Our Mission
The Utah Arts Festival works to bring the community together to celebrate, support, and nurture artists and performers of all genres and mediums, enhancing lives here in Utah and driving artistic innovation for future generations. Our ability to achieve this is due in large part to financial support from people like you.
As we plan for the 2024 Utah Arts Festival, we want to help you get to know our core programs that make the Festival a treasured summer tradition.
Your Donation = A Vote for Your Favorite Program
Use your donation to vote for your favorite program (or programs)! The program that receives the highest votes will also receive a bonus in their budget to help it grow and evolve.
Vote for one program or multiple programs. Every dollar truly counts!
Visual Arts Program
Each year we present 170+ visual artists in our Artist Marketplace representing 15 different mediums. The best and brightest local artists are joined by their peers from across the county to create a visual cornucopia that offers something for everyone. Artists retain 100% proceeds from their sales.
Goal for Growth: Offer more interactive opportunities for patrons.
Performing Arts Program
Each year more than 100 live performances are presented at the Utah Arts Festival on our six different stages. Performances represent a wide variety of genres, include dance groups and feature local, regional, and national talent.
Goals for Growth: Bring back Street Theater and a unique, spectacle act.
Kids Art Yard
Your vote will cultivate creativity, foster collaboration, and inspire imagination among children through FREE make-and-take projects, collaborative sculptures, and the Summerhays Instrument Petting Zoo.
Goal for Growth: Include more advocacy groups to broaden our growingly diverse audience.
Literary Arts Program
Dozens of local and regional poets, writers, storytellers and slam teams share their love of words, unique perspectives, and experiences. Partnering with the SLCC Community Writing Center, the program offers free literary workshops as well as the renowned, 24-hour writing competition, Iron Pen.
Goal for Growth: Increase the number or artists supported by this program and allow for additional competitions.
Fear No Film Program
Housed in the Library’s auditorium, 60+ international short films are screened over the course of three days. This program continues to grow in international recognition and receives submissions from around the world.
Goal for Growth: Increase national and international recognition for Fear No Film creating career-changing opportunities to accepted filmmakers.
Urban Arts Program
More than 25 artists, DJs, and emcees set the vibe and put graffiti art and hip-hop culture on full display. This program helps educate and enlighten our audiences while supporting and validating the work of young artists who are on the rise in our community.
Goal for Growth: More interactive activities and painting workshops.
100 Artists / 1 Image
This collaborative project invites patrons to trust the process and shows the beauty we can create together as 100 individuals paint 2’x 2’ panels resulting in the grand reveal of a large-scale puzzle mural designed by artist Mason Fetzer.
Goal for Growth: Take the program into schools throughout the valley and build community inspiration and involvement.
Emerging Artists Program
This program creates opportunities and a platform for artists, specifically those who are under-recognized artists or in the early stages of their professional careers. Supporting diverse perspectives, this program encompasses artists of all ages, races, ethnicities, gender identities, and abilities.
Goal for Growth: Continue to develop the Emerging Artists Program and broaden our audience reach.