New Name. Better Alignment. The Utah Department of Heritage & Arts officially became the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement (CCE) on May 5, 2021. This name change better reflects who we are as a department, and it brings common goals to the forefront as it aligns us as a family of divisions. Just as the name Cultural and …
This month, America250 Utah and its national partner, America250, the nonpartisan entity planning the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, announced the winners of its inaugural America’s Field Trip awards. Two Lehi students, Kate F. and Guard F., earned awards. America’s Field Trip is a nationwide scholastic contest encouraging students to reflect on what America means …
By Renée Leta // Photographs by Kevin Edwards Main Street America has been helping revitalize historic commercial districts for more than 35 years. Today, it’s a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share a commitment to place and building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. The state’s Main Street program, within the Utah State …
By Reneé Leta Scores of Utahns turned out on June 5 to say farewell to Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon at the Utah State Capitol. The sculpture of the trailblazing female doctor and politician — commissioned to mark the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment — is now heading to Washington D.C. to be installed in U.S. Capitol’s …
By Reneé Leta The One Utah Service Fellowship is the first of its kind in the nation to combine state and federal funding into an AmeriCorps program. The program’s mission is to provide accessible opportunities for young adults to participate in high-impact service to address state needs and priorities. In August, Utah will swear in its inaugural group of One …
Cara Rothman has been appointed director of the Utah State Library Division, a program of the Department of Cultural & Community Engagement. She will begin her new position in June. Rothman brings a wealth of experience working in public, school and corporate libraries in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, most recently as assistant director at the Wellesley Free Library. She holds …
By Reneé Leta This month, the Utah Division of Arts & Museums celebrates its 125th anniversary with a reception launching a new exhibition in Cedar City. The traveling exhibition, 125 Years of Collecting, pays homage to Alice Merrill Horne, a state legislator who drafted and passed Utah’s “Art Bill” in 1899. The bill established a state art collection, which now …
Magnify Utah is a website showcasing stories that aims to serve as a resource to invite Utahns to find unity and connection.
By Reneé Leta For Women’s History Month, the Utah Women’s History Initiative, a program of the Utah Historical Society, has put together a slate of activities on a Bingo style-card to showcase women who make a difference in their communities. Utah has many unique connections to women’s history — from Paiute memory-keepers to Utah’s suffrage story and beyond. The commemoration …
By Reneé Leta Utah’s new black-and-white specialty license plate has been in production for less than a year. With a six-to-eight week waitlist, the demand for the “blackout” plate has been remarkable. It’s a Utah phenomenon that’s part of a national trend, as more than 10 states are now offering similar plates. In 2018, state Sen. Lincoln Fillmore co-sponsored a bill …
Branding is more than colors and fonts. It’s about the underlying strategy of reaching the right audience at the right time. Building upon those ideas, designing the More Than A Flag campaign was about more than colors and symbols. Adopting a new flag was about the process of inviting public designs, and public feedback, working with teachers, students, voters, professional …
By Ellen Fagg Weist Direct one-on-one service is meaningful, no matter what size or scope of project you participate in. But youth on UServeUtah’s high school and college councils also learn how to develop and execute a project that fills a need in their local community. They learn about project management and recruiting volunteers, and along the way, they’re also …
Appointed by Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox, Donna Law leads the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement as the interim executive director. “Donna brings a wealth of experience in the arts, administration, government relations and communications — a full package of skills that will serve the state’s cultural and community engagement needs well,” said Gov. Cox in an announcing …