The holiday season is among us, which means your favorite artists and arts organizations are working overtime to reach their goals before the end of the year.

The arts are vitally important in Utah (and everywhere, but since we are here, let us focus on Utah). The Kem Gardner Institute’s 2023 study shows that Utah’s cultural industry generates 10.1 billion dollars in direct spending each year and supports 65,300 Utah jobs. The arts also foster connection and community at a time when our communities are struggling with major mental health and loneliness epidemics.

As an arts lover in Utah, how can you support the artists and organizations that you love and that are such an essential part of Utah’s economy and culture? Here are five meaningful ways to make a real impact:

1. Show Up
Attend the concert, visit the museum, stop by the open studio or holiday market. Your in person participation is very important and shows organizers and artists that their time and effort were worth it. These numbers add up and are used in funding reports and applications and show artists that the art they made to be seen is being seen. Even if you are tired, cold, or in a bad mood, make the effort to show up in person to as many arts events as you can.

2. Spread the Word
Take it a step further and tell others about the artists, events, and organizations you love. Invite a friend or family member. Email a link to someone who will be interested. Share your experiences on social media. Tell people about the art you saw and loved. Help spread the word about the great things happening in our arts community in as many ways as you can.

3. Rate, Review, and Subscribe
Likes, follows, subscribers, and reviews matter. They increase the overall reach of an artist or organization, help them connect with new people, and show their impact to funders and stakeholders. Check today and see if you are following your favorite organizations and artists on all the social media platforms you use. Have you left a five star review on Google, TripAdvisor, or Yelp? Do you like, comment, and share their content? All of this adds up to greater reach and impact. Reviews can also be reused as testimonials in grant reports and fundraising appeals.

4. Share the Impact
Think about the top three to five arts moments you had in 2025. Who made them happen? Write a few sentences about the impact they had on you or your community. Email that paragraph to the artist or organization. If they receive public funding (and almost all arts organizations in Utah do) send it to the City Council, County Commission, State Legislator, or Federal Congressman who helped support that program. If you know a foundation, corporate, or individual donor who supports them, send it to them as well. If your city or county has an arts council or RAP/RAMP/ZAP/PAR program, write the staff or members of that program and share the impact the arts have had on your life and community.

5. Give Your Money or Time
Dollars go far with artists and in the arts. We take pennies and turn them into magic for people all over Utah. This is true for every artist and arts organization you know. Give what you can, even if it is one dollar. Every penny adds up. Set a giving budget this holiday season and give generously to your favorite arts nonprofits (including this one, Artists of Utah/15 Bytes). Buy art, merchandise, and classes from your favorite artists. Even if all you can afford is a sticker, buy the sticker. Buy a ticket to the symphony or to the play in your hometown. Give the gift of tickets, museum memberships, and original art. Spend your money on the arts.

And if you do not have money to spare (or if you want to do both) give your time. Volunteer at an event, help an artist set up a market or clean their studio, or support musicians, dancers, and actors who could use help too. Be generous and offer as much time and money as you can.

One of the things I love most about our Utah arts community is how generous and kind everyone is. With the arts, a higher tide lifts all the boats, and we all succeed more when we support each other with our time, our words, our attention, and our resources when we have them.

Be generous this holiday season and remember the artists and arts organizations that have made your community better. They need your help and support!

– Emily Larsen serves as the Manifester in Chief on the Artists of Utah Board of Directors

Emily Larsen

Emily Larsen is a Utah-based curator, arts administrator, historian, and artist. She currently works as the Director of the Springville Museum of Art, where she has worked in a variety of positions since 2014. Her research and writing focuses on the Utah art scene c1880-1950. She is passionate about Utah’s art and cultural history and loves working with local Utah artists.