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By Renée Leta For nearly 60 years, Utah has been investing in the cultural sector through their support of arts and museum funding. Utah’s Division of Arts & Museums has the proud history of being the oldest arts agency in the nation, a signpost of how the state prioritizes our rich cultural heritage. Anchor nonprofits throughout the state include dance …
By Renée Leta Every week, Patty Cook provides eight hours of joy, companionship and support to other seniors in her community as part of Tooele’s AmeriCorps Seniors program. Established in 15 of Utah’s 29 counties, AmeriCorps Seniors are key volunteers providing services to those in need at both ends of the age spectrum. Through the Classroom Grandparent Program, AmeriCorps Seniors …
By Renée Leta 685 hours in a year – that’s the amount of volunteer service hours in one year that UServeUtah’s youth leaders invested in addressing local community needs. Those youth encouraged their friends and family to participate in their volunteer projects, which led a more-than-double multiplier effect of more than 1,444 total volunteer hours invested in community service projects. UServeUtah, …
By Renée Leta On October 23, a 43-foot tall golden spike artwork arrived on the steps of the Utah State Capitol. The impressive “Golden Spike Monument,” by artist Douwe Blumberg, was the result of more than three years of work. The monument began as an artistic idea from the nonprofit Golden Spike Foundation’s close work with numerous divisions within the Utah Department of …
By Renée Leta This month, Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox declared November 2023 as Native American Heritage Month and November 3, 2023 as Indigenous Day. The declaration pays tribute to the Tribes’ rich ancestry and traditions, and calls for the advancement of Native American culture and opportunities. The state’s celebration draws on a 30-year-old national tradition. In 1990, U.S. President …
By Renée Leta and Ellen Weist For the past decade, Amy Barry has overseen the state’s Cemeteries Program, now part of the Utah State Historic Preservation Office. She maintains the Cemeteries and Burials database, offers preservation workshops, and maintains an alphabetical list and map of all the cemeteries and burial sites throughout the state. She also oversees the state’s annual …
Gritos — emotion-filled yells – punctuated the lively music echoing off the marble walls of the Utah Capitol Rotunda. More than 400 people attended Sones de Mariachi en Utah on Aug 30, the state’s first-ever competition and exhibition showcasing the popular Mexican folk music. Attendees filled seats and gathered on the Capitol stairs and balconies, the turnout representing the vibrancy …
By Reneé Leta In 2018, some 87 percent of Utah students graduated from high school. However, among Native American and Hispanic learners, only one in five met that mark. Research shows that students who are more literate will lead more successful lives and develop the skills needed to transition to adulthood. This fall, the Utah State Library Division will bring …
By Renée Leta The Rose Park Community Garden is now home to a new mural of eight of Rose Park’s influential women. The mural honors Bobby Florez, Cristina Caputo, Maria Cardenas, Nettie Gregory, Cencira Te’o, Karina Lufo-Villalba, and Sylvia Abalos. “With this mural, we’re focusing on highlighting women from communities who are not usually in the history books, because we …
By Renée Leta This spring. Cooper Maughan and Jared Killpack put their history research and performance skills to the test as part of Utah’s National History Day contests. Then in June, the pair of 7th-graders from Logan performed their research at the national competition. Their performance focused on United States Air Force Colonel Gail “Candy Bomber” Halvorsen. A Utah native who …
Tim Glenn, former executive director of Green River’s John Wesley Powell River History Museum, was hired in January 2023 to direct the Museum of Utah. The state history museum, to be housed in a new building being constructed to the north of the Utah State Capitol, is scheduled for opening in 2026. As construction moves forward, Glenn is working with …
By Renée Leta The road trip is a quintessential summer activity for many Utah families, but the day-to-day routes of Utah’s bookmobile librarians rival these epic journeys. For example, U.S. 89 is the longest highway in the state, covering more than 500 miles through the central part of the state. Approximately one-fifth of the road runs north to south through …