40 years strong: Arts Council shapes Summit County’s creative legacy

Jilana McIntyre, Artist at Summit Arts Market. Photo: Rebekah Stevens

PARK CITY, Utah — Art is part of daily life. Whether dining at a favorite restaurant, walking past a sculpture, seeing a film, watching a live performance, reading a book or listening to music, our lives intertwine with the arts constantly.

Communities keep creative expression and artistic advancements thriving through arts councils, like the one Summit County residents formed nearly 40 years ago. Arts councils exist worldwide in most municipalities and towns, committed to building community by strengthening and supporting local arts.

Since 1986, the Arts Council of Park City & Summit County has advocated for and secured significant funding for arts and culture, including initiating the RAP Tax legislation and the percent-for-arts policy approved by Summit County.

The Arts Council has built audiences for emerging and established local artists and has helped develop numerous arts programs and organizations including Mountain Town Music, Park City Film and both the Park City and Summit County Public Art Boards.

As an independent nonprofit, the Arts Council documents the value of arts and culture while encouraging growth in the local creative sector.

The Arts Council helps preserve community culture through public art and education, funds local artists, organizes events and increases arts advocacy while stimulating tourism. It is the only organization in the area executing long-range planning for arts and culture, developing innovative ideas that enhance the local arts sector.

Through research, community input and strategic planning, the council is developing a new Arts & Culture Master Plan to guide future development in Summit County.

Creative community events the Arts Council brings to the county include Art on the Trails, Summit Arts Market and the Latino Arts Festival. Supporting local artists, the council developed CREATE PC, a local artist collective, giving artists a place to grow, network and thrive.

The Arts Council partners with local organizations and businesses to bring inclusive art to the community, such as public murals and sculptures displayed countywide and the annual Monster Drawing Rally event.

Learn more about arts and culture in the community at pcscarts.org.