The Utah Division of Arts & Museums provides a variety of community programs designed to support the state's arts and museums sector. According to an undated document from the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, these programs work alongside municipalities, artists, museums, community leaders, and local arts councils to expand and promote the arts and museums community in Utah through networking events, conferences, technical assistance, and training.
One specific avenue for professional growth is the provision of professional development scholarships. As stated in an undated document from the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, these scholarships are intended to advance skills toward arts & museums best practices. The funding for these scholarships is designed to cover registration costs up to $500. These opportunities are available for volunteers, board members, or staff of arts and museums organizations to attend relevant conferences or trainings, which allows these organizations to network with other organizations and expand their skill sets.
Beyond individual scholarships, the Division offers the Change Leader Program. An undated document describes Change Leaders as an active network consisting of graduates from a three-day intensive professional development course. Participants in this program receive instruction regarding facilitation and communication skills, as well as instruction on assessing environments. These Change Leaders share a commitment to creative community-building and lead projects known as "Random Acts of Art," which are described as quick turnaround projects.
The Division also supports local arts agencies. According to an undated document, these agencies can take the form of nonprofit organizations, committees, boards, councils, or government entities. These agencies are described as being at the heart of community arts participation and play a critical role in advocating for, encouraging, and developing cultural awareness. They frequently act as a resource for community-building and raising the quality of life by interfacing with local government. Some of these agencies have formalized their status through a Designated Local Arts Agency Agreement with their municipality.
Accessibility and aging are also focus areas for the Division. The Utah Division of Arts & Museums is investing in Creative Aging work to improve the lives of older adults throughout the state. This program fosters a network of artists, senior service organizations, libraries, and cultural organizations that are trained in creative aging best practices, according to an undated document.
Additionally, the Division participates in the Breaking Barriers: A Cultural Accessibility Project. As an undated document explains, this is a partnership between the Utah Division of Arts & Museums and Art Access to provide mentorship and disability accessibility training to cultural institutions in the state. Through this work, participating organizations receive one hour of private consultation and 12 hours of instruction from UA&M staff and Art Access. This training helps participants develop accessibility plans to address how to make their organizations and physical sites more accessible to the disability community.
As of an undated document, Jason Bowcutt serves as the Community Programs & Performing Arts Manager, and Tracy Hansford serves as the Community Programs Coordinator.
What this means for Teasdale
For Teasdale residents, these programs offer pathways to enhance local cultural life. Through the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, local organizations can access scholarships of up to $500 for professional training, while community leaders can join the Change Leader Program to foster creative community-building and implement quick turnaround art projects.
