Arts Council of Park City & Summit County, a cultural economy

Native American dancing at Art on the Trails. Photo: Arts Council of Park City & Summit County // Claire Wiley

Updated April 4, 2024

Founded in 1986, the Arts Council of Park City & Summit County is one of the oldest non-profits in Summit County. The organization’s mission is to serve the arts and culture community by driving creative programming, providing valuable resources, and cultivating connections. The vision is for a society where arts and culture are crucial, where creatives thrive, and where all people connect through the arts. Summit County is bursting with tangible evidence that the Arts Council is achieving its mission and vision. 

Jocelyn Scudder is the Executive Director of the Arts Council of Park City & Summit County. “As an independent umbrella non-profit organization and Local Arts Agency for Park City and Summit County, we play a critical role in documenting the value of Arts & Culture and in encouraging the growth of the local creative sector,” she explains. “We are the only organization in our community with this sole mandate.” 

Kindling for Economy

Arts Council programs support creatives, artists, and arts and culture in Summit County. Jocelyn describes how these programs make a positive impact. “All the people, organizations, and businesses who contribute to the creative community here in Park City add cultural capital. They should be invested in, compensated better, and given a platform to thrive. The programming that we offer supports this,” she says, “Artists and arts organizations connect us, tell a story, and expand our thinking. It’s the binding agent that promotes creativity, inspiration, and social cohesion while also being kindling for our local economy.”

The Arts Council’s definition of arts and culture is inclusive and includes music, film, performance, culinary, and the visual arts. While the Arts Council works hard to advocate for all arts and culture organizations, they do have programming of their own. 

CREATE PC

CREATE PC gallery and studios gives artists (from budding to established) space to exhibit their artwork and connect with the community. In January of this year, the gallery opened and will host rotating exhibits from local artists year-round. At CREATE PC, the Arts Council will have the chance to showcase over 100 Summit County artists.

Latino Arts Festival

Last year, the Arts Council took control of the Latino Arts Festival, continuing a tradition of promoting and celebrating Latino artists, dancers, musicians, and culinary arts in Park City. Last year’s event hosted over 800 guests at Canyons Village and promoted over 130 artists and performers.   

Monster Drawing Rally

An essential component of the Arts Council programming is coordinating with other nonprofits and community groups. The annual Monster Drawing Rally is a collaboration between the Arts Council of Park City & Summit County and Kimball Art Center (KAC). The Monster Drawing Rally is a live art-making event where artists interact with spectators and other local artists. Jocelyn explains what to expect at the sixth annual rally on June 11, “Over the course of the event, artists create 2D artwork in 3 rounds for 50 minutes each. Finished pieces are available for purchase when the 50-minute timer runs out. All pieces are sold for $50, and any piece with more than one hopeful owner will be decided by a random card draw.” Because winning depends on the luck of the draw, not a fiscal donation, the event aligns with both the Arts Council and KAC’s missions to provide art access to everyone in the community. 

Art on the Trails

The Arts Council also works with Basin Recreation to present Art on the Trails, connecting art and nature by showcasing local and regional performing artists. They also showcase local talent for three days at the Summit County Fair in Coalville. Additionally, the Arts Council helped nurture and launch many Summit County essentials like Mountain Town Music, Park City Film, and the Park City and Summit County Public Arts Boards. 

Project ABC Cultural Plan

The Arts Council of Park City & Summit County is gaining momentum in its quest to make art and culture a community cornerstone available to all. “Project ABC Cultural Plan, a community-driven and owned plan, launched in 2018 and will be revived this year, acting as a roadmap for the future of Arts & Culture in our region, as well as our Cultural Tourism Campaigns—Art Adventure Guides and Arts & Culture Insider’s Insights Editorials & Videos–which showcase Park City & Summit County as cultural hubs,” Jocelyn explains.