Utah State Senate President Michael G. Waddoups asked Utah Arts & Museums to curate this exhibition from the State Fine Art Collection so it would be available for the public’s enjoyment during the 2012 legislative session. Among the pieces are works by well-known Utah artists such as J. Leo Fairbanks and Alvin Gittins.

In March 1899, a bill authored and sponsored by Representative Alice Merrill Horne was passed to create the Utah Art Institute (now Utah Arts & Museums) as the first state-sponsored arts organization in the United States. The 20 artworks now being displayed on the fourth floor of the Capitol are selected works from the State Fine Art Collection initiated by Representative Horne’s vision. These artworks, spanning 123 years of Utah artists and their work, honor this directive to nurture the arts and artists in Utah.

The exhibition also fulfills the vision of Capitol architect Richard Kletting that the fourth floor of the Capitol be used as a space for exhibitions of Utah artists and their work.

“I’m delighted that Utah’s citizens will have this opportunity to view these original pieces of artwork in our state collection,” said Margaret Hunt, Director of Utah Arts & Museums. “The state has a rich history of talented artists, and the Capitol’s majestic setting is the ideal showplace for these wonderful pieces.”

For more information, contact Public Art & Design Arts Manager Jim Glenn at 801.533.3585, jglenn@utah.gov, or visit Utah Arts & Museums at artsandmuseums.utah.gov.

Alisha Tolman Burton, St. George, Art on Main
Douglas Caputo, Kayenta, The Space Between Theatre Company
Kirsten Darrington, Salt Lake City, Utah Symphony|Utah Opera
Derek Dyer, Salt Lake City, Utah Arts Alliance
Ghulam Hasnain, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake American Muslim
LeAnn Hord, Herriman, Oquirrh Mountain Symphony
Kaia Landon, Brigham City, Brigham City Museum-Gallery
Susan Neidert, Brigham City, Brigham City Fine Arts Council
Michelle Patrick, Salt Lake City, People Productions
Kami Terry Paul, Cedar City, Utah Shakespeare Festival
Natalie Petersen, Springville, Springville Museum of Art
Richard W. Sline, Layton, Weber State University (emeritus)
Melissa Spuhler, Garden City, Bear Lake Arts Council/Utah
John Witmer, Salt Lake City, West Valley Symphony Orchestra

“Change Leader training is a great opportunity for individuals to gain leadership skills that can help organizations and communities grow,” said Margaret Hunt, Director of the Utah Division of Arts & Museums. “They also become part of a larger network of people committed to positive change in communities through the arts.”

The Change Leader Institute is a professional certification program that focuses on developing leaders of change. Participants acquire new skills to help them gain a greater awareness of the needs of their communities and organizations and the ability to respond effectively to those needs. Official certification involves an intensive training course, completion of a community project, and on-going participation in professional development events.

Certification projects allow participants to utilize the Change Leader training in a practical, individually meaningful way.  Projects for this class of Change Leaders included:

• Bringing county residents together to celebrate old time stories, cowboy poetry and musical numbers at a new annual event.
• Uniting remote alumnus of a liberal arts college to encourage financial support for scholarships.
• Developing and implementing a student access card program to encourage a new generation of audience members.
• Creating a website to connect arts administration students and emerging arts professionals in Utah.
• Seeking new sources of funding for youth arts programs.
• Strengthening a fractured board of directors.
• Ensuring the continuation of a popular gallery walk program by sharing leadership.
• Creating a collaborative exhibition focusing on community history.
• Strengthening an emerging, diverse, theatre company.
• Creating and producing an event with performances from eight groups and over 100 performers representing global cultures using digital media content.
• Conducting a museum self-study assessment and review of best practices.
• Restructuring board composition and initiating a financial audit.
• Developing a “training the trainers” program.
• Starting neighborhood small music group ensembles for a small symphony.

These recent graduates of the program join over 100 Change Leaders across Utah including administrators, volunteers and staff members of arts organizations, museums, chambers of commerce, government agencies, and grassroots community organizations.

For more information visit artsandmuseums.utah.gov ( http://www.artsandmuseums.utah.gov/ ) or contact Wendi Hassan at whassan@utah.gov or 801-860-6396.

About the Change Leader Program
The Change Leader Program is a professional development course and an active network of course graduates. Participants attend a three-day intensive institute that lays the basics for assessing the environment for needs and opportunities, teaches the communication skills to shape and obtain commitment, and outlines the facilitation skills that transition groups and implement change. Following the institute, Change Leaders practice these skills by completing a certification project.

About the Utah Division of Arts & Museums
The Utah Division of Arts & Museums is a division of the Utah Department of Community and Culture with a goal to promote innovation and growth in Utah’s arts and culture community. The Division provides funding, education, and technical services to individuals and organizations statewide so that all Utahns, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or economic status, can access, understand, and receive the benefits of arts and culture. Additional information on the programs and services can be found at www.artsandmuseums.utah.gov or by calling 801.236.7555.

Governor Gary R. Herbert has issued his annual declaration that November be observed as ‘American Indian Heritage Month’ and the Monday before Thanksgiving as ‘Indigenous People’s Day.’

To recognize the occasion, Governor Herbert is scheduled to attend the Indigenous Day Celebration at the Natural History Museum of Utah. Amid the backdrop of the newly-opened museum, attendees will enjoy cultural performances, tribal presentations, light hors d’oeuvres, and have the opportunity to be some of the first to view the “Native Voices” exhibit. This year’s theme is “Honoring Utah’s Indigenous People.”

The event will take place on Monday, Nov. 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Natural History Museum of Utah (301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City). The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP, and print out a ticket online, before Monday at our website: http://indian.utah.gov/events/indigenous_day.html

Viewing the rest of the museum will require purchasing a full ticket.

“We want to celebrate the history, culture, language and life ways of the indigenous tribes in the beautiful state of Utah,” said Shirlee Silversmith, the new director of the Division of Indian Affairs. “It is vitally important to share and educate the public about the remarkable history and contributions of the first people of this nation.”

For questions regarding American Indian Heritage Month, contact Indian Affairs at 801.538.8808.

Indian Affairs is a division of the Utah Department of Community and Culture.

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Governor Gary R. Herbert has issued his annual declaration that November be observed as ‘American Indian Heritage Month’ and the Monday before Thanksgiving as ‘Indigenous People’s Day.’

To recognize the occasion, Governor Herbert is scheduled to attend the Indigenous Day Celebration at the Natural History Museum of Utah ( http://nhmu.utah.edu/ ). Amid the backdrop of the newly-opened museum, attendees will enjoy cultural performances, tribal presentations, light hors d’oeuvres, and have the opportunity to be some of the first to view the “Native Voices” exhibit. This year’s theme is “Honoring Utah’s Indigenous People.”

The event will take place on Monday, Nov. 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Natural History Museum of Utah (301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City). The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP, and print out a ticket online, before Monday at our website: http://indian.utah.gov/events/indigenous_day.html

Viewing the rest of the museum will require purchasing a full ticket.

“We want to celebrate the history, culture, language and life ways of the indigenous tribes in the beautiful state of Utah,” said Shirlee Silversmith, the new director of the Division of Indian Affairs. “It is vitally important to share and educate the public about the remarkable history and contributions of the first people of this nation.”

For questions regarding American Indian Heritage Month, contact Indian Affairs at 801.538.8808.

Indian Affairs is a division of the Utah Department of Community and Culture.

The Antiquities Section of State History invites Utah citizens of all ages to help promote the state’s exciting past by entering the Utah Archaeology Week Poster Contest.  Entrants may choose any material, design, or medium, but the principal elements of the design should depict aspects of Utah archaeology. Entries should be less than 16″ wide and 24″ long. Winners in three categories will receive cash prizes: Grand contest winner: $250; secondary school winner: $100; elementary school winner: $100.  The winning poster will be professionally printed and distributed nationwide.

Posters should be submitted no later than January 13, 2012, to: Antiquities Section, State History,
300 S. Rio Grande Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84101.
For more information on how to enter or to see past winners, visit the Utah Archaeology Week web page at http://history.utah.gov/archaeology/i_love_archaeology/prehistory_week/index.html, or contact Renae Weder at rweder@utah.gov or 801/533-3529 or Derinna Kopp at dkopp@utah.gov or 801/533-3519.

The contest is sponsored by State History, State Parks and Recreation, Bureau of Land Management, Utah Statewide Archaeological Society, Utah Professional Archaeological Council, U. S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service.

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H.E.A.T. helps eligible families pay for home heating, cooling, and other energy costs, as well as helping to weatherize eligible families’ homes.

“During these tight economic times communities throughout Utah have seen increased demand on key services, such as energy assistance for low-income families. The recent cold snap puts even more pressure on families as they weigh the need to turn on their furnaces,” said Utah Division of Housing and Community Development director Gordon Walker. “The energy subsidies we are releasing this season will help more families afford heat and avert difficult choices too many Utahns face between paying for heat and paying for other essentials like food and medicine.”

To qualify, a family must earn below 150 percent of the federal poverty level: about $33,000 for a family of four. Priority for H.E.A.T. assistance is given to households with the highest energy burden in relationship to household income while taking into consideration vulnerable populations such as the elderly, disabled and families with young children.

Utahns are encouraged to visit our website at http://housing.utah.gov/seal/offices.html to find their county’s contact information, or to dial 2-1-1.

The H.E.A.T. program is administered by the State Energy Assistance and Lifeline office through a statewide network of local community-based organizations. Last year, the funding enabled the H.E.A.T. program to assist more than 50,000 low-income Utah households with their utility bills.

The H.E.A.T. program is Utah’s version of the federal LIHEAP program (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program LIHEAP). It is funded 100% by the Federal Government through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Utah’s State Energy Assistance and Lifeline Office is managed by the Utah Division of Housing and Community Development under the Utah Department of Community and Culture.

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Over forty Utah high schools received the curriculum in 2011, and twenty held competitions to select a school champion to send to the state competition held in March. The winner of the state competition receives $200, a trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in the national championship, and his or her school receives a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books.  The winner of the national championship is awarded a $20,000 college scholarship.

Poetry Out Loud seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers across the nation by capitalizing on trends in poetry recitation and performance. The program builds on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form by inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, the spoken word, and theatre in the English classroom. Through Poetry Out Loud, students master public speaking skills, build self confidence and learn about their literary heritage.

For more information visit artsandmuseums.utah.gov, or poetryoutloud.org To participate, contact Guy Lebeda, Utah Division of Arts & Museums Literary Arts Manager at glebeda@utah.gov or 801.236.7553.

According to State History Research and Collections Coordinator Doug Misner, “The Taylor Woolley photographs are an important collection in our holdings and we’re very pleased through digitization we can make them available to a broader audience.”  The collection is available online at http://history.utah.gov/research_and_collections/photos/woolley.html .

The collection includes some unique images of the construction of Taliesin I, both interior and exterior, as well as images showing the intricate details of the home. The collection also documents Woolley’s architectural career in Utah with images of his business associates and building projects. 

Architectural historian Peter L. Goss said, “Taylor Woolley’s photos are a further example of Woolley’s photographic documentation of significant events in the early life of Frank Lloyd Wright.  This collection of photos is fascinating not only for its connection to Frank Lloyd Wright, but also for its look at how an architect in the early 20th century saw the architecture and interior design of his day.” Goss, a former member of the Utah Board of State History and fellow of the Utah State Historical Society, assisted State History in making the collection available to the public.

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“We are impressed with the quality and diversity of works submitted for this year’s Statewide Annual,” says Margaret Hunt, Director of the Division of Arts & Museums. “Two hundred and seven Utah artists shared 339 pieces with us and it was a great testament to our state’s creative vitality. We want to thank all of the artists who submitted their work.”

A tradition since 1899, the theme for the Statewide Annual Competition and Exhibition rotates between painting and sculpture; crafts and photography; and mixed media and works on paper. Crafts and photography will be featured in 2012. Works are chosen for display by two out of state artists or arts professionals who travel to the Rio Gallery to jury the exhibit in person. Utah ’11: Painting & Sculpture was juried by Ivar Zeile, owner and director of Plus Gallery in Denver, and Julia Latane, who draws and sculpts in Los Angeles.

The jurors selected 64 works from the 339 pieces by 45 of the 207 artists who submitted work, and they remarked how difficult that process is.  The exhibition was curated from the works submitted, and so, juror Ivar Zeile said, a different set of entries “might have led to a dramatically different exhibition.”  Julia Latane agreed when she said “What a great opportunity to look at a huge body of really good, well-executed work.” A video of Zeile and Latane discussing the process is posted on the Division’s YouTube Channel, UtahArtsandMuseums.

September 27, 2011

Contacts:   Shad West

Division of Housing and Community Development

(801) 538-8718 Office

Claudia Nakano, Communications Director

Utah Department of Community and Culture

(801) 859-8443

WHO:  Gordon D. Walker, Director, Division of Housing and Community Development

Jonathan D. Hardy, Director, State Community Services Office

WHAT:  The 2011 Comprehensive Report on Homelessness provides information regarding  the state of homelessness inUtah.

New this year is section four “Area Profiles,” a dedicated section of information that will help communities understand capacity utilization, a method to quantify need with regards to bed space; to inform providers on where capacity needs to be developed or where capacity is sufficient.

In addition, the current initiatives that are yielding tremendous results in improving lives, cutting community costs for services and creating a more efficient service delivery system are highlighted.

WHEN:  Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011

10:30 a.m.

Media Q & A to follow presentation

WHERE:  Sheraton Hotel

Snowbird Room

150 West 500 South

Salt Lake City,UT

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