2016 session, we now have 28 out of 29 state senators who are members of our Cultural Caucus and 49 state representatives.
Advocacy // UCA has housed the State Arts Captain for Americans for the Arts for at least 12 years. This person coordinates the meetings with Utah’s federal delegation at National Arts Advocacy Day.
Advocacy // We’ve lobbied for many positive bills and worked to improve or kill bills that negatively impact our sector. We’ve
also worked to increase appropriations to the cultural sector both through the grants budget of Utah Division of Arts & Museums and legislative appropriations to members. A few advocacy highlights:
Candidate Surveys were sent and publicly distributed in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
2011 // Budgets were cut that year and we worked hard to lessen cuts to cultural funding. We were able to save Arts
Acquisition Funding (it was marked for elimination) with help from then-Senator Ben McAdams), and were able to lesson some cuts, but not all.
2014 // passing HB 64 // Creating Utah History Day
2015 // passing HB 185 // Charitable Solicitation Act Amendments, made positive improvements to the process for new permits.
2015 // passing SB194 // Arts and Culture Business Alliance // Created the Alliance and one an appropriation for it to distribute.
2015 // passing SB 132 // Fiscal Requirements for Local Governments and Nonprofits // made positive improvements to 2014’s HB 283 that created burdensome regulations for nonprofits receiving public money.
2016 // passing in the house HB 134 State Work of Art // Naming Spiral Jetty as the State Work of Art. Unfortunately, the bill wasn’t heard in the Senate. It will come back in 2017!
2016 // the passing of HB 223 “Historic District Amendments” was disappointing to us as it makes the process for creating Historic Districts nearly impossible. However, we were able to work with others to make some small positive improvements to the bill.
Seeing significant increases to the ongoing and one-time funding for POPS, iSEE, BTSALP, the budgets of the Utah
Department of Heritage and Arts and its five divisions, as well as the Department of State Parks, and more.
Advocacy // Every year we’ve met regularly with our federal and state representatives to make the case for culture. It’s
challenging, but rewarding, even the times we’ve been yelled at by a certain member of Utah’s congressional delegation. We’ll leave that congressperson nameless. ;)
Advocacy // Every year since I think 2009, we’ve co-hosted Arts Day on the Hill with Utah Division of Arts & Museums and Art Works for Kids. The 2016 Arts Day had over 300 attendees and was our best-organized advocacy day. We added a two-day training opportunity as well.
2010 // designed a new website for UCA, redesigned the weekly newsletter, created events blog
2013 // We arranged our first joint membership plan with Utah Nonprofit Association.
2014 // designed a new website for UCA
2015 // We created a Strategic Plan for UCA that included adding our new mission component (Awareness, especially data collection)
2015 // Advocacy // In addition to sending a board member to National Arts Advocacy Day, we were also able to send a board member to National Humanities Advocacy Day.
2014 // Advocacy // Hired our first lobbyist, Jayceen Craven Walker, who continues as our lobbyist at the present day.
2014 // Board reorganization // The committee structure wasn’t working well for our all-volunteer board. A few people were doing all of the work. We took a note from the Utah Society of Fundraisers board and reorganized by giving all board members specific job duties, some shared between multiple board members. The result has been phenomenal.
2015 // Professional Development // In our ongoing effort to be a truly statewide service organization, we held two culture bytes forums outside the Wasatch front: in Moab and Logan.
2015 // Professional Development // Merged our SL Culture Bytes with SL County ZAP’s Brown Bag series, we have continued this partnership ever since!
2016 // Professional Development // We took multiple Culture Bytes forums to Moab, Cedar City, and Logan. Watch for even more locations in 2017! The Moab and Cedar City visits were multi-day trips that included networking opportunities and meeting
individually with many cultural organizations and artists of various media.
2016 // designed a new website and 35th-anniversary branding for UCA including switching membership system to Nationbuilder
2016 // Advocacy // held our first municipal advocacy forum, the first of many!
2016 // Represented UCA at the League of Cities and Towns, presenting ideas
2016 // We formed a 501(c)4 to allow us to do more advocacy and policy work!
BOARD MEMBERS
1995
Victoria Panella Bourns – Panella Consulting
2007
Judith Anderson – Utah Festival Opera
Cynthia Buckingham – Utah Humanities Council Arley Curtz – Bountiful-Davis Art Center
Cary Stevens Jones – Children’s Museum of Utah
1996
2002
Vicki Bourns, Executive Director
Kathryn Allen – Provo Arts Council
Judith Anderson – Utah Festival Opera Gail Bunker – Dixie College
Ken Burton
Ken Crossley – BYU Arts Production
Anne Cullimore Decker – director and actor Anne Hatch – Utah Humanities
Kirk Huffaker – Utah Heritage Foundation
Robin Pratt, Administrative Director
Elizabeth Bradley -Utah Heritage Foundation
Ken Burton
Michael Christensen - Utah Cultural Celebration Ctr. Jayceen Craven Walker - Pathways Associates
Amanda Finlayson - Art Access/VSA Arts of Utah Virginia Gowski Co-Chair - U of U Div. Of Continuing Ed. Lynnette Hiskey - Utah Arts Council
Lisa Jensen - Bountiful/Davis Art Center
Nancy Lyon - U. of U. Inst. Advancement
Ginny McOmber, Treasurer - Salt Lake City Public Library Cami Moffat - Salt Lake County Center for the Arts
Jen Parsons-Soran - Discovery Gateway
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
• 2016 // Presented our first State of the State report to the Business Economic Development and Labor Appropriations Sub-
committee. This now annual report details the economic contribution of Utah’s cultural businesses.
• 2016 // Received our first George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation grant to assist UCA in collecting economic data to measure the impact of Utah’s cultural businesses.
Allison Perreault – Salt Lake Art Center Gary Sanders – Kimball Arts Center David Sucec – Golden Section
Kristine Widner – Utah Symphony
Cary Stevens Jones – Children’s Museum of Utah Victoria Panella Bourns, President – Panella Consulting Clifford Rippetoe – Salt Palace Convention Center Gary Sanders, Treasurer – Kimball Arts Center
David Sucec – Golden Section
Kristine Widner, Membership Vice President, – Utah Symphony
Karen Krieger – Museum Specialist at Utah State Parks and Recreation
Susan Kropf – Red Butte Gardens
Leslie Peterson – Utah Opera Company
Fran Pruyn – Gilles Stransky Brems and Smith Charlotte Reynolds – Utah Museum Association Susan Sandack – Repertory Dance Theatre Vicki Bourns – Executive Director
Leslie Peterson, Co-Chair - Salt Lake Art Center Barbara Pioli - Utah Humanities Council
Fran Pruyn - Cooper Roberts Simonsen
Jerry Rapier - Plan-B Theatre Company
Shawn Rossiter - Artists of Utah
Tiffany Rousculp - SLCC Community Writing Center Richard Scott - Grand Theatre
Marc Weyerstall - Red Butte Garden & Arboretum Crystal Young - Utah Symphony & Opera
Judith Anderson, Secretary – Utah Festival Opera
Cynthia Buckingham, Administrative Vice-President, – Utah Humanities Council
Arley Curtz – Bountiful-Davis Art Center
Don Gomes
Anne Hatch – Utah Arts Council
Lisbeth Henning (now Cort) – Utah Heritage Foundation
2010
Crystal Young, Administrative Director
Elizabeth Bradley - Utah Heritage Foundation Amanda Caraway - Utah Shakespearean Festival Laurel Casjens - Utah Office of Museum Services Jean Cheney - Utah Humanities Council
Patrick Commiskey - Foursight Partners Derek Dyer - Utah Arts Alliance
Amanda Finlayson, Chair - Art Access/VSA Utah Virginia Gowski
Ghulam Hasnain - SL American Muslim Cultural Festival Terry Hurst - Mestizo Coffee House
2011
Crystal Young, Administrative Director
Jean Cheney - Utah Humanities Council
Paul Daerden - Covey Center for the Arts
Derek Dyer - Utah Arts Alliance
Amanda Finlayson, Chair - Art Access/VSA Utah Ghulam Hasnain - Salt Lake American Muslim Tay Haines - Individual Artist
Lisa Jensen - Ballet West
2012
Crystal Young, Administrative Director
Elizabeth Bradley-Wilson - Utah Heritage Foundation Laurel Casjens - Photographer
Jean Cheney - Utah Humanities Council
Derek Dyer, Vice-chair - Utah Arts Alliance
Geoffrey Fatah - Department of Heritage and Arts Janet Frasier - Natural History Museum of Utah Penny Frates - Sundance Film Festival
Ghulam Hasnain (2013)
Salt Lake American Muslim
Lisa Jensen - Ballet West
Beth Jones - Utah Humanities Council
Lisa Jensen - Ballet West
Beth Branson Jones - Utah Humanities Council
Mariah Mellus - Salt Lake City Film Center
Ginny McOmber, Past Chair - Salt Lake City Public Library Cami Munk, Secretary - Salt Lake County Center for the Arts Jeri Openshaw - Utah State Library Division
Lisa Sewell, Treasurer - Utah Arts Festival
Candace Steadman - Museum of Utah Art & History
Patrick Thronson - Thronson Associates
Jayceen Craven Walker - Pathway Associates
Beth Jones, Treasurer - Utah Humanities Council
Mariah Mellus, Vice Chair - SLC Film Center
Cami Munk, Secretary - Salt Lake County Center for the Arts Elisabeth Nebeker - Broadway Across America
Jeri Openshaw - Utah State Library Division
Kandace Steadman - The Grand Theatre
Elizabeth Bradley Wilson - Utah Heritage Foundation
Hraefn Wulfson - Cultural Advocate
Mariah Mellus, Chair - SLC Film Center
Cami Munk - Salt Lake County Center for the Arts
Jason Myers - Thanksgiving Point
Naziol Nazarinia - Community Advocate
Elisabeth Nebeker - Broadway Across America
Jeri Openshaw, Co-secretary - Utah State Library Division Lindsie Smith - Clark Planetarium
Kandace Steadman, Co-secretary - Salt Lake Community College
Anna Thompson - Community Advocate
Debbie White - Community Advocate
2013
Crystal Young, Administrative Director
Laurel Casjens - Photographer
Jean Cheney - Utah Humanities Council
Derek Dyer, Vice-chair - Utah Arts Alliance
Marcie Hansen Collett, Treasurer - Utah Museum of Fine Arts Geoffrey Fatah - Department of Heritage and Arts
Janet Frasier - Natural History Museum of Utah
Ghulam Hasnain - Salt Lake American Muslim
Karen Hyatt - Security National Life
Beth Jones - Utah Humanities Council
Mariah Mellus, Chair - Utah Film Center
2014
Crystal Young, Executive Director
Jean Cheney - Utah Humanities Council
Marcie Hansen Collett, Treasurer - University of Utah Ken Crossley - BYU / EngAGE Utah
Emma Dugal - Bountiful / Davis Art Center
Derek Dyer, Chair - Utah Arts Alliance
Geoffrey Fatah - Department of Heritage and Arts Janet Frasier - Natural History Museum of Utah Glenn Gordon - LDS Composers Network
Laurie Hofmann - University of Utah
2015
Crystal Young, Executive Director
Penelope Caywood - Youth Theatre at the University of Utah Ken Crossley - BYU / EngAGE Utah
Emma Dugal - Bountiful / Davis Art Center
Derek Dyer, Chair - Utah Arts Alliance
Geoffrey Fatah - Department of Heritage and Arts Glenn Gordon - LDS Composers Network
Laurie Hofmann - University of Utah
Brooke Horejsi - Kingsbury Hall
Kate Ithurralde, Treasurer - Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Jason Myers - Thanksgiving Point
Naziol Nazarinia - Community Advocate
Elisabeth Nebeker - Broadway Across America Utah/NewSpace Entertainment
Jeri Openshaw, Co-secretary - Utah State Library Division Lindsie Smith - Clark Planetarium
Kandace Steadman,Secretary - Salt Lake City Arts Council Anna Thompson - Community Advocate
Debbie White - Community Advocate
Mariah Mellus, Emeritus Chair - Utah Film Center
Jason Myers, Vice-Chair - Utah Film Center
Elisabeth Nebeker - Broadway Across America Utah/NewSpace Entertainment
Jorge Rojas - Jorge Rojas Studio
Naziol S. N. Scott - Richards Brandt Miller Nelson
Kandace Steadman, Secretary - Salt Lake City Arts Council Anna Thompson - Community Advocate
Mariah Mellus, Emeritus Chair - Utah Film Center
Jason Myers, Vice-Chair - Utah Film Center
Victoria Petro-Eschler - Salty Cricket Composers Collective Jorge Rojas - Jorge Rojas Studio
Naziol S. N. Scott - Richards Brandt Miller Nelson
Kandace Steadman, Secretary - Salt Lake City Arts Council Matt Whittaker - Natural History Museum of Utah
2016 501(c)3
Crystal Young, Executive Director
Laura Berbusse - Utah Film Center
Turner C. Bitton, Treasurer - Equality Utah
Penelope Caywood - Youth Theatre at the University of Utah Ken Crossley - BYU / EngAGE Utah
Emma Dugal, Vice-chair - Bountiful / Davis Art Center
Derek Dyer, Emeritus Chair - Utah Arts Alliance
Susi Feltch-Malohifo'ou - PIK2AR
Jodi Graham - Utah Humanities
Wendi Hassan - Cache Valley Center for the Arts
Laurie Hofmann - Community Advocate
2016 501(c)4
Crystal Young, Executive Director
Turner C. Bitton, Treasurer - Equality Utah Emma Dugal - Bountiful Davis Art Center Derek Dyer, Vice-chair - Utah Arts Alliance Brooke Horejsi, Secretary - Kingsbury Hall
Brooke Horejsi - Kingsbury Hall
Kate Ithurralde - College of Fine Arts
Jason Myers, Chair - Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Sarah Neal - Ballet West
Victoria Petro-Eschler - Salty Cricket Composers Collective Jorge Rojas - Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Naziol S. Scott - Stoel Rives
Joshua Stavros - Utah Shakespeare Festival
Kandace Steadman, Secretary - Salt Lake City Arts Council Matt Whittaker - Natural History Museum of Utah
Mariah Mellus, Chair - Utah Film Center
Victoria Petro-Eschler - Salty Cricket Composers Collective
Joshua Stavros - Utah Shakespeare Festival
AWARDS
Cultural Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients & Luncheon Keynotes
2001 — Keynote: Rev. Dr. Steven Epperson
2002 — Keynote: Aden Ross
2003 — Keynote: Fred C. Adams Utah Shakespeare Festival
2004 — Keynote: William Sederburg, President of Utah Valley State College
2005 — Keynotes: Governor Jon Huntsman Jr, Leigh von der Esch, Mark Hurst of W Communications
2006 — Keynotes: Margaret Hunt and Lisa Cluff of ArtWorks for Kids
2007 — Award: Tony Larimer, actor, educator
2008 — Award: Kate Coles, Utah Poet Laureate
2009 — Award: Doug Fabrizio, Producer & Host of RadioWest on KUER 90.1
2010 — Award: Geralyn White Dreyfous, Local Filmmaker & Founder of the Utah Film Center
2011 — Award: Kevin T. Jones, Archaeologist, writer, Research Curator at the Natural History Museum of Utah 2012 — Award: Mayor Peter Corroon, former mayor of Salt Lake County
2013 — Award: Diane P. Stewart, philanthropist and founder of Modern West Fine Arts
2014 — Award: Dr. Raymond Tymas-Jones, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Associate Vice President of the Arts at the University of Utah
2015 — Award: Fred C. Adams, founder of Utah Shakespeare Festival
2016 — Award: Nancy Boskoff, former Executive Director of Salt Lake City Arts Council
Pillars of the Community Awards:
2012 — Nancy Boskoff, SLC Arts Council // Ruth Lubbers, Art Access // Stephanie Harpst, Wells Fargo 2013 — Shirley Ririe & Joan Woodbury, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company
2014 — Greg Geilmann, former Executive Director of Kingsbury Hall // Susan Sandak, former Development
Director of Repertory Dance Theatre // Wilson Martin, former head of Utah State History
Department // Don Hague, former director of the Natural History Museum of Utah
2015 — Senator Jim Dabakis // Vicki Bourns, Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts and Parks // Repertory Dance Theatre 2016 — Michael Ballam, Founder of Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre // Cynthia Buckingham,
Executive Director of Utah Humanities // Christy Williams, Program Director at KZMU in Moab and Founder of Moab ArtTrails
PROGRAMMING: 2007 TO PRESENT
2007
June Culture Bytes: Marketing to the Natives
July Culture Bytes: Guerrilla Marketing
August Culture Bytes: Galas: The Successful and the Unsuccessful
Sept. Advocacy Forum: Mayor Candidates on the Arts (Facilitated by Ellen Fagg) October Culture Bytes: Putting a Stopper in the Talent Drain 1.0
Nov. Culture Bytes: Keeping Your Volunteers
2008
3/11/08 Culture Bytes: Guerrilla Marketing to Niche Markets
4/8/08 Culture Bytes: Successful Silent Auctions and Planning Ettiquette
5/22/08 Advocacy Forum: Mayor Becker's Artistic Vision
6/03/08 Culture Bytes: Online Resources for Marketing, Development & Education 8/12/08 Culture Bytes: Stopping the Talent Drain v2.0: Executive Transitions 9/09/08 Culture Bytes: Direct Mail for Marketing & Development
10/14/08 Advocacy Forum: Tools for Being a Cultural Lobbyist
11/11/08 Culture Bytes: Controversy and the Avant-Guarde
2009
4/8/09 Culture Bytes: Surviving and thriving in difficult times
5/13/09 Culture Bytes: How to Build Good Partnerships and Run Successful Festivals
6/10/09 Culture Bytes: Facilities Master Plan and the Downtown Theatre
8/12/09 After-hours UCA Networking @ The New Yorker
9/9/09 Culture Bytes: How to Attract Diverse Audiences, and Encourage Diverse Artists and Programming 10/14/09 Advocacy Forum: Building Grassroots Advocacy
11/11/209 Culture Bytes: UCA’s Best Practice Awards
2010
3/16/10 Culture Bytes: The Creative Economy: Business Meets Government Meets Culture 4/13/10 Culture Bytes: The Ins and Outs of Online PR
5/11/10 Culture Bytes: How to Reinvigorate your Board Members and Volunteers
8/10/10 Culture Bytes: Art of the Rebrand, Version 1.0
9/14/10 Culture Bytes: Building Successful Statewide Partnerships and Outreach 10/12/10 Advocacy Forum: Candidates Panel
11/9/10 Culture Bytes: How to Make the Arts and Culture Popular
2011
2/28/11 Legislative Forum: 2011 Expectations
3/28/11 Legislative Forum: Legislative Wrap-up
4/7/11 Capitol Theater: Behind the Scenes Tour for Members
4/13/11 Culture Bytes: Business Meets Culture Meets Government 2.0
5/11/11 Culture Bytes: Marketing 101 for Emerging Artists & Young Nonprofits 9/21/11 Culture Bytes: The latest cool Technology
10/27/11 Salt Lake Acting Company: Behind the Scenes Tour For Members 11/9/11 Culture Bytes: Art of the Rebrand 2.0
12/5/11 Annual Luncheon
2012
1/11/12 Advocacy Training with Actual Legislators and Lobbyists
2/22/12 Legislative Forum | Funding Requests in the Legislature
3/14/12 Legislative Forum | Legislative Wrap-up
4/11/12 Culture Bytes | Cultural Core / Utah Performing Arts Center Update and Panel 5/16/12 Culture Bytes | Fundraising and Advertising to Millennials
9/12/12 Culture Bytes | Pillars of the Community
10/17/12 Culture Bytes | The Ins and Outs of Corporate Sponsorships
11/14/12 Culture Bytes | HR Training on Generational Communication Differences 12/3/12 Annual Meeting and Luncheon
2013
1/9/13 Legislative Forum: Your Org’s Financial Worth with Economist Andrea Wilko 1/15/13 Legislative Session Preview
3/25/13 Legislative Session Wrap-up
4/10/13 Culture Bytes: Human Resources
5/8/13 Culture Bytes: Niche Demographics, Selling to the Young Mom 6/12/13 Culture Bytes: Pillars of the Community
9/11/13 Culture Bytes: Partnerships that Actually work
10/9/13 Culture Bytes: Corporate vs. Foundation Giving
12/3/13 Annual Luncheon
2014
1/14/14 Legislative Session Preview
2/4/14 Arts Day on the Hill (the first!)
3/18/14 Legislative Session Wrap-up
4/9/14 Culture Bytes: Essential Tech for Nonprofits
5/14/14 Culture Bytes: Marketing to Different Age Demographics 9/10/14 Culture Bytes: Pillars of the Community
9/15/14 Artists Meeting
10/8/14 Culture Bytes: How the Law Effects the Arts & Humanities 11/12/14 Culture Bytes: Direct from the Funder’ Mouths
12/1/14 Annual Luncheon
2015
1/13/15 Legislative Session Preview
2/17/15 Arts Day on the Hill
3/24/15 Legislative Session Preview
4/8/15 Culture Bytes: Pitch Perfect
5/13/15 Culture Bytes: Board Not Bored, Best Practices in Board Development 6/23/15 Pillars of the Community
9/9/15 Culture Bytes: New School vs. Old School Marketing Techniques 11/3/15 Cache Co. Culture Bytes: State of the Arts & Humanities
11/11/15 Culture Bytes: Healthy Work, Healthy Life
12/7/15 Annual Luncheon
12/16/15 Moab Culture Bytes: What Does Your Community Need from UCA?
2016
1/20/16 Legislative Session Preview
1/28/16 Utah History Day
2/8/16 Arts Day Trainings and Dine O’Round
2/9/16 Arts Day on the Hill
2/11/16 Nonprofit Day on the Hill
2/23/16 Museum Advocacy Day
3/14/16 Legislative Session Wrap-up
4/13/16 Culture Bytes: Responding to Changing Demographics
5/11/16 Culture Bytes Community Conversation: So Your Dream Job Didn’t Happen 6/8/16 Culture Bytes: Business and Succession Planning for Orgs and Artists
6/22/16 Pillars of the Community
6/13/16 Advocacy Forum: Advocacy on the Municipal Level
8/20/16 Culture Bytes in Cedar City: A Conversation with Neil LaBute
8/30/16 Culture Bytes in Cache: Cache Valley Arts Summit and Advocacy Training 9/8-10/16 Culture Bytes Weekend in Moab (Advocacy Training, Networking, Art Walk) 9/14/16 Culture Bytes: Funders Panel
10/12/16 Culture Bytes: Speed Dating with the Press
11/9/16 Culture Bytes Community Conversation: Crowdfunding for Orgs and Artists
Do you like this page?