The Salt Lake County Art Committee held its annual Open House Tuesday Evening at the County Building on State Street. At the event, the committee unveiled its 2008 acquisitions and donations and showed a video of interviews with a number of the artists whose works were purchased (these videos will be appearing in our pages in the near future). The event was held under a cloud of trepidation because at a recent meeting of the County Council a proposition to cut the Committee’s 2009 budget to $0 was brought to a vote and came close to passing (it ended in a tie). The incoming Democratic majority defended Mayor Corroon’s budget (see http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11017560 ) on Tuesday and though the fight continued throughout the week, the Mayor’s budget was passed (http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11034907?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com ). The budget includes the Mayor’s $40,000 purchasing appropriation for the Salt Lake County Art Collection, a reduction from last year’s $45,000 appropriation.

The Salt Lake County Art Collection, which consists of 500 pieces by Utah artists, is owned by the citizens of Salt Lake County and the entire collection is on exhibit in public spaces in County-owned facilities. The $40,000 that will be used to purchase artwork for the collection in 2009 comes to $.04 per county resident.

15 Bytes

UTAH’S ART MAGAZINE SINCE 2001, 15 Bytes is published by Artists of Utah, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.