Learn About Us | Salt Lake County Arts & Culture (2024)

Salt Lake County Arts & Culture

Spaces, Places & Services to Engage With the Arts

We are a Salt Lake County agency, dedicated to building deep and engaging connections and dialogue around the arts and culture in our community. For more than forty years, we have been an active participant in the arts community, providing the spaces, places and services to create and perform great art.

We are edgy and elegant.On any given night, you can see the most avant-garde of modern dance, enjoy the sublime sounds of the symphony or experience a classical ballet.

We are tradition and innovation. Enjoy a traditional Broadway musical one night or get swept away in the drama of an opera, and the next day witness a local theater company interpret current events and their effect on our community.

In 1975, Salt Lake County residents passed the Bicentennial Bond, creating the now Arts & Culture division and providing funds to renovate the Capitol Theatre and construct Abravanel Hall and the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. Over time, we have added new venues and services, including the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in 1999, the County Art Collection in 1985, ArtTix in 1991, the Eccles Theater in 2016, and the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center in 2020.

Arts & Culture Advisory Board

The Salt Lake County Arts & Culture Division is advised by an Advisory Board, whose mission is to advocate for the support of arts organizations and facilities within Salt Lake County. In addition to advising the County Mayor and County Council on the use of county-owned performing arts facilities, the Arts & Culture Advisory Board also advises on policies for the County Public Art program and collection, including yearly art acquisitions. The members of the board value the role of arts and culture within the growing Salt Lake Community and are stewards for arts education and access to arts for all residents of Salt Lake County.

The Arts & Culture Advisory Board meetings are public meetings, and we welcome anyone to listen to audio recordings via theUtah Public Notice Website. To find meeting minutes and audio, use the drop-down menu at the top of the page to specify the government type as ‘county’, the entity as ‘Salt Lake County’ and the body as ‘Center for the Arts Board.’

Places, Spaces & Services to Engage with the Arts

Our Places

Our Art Centers are more than just bricks and mortar – they are places to create and perform art and engage in shared experiences.

Abravanel Hall

Located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, Abravanel Hall is celebrated for its acoustical excellence and is an architectural icon in the City. The Hall is adorned with more than 12,000 square feet of hand-brushed 24‑karat gold leaf and its grand four-story lobby offers stunning views of the city. The newly redesigned public plaza and lobby complement the original architecture while modernizing the space. Abravanel Hall is also the home of the 27-foot-tall Olympic Tower statue by renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly.

Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre

The Capitol Theatre has been at the center of the Salt Lake arts community since 1913. Its rich architectural features and more than 100 years of exceptional theater, dance, opera, music, vaudeville, and film performances have made the Capitol Theatre a treasured historic landmark. With recent renovations including improved seating, a remodeled lobby, and a newly installed orchestra pit, the Capitol Theatre building is now joined with the Jessie Eccles Quinney Ballet Centre.

George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater

The Eccles Theater is a performance destination for Salt Lake, Utah, and the Intermountain West. Your Eccles Theater experience starts the minute you enter from busy Main Street into the spectacular five-story glass lobby. The distinctive chandeliers, colorful balustrades, and striking terrazzo floor remind you that you’re in for a memorable experience.

Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center

The Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center is the newest addition to the Salt Lake County Arts & Culture family of performing arts venues. Located in Taylorsville, the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center bring premiere performance and rehearsal spaces to the middle and southwest section of the valley. This thoughtfully designed venue includes the 439-seat Main Stage Theatre, Studio 5400 black box theatre, and the Centennial Room, a rehearsal and event space. Mid-Valley provides the opportunity for performing organizations to showcase their art in this fast-growing area of Salt Lake County.

Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center

The Rose is a vibrant, active hub for emerging and established artists and arts. Performances range from edgy to elegant and provocative to traditional. We host modern dance, theater, classical music, ballet, student recitals, and even U.S. Naturalization ceremonies. The Rose is an active film venue, hosting the Sundance Film Festival each January and year-round events with the Utah Film Center.

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art

Since its founding in 1931, UMOCA has been a driving force for creating and nurturing the local art scene. Utah’s only contemporary art museum provides education and lectures to help local artists grow and succeed. The museum’s galleries showcase rotating exhibitions by local, national, and international contemporary artists.

Our Spaces

Our Art Centers boast beautiful theaters, unique spaces and architectural delights. Between our five venues, we have a total of nine performing stages, seven studios or rehearsal spaces, and five reception or meeting spaces.

Our Services

ArtTix

ArtTix is the authorized ticketing service for any event at the Eccles Theater, Abravanel Hall, Capitol Theatre, Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, and the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. By purchasing your tickets through ArtTix for events at these venues, you are assured that your tickets are valid, are being sold at the correct cost, and can be replaced if lost or stolen. Tickets purchased through a third party do not have that guarantee. ArtTix can be contacted at 801-355-ARTS (2787) or via email at arttix@slco.org.

Event Management

From your first inquiry to your final curtain call, our Event Managers act as your liaison between our administrative and technical teams. They assist with every aspect of your event, ensuring it runs smoothly and that you are highly satisfied with our spaces and services. Contact our Event Management team at (385)-468-1030 or via email at events@artsaltlake.org.

Patron Services

Our dedicated front-of-house staff – many of whom are long-term volunteers – serve our patrons at each event. They ensure everyone gets seated in the right place, distribute programs, help patrons with accessibility needs, and answer patron questions. In case of any emergency, our team is trained in safety and evacuation techniques.

Technical & Operational Services

Each venue has its own technical and operations team. These professionals know their venue intimately and work hard to keep everything running just right. One of our Technical Directors is always on-site at any event to ensure that the lights work, the heating and air conditioning are just right, and that the restrooms are clean. They are always available to advise and assist with equipment questions.

Patron Standards of Conduct

Arts & Culture strives to create a safe, comfortable environment where everyone can enjoy live performances and events. As a Patron, you have the right to enjoy your event without any form of discrimination, harassment, or any other disruptive behavior. For more information click here.

2024 Abravanel Hall Master Plan

2024 Abravanel Hall Master Plan- Executive Summary, Master Plan, Appendix A- Seismic Report, Appendix B- Community Engagement

2016 Abravanel Hall Master Plan

2016 Abravanel Hall Master Plan- Executive Summary, Master Plan, Presentation

Residents & Arts Partners

Resident Organizations

Abravanel Hall

Utah Symphony
The Utah Symphony is one of America’s major symphony orchestras; it is renowned internationally for its distinctive performances and recording legacy. The Symphony has a rich 75-year history of international and domestic tours, award-winning recordings, and in-depth educational programs. The orchestra’s 85 full-time professional musicians perform over 175 concerts each season.

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art

UMOCA

The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art believes in the power of the art of our time. Through programming, advocacy, and collaboration, we work with artists and communities to build a better world.

Capitol Theatre

Ballet West

Ballet West showcases a rich and varied repertoire, presented by elegant and versatile artists in a dynamic, expansive, and unexpected style. Its eclectic and ever-expanding outlook makes Ballet West a pioneer in the world of dance. Ballet West creates and performs most of its season at the Capitol Theatre.

Utah Opera

A focus on new works and non-traditional audiences has helped Utah Opera broaden opera-goers horizons. The company’s high production standards and vibrant energy have delighted patrons with both new and classical works.

The Rose

Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation

The Bachauer Foundation sponsors events, concerts, and competitions to enrich Salt Lake City’s culture by providing musical experiences for audiences and performers. The foundation has helped more than 1,000 pianists participate in young, junior, and amateur piano competitions.

Plan-B Theatre Company

This award-winning company produces socially conscious theater with a local point of view and explores global stories from a local perspective. Plan-B also works to nurture a pool of Salt Lake City playwrights that rivals any other city in the country.

Pygmalion Productions

Pygmalion Theater Company creates performances that share the human experience through the eyes of women.

Repertory Dance Theatre

For 50 years, Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) has pushed the boundaries of modern dance, while preserving and celebrating its legacy. RDT is the nation’s oldest and most successful repertory dance company. Unlike conventional modern dance organizations, we present you with a diverse range of modern dance styles and choreographers paired together in dynamic and unexpected performances.

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company

For the last 50 years, the internationally renowned Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company has made contemporary dance accessible to everybody through performance and education. The Company is well-known for producing innovative and original works, touring nationally and internationally, and providing dance education.

Regent Street Black Box at the Eccles

Jaks Theatre Company

Jaks Theatre Company is a unique program for young people, providing instruction in the basic components of performing arts.

The Sting & Honey Company

The Sting & Honey Company believes the theater should be a place of creation, beauty, and awe. They achieve this ideal by providing an environment where artists and audiences can open themselves to that transcendence peculiar to live theater.

Utah Classical Guitar

Utah Classical Guitar is dedicated to promoting classical music and music education to the State of Utah by means of classical guitar performances, clinics, master classes, outreach concerts, and education programs.

Eccles Theater Arts Partners

Arts & Culture is working in partnership with Broadway Across America and MagicSpace Entertainment to play a larger role in booking and promoting events at the Eccles Theater. The partnerships are in place to generate activity and excitement around new and traditional programming and attract wider audiences to the Eccles.

Broadway at the Eccles

The Zions Bank Broadway at the Eccles series is presented by Broadway Across America in partnership with Salt Lake County Arts and Culture. Since its inaugural season in 2016, Broadway at the Eccles has hosted hit Broadway touring shows including Hamilton, Wicked, Lion King, Beautiful, Finding Neverland and Waitress.

Live! at the Eccles

Live at the Eccles hosts a variety of live performances ranging from concerts to kids entertainment and boasting hit touring shows including Wild Kratt’s Live, Robert Plant, the Head and the Heart, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Steve Martin and Martin Short, and the Last Podcast on the Left.

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