Dear Colleague,

I want to share some good news with you. On Friday, the Utah Legislature’s Executive Appropriations Committee approved their proposed funding items for this session. I'm happy to say that all of the Department of Heritage & Arts (DHA) requests were funded:

Utah Arts & Museums Sustainability Grants ($4 million ongoing)
Create In Utah Grants ($5 million one-time)
Restoration of 5% Budget Cuts to DHA ($1 million ongoing)
Martha Hughes Cannon Installation Ceremony ($175,000 one-time)
Division of Multicultural Affairs Staffing ($250,000 ongoing)
Temporary Artifact Collection Facility Operations and Maintenance ($15,000 one-time and ongoing)
Women's History Staffing ($150,000 ongoing)

What does this mean for Utah museums and arts organizations? The state-funded portion of our agency’s grants budget grows to $7 million ongoing. And the legislature has allocated another $5 million (one-time) for the Create In Utah program. We are very excited about having these funds to allocate to organizations around the state. These funds will make a positive impact on Utah communities.

Our agency’s boards are dedicated to ensuring these public funds are equitably allocated throughout the state. We are proud to be the primary agency in Utah that distributes state and federal funds to create vibrant communities through the work of our stellar museums and arts organizations.

I appreciate your continued support of our agency and your work in achieving this long-sought victory. Special acknowledgement goes to Jill Love and Kat Potter, our leaders in DHA, for helping shepherd these requests through the legislature. We also thank the Utah Cultural Alliance team for working so hard to support and advance Utah's cultural community.

One last note: We have our final DHA Thrive125 event tonight, "Reflections on Statehood." Holly George and Jed Rogers from Utah State History will host a panel discussion with local historians and get their take on what 125 years of statehood has meant to Utah, its land, and its people. You can find out more and register for the event here.

Wishing you all the best,

Victoria Panella Bourns

Director, Utah Division of Arts & Museums

P.S. Click here to see an archive of these newsletters.

More Resources:

From Utah Cultural Alliance:

State of Utah 2020 Culture Report - Press Conference: Utah Cultural Alliance recently unveiled their State of Utah Culture Report. You may view the recording on Facebook using the link above.

2021 Legislative Session Recap: On March 24, UCA will be providing a virtual review of what happened during the 2021 legislative session and how it will affect Utah's cultural sector.

The Utah Department of Health has released two new options for businesses and employees to obtain free COVID-19 testing, including rapid antigen testing.

The UDOH will be presenting on these options during our next Cultural Sector Community Update — please see below for details.

The first option is to have your staff and families visit the state's coronavirus webpage and choose "Free Rapid Testing," "Utah Department of Health," or "TestUtah" under the "Search for Provider" drop-down menu. Each location will have instructions you can follow to receive a free COVID-19 test.

The second option is for your business to become certified to offer its own rapid COVID testing of your staff. If you are interested in the second option, UDOH has instructional calls set up to describe the process in detail and to answer your questions about testing.

New COVID-19 Impact Surveys and Updates:

Americans for the Arts and Artist Relief have released new versions of their COVID-19 Impact on the Arts Surveys. The findings will power ongoing advocacy work to ensure the arts are part of the billions of dollars in relief and recovery funding. We encourage all eligible organizations and artists to complete these surveys:

Each week, Americans for the Arts publishes its updated COVID-19 Research Update that tracks the ongoing human and financial impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the arts. Use this weekly update to stay informed.

From the National Association of State Arts Agencies Regarding Small Business Administration Shuttered Venue Operators Grants:

As of today, there is still no word from the SBA on when the new Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program will launch and begin accepting applications. However, the SBA clearly is making more headway on its guidelines, because it recently released another FAQ document. This edition includes many more definitions than we saw in prior FAQs, as well as more detailed information on allowable uses of SVOG funds. From the SBA: "As the SBA works on building the application platform, it would be in your best interest to register for a DUNS number and then register in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). Also, gather documents that demonstrate your number of employees and monthly revenues so you can calculate the average number of qualifying employees you had over the prior 12 months. Finally, determine the extent of gross earned revenue loss you experienced between 2019 and 2020. This and additional information such as floor plans, contract copies, and other evidence will be needed to apply for a SVOG."

The Taproot Foundation offers nonprofit organizations the ability to connect with pro bono volunteers for one hour, one-on-one consultative sessions to brainstorm, troubleshoot, and diagnose challenges in areas like website design, strategic planning, brand strategy, and more.

From Colleen Dilenschneider of Know Your Own Bone:

Safety First: Visitors Expect Better Mask Enforcement
Quicker Decisions: The Pandemic Has Changed Visitation Timelines

From Aspen Ideas Festival:

RE$ET Breakout: The Case for Funding the Arts and Resetting the Creative Economy
One of the first to shut down and possibly the last to fully reopen, the creative industry has been imperiled by COVID-19. How can we ensure its economic stability going forward?

From Nonprofit Quarterly:

Reckoning with a Reckoning: How Cultural Institutions Can Advance Equity

From the Wallace Foundation:

Millennials Are Not a Monolith: Experiences from One Group of Performing Arts Organizations’ Audience-Building Efforts

From Potential Project:

Multitasking does not deliver what it promises

Banner for the Utah Cultural Sector Community Updates.

Utah Cultural Sector Community Update
Monday, March 8, 2021 | 3 – 3:45 p.m.
**Please note different time**

This month, the Utah Department of Health will present options for free, rapid COVID testing available to businesses.

Links to a recording of the call, as well as to recordings of past calls and other resources, are available on this UA&M webpage.

Please register for the call here.

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