by Amanda Finlayson<\/p>\n
The governor of Utah has direct influence on the state of the arts in Utah, from the appointment of a Utah Arts Council director to state tourism initiatives and arts education funding. I recently met separately with both of Utah\u2019s gubernatorial candidates, Gary Herbert and Peter Corroon, in order to discuss their feelings about arts and culture and their plans to support artistic industries throughout the State. The candidates were kind enough to share with me some of their personal experiences with the arts as well as respond to a series of brief questions. Because I was not allowed to record one of the interviews, answers are provided in paraphrased form.<\/p>\n
I met with Governor Gary Herbert and his Communications Director, Angie Welling, in the governor’s office at the Utah State Capitol Building where paintings by\u00a0H.L.A. Culmer, donated to the Utah State Capitol by mining magnate Colonel Edwin F. Holmes in 1916, adorn the walls and books about Utah, including\u00a0Painters of Utah\u2019s Canyons and Deserts<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Desert Dreams: The Art and Life of Maynard Dixon<\/em>, are spread out across the coffee tables. Herbert says his mother, a self-taught pianist, insisted that he learn to play the piano so that he wouldn\u2019t be just another \u201cdumb jock.\u201d During his high school years he played the trumpet and joined a band that played big band pop music. His wife paints, and the family, which includes an American Idol contestant, loves music and sometimes sings together at events.<\/p>\n Herbert is currently heading an effort for the State to honor Arnold Friberg,\u00a0and has commissioned Ed Fraughton\u00a0to create a bust of Friberg to be housed at the State Library. He notes that the state honors artists quarterly, most recently the Mormon Tabernacle Choir,\u00a0and Steve Maddox,\u00a0for culinary arts. As Utah County Commissioner, Herbert says, he helped to promote the\u00a0Sundance Film Festival\u00a0and his wife planned the recent Governor\u2019s Gala with a Broadway-type, Constitution Day theme and musical performances highlighting Utah talent.<\/p>\n I met with Mayor Peter Corroon in his campaign headquarters on South Temple, a place where behind the boxes of fliers and stacks of yard signs you’ll see artwork provided by\u00a0Artists for Corroon, an artist-driven group that is supporting his campaign. Corroon\u2019s exposure to the performing arts came through his parents, who, when he was a young man, gave him fine arts performance tickets \u2013 to the opera, symphony and theatre — as gifts in order to maintain his cultural awareness. He played the clarinet growing up, and has a continued interest in jazz and classical music. In the visual arts he enjoys photography. He reminisced about spending hours in the dark room and says in high school he considered pursuing it as a career. His parents’ influence has had a lasting effect and he says he laments the Utah Opera subscription he had to give up because of his busy schedule.<\/p>\n Corroon highlighted Salt Lake County\u2019s\u00a0Cultural Facilities Master Plan\u00a0and indicated that Salt Lake County has the largest public art collection of Utah artists in the world. Corroon also engages in the County\u2019s art exhibit for employees and their families, where his children have participated every year. He also works closely with the\u00a0Salt Lake County Center for the Arts<\/a>, and said that the \u201carts are the heart and soul of our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n What is the role of state government in advancing tourism through arts and culture?<\/strong> Corroon says that while people come to Utah primarily for the outdoors, art experiences also draw tourists, citing Sundance as an example of the arts bringing tourist dollars to Utah. He pointed to ways that government can encourage this, such as Salt Lake County\u2019s Center for the Arts hosting Sundance Film Festival screenings downtown and the State Office of Tourism\u00a0board funding events all over the state, even in small communities.<\/p>\n What is the role of the arts in the state\u2019s education system?<\/strong> Corroon believes the arts guarantee a well-educated mind, as well as help in other academic fields. There is a strong correlation between high performance in math through exposure to music. He indicated that he doesn\u2019t want the school systems to be barren of arts education funding and hopes to put money back into the discipline. He shared that he and his wife encourage each of their children to be involved in at least one sport, one art, and one language so that they will be well-rounded human beings. Corroon says that \u201cthe arts bring communities together.\u201d He recently attended a benefit for Gilgal Sculpture Garden\u00a0, a venue that attracted 15,000 people last year, and was impressed with the community\u2019s investment in the program. Salt Lake\u2019s Gallery Stroll gets people out into the community, walking, actively engaged in art, he points out, and says \u201cthe arts make this a better place to live.\u201d<\/p>\n Do you have plans for engaging arts-centric businesses in the growth of Utah\u2019s economy?<\/strong> Corroon pointed to Salt Lake County\u2019s recent purchase of the property immediately west of Capitol Theatre in order to help Ballet West\u00a0build a new academy location. There are also plans underway to renovate the Capitol Theatre itself. He indicated that Artspace\u00a0plays an important role for visual artists and Sundance leads the film industry, lending prestige to Utah. Engaging individual artists in Utah\u2019s economy makes sense, especially in the long-term. The University of Utah is turning out great talent for the digital media industry and Utah could be a leader in that field, he says.<\/p>\n How do you feel about public funding for the arts?<\/strong> Corroon believes that the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts and Parks program as a voter initiative is a wonderful example of citizens choosing to fund the arts. He helped campaign for the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks Tax\u00a0reauthorization in 2008 and jokingly quoted Carter Livingston, a Utah lobbyist, who said that in Utah \u201cZAP is more popular than George Bush.\u201d<\/p>\n What is your opinion of Salt Lake City’s controversial plans for developing the Utah Performance Center (in downtown Salt Lake)?<\/strong> Corroon indicated that he is supportive of the Center\u2019s development if it is well utilized by the community, as is the case with the Sundance Institute, the film industry, and digital media artists, among others.<\/p>\n How do you feel about the proposed statewide Recreation, Arts & Parks Tax?<\/strong> Corroon indicated that he had seen the audit and thought that the possibility looked promising and is supportive of the introduction of this tax. He believes that it would be beneficial to communities throughout the state.<\/p>\n
\nHerbert indicated that he is conscious of the effect the arts have on tourism, and highlighted the\u00a0\u201cStay an Extra Day\u201d\u00a0campaign and says he was helpful in the creation of the\u00a0Museum of Ancient Life\u00a0at Thanksgiving Point.<\/p>\n
\nHerbert recently attended a one-day session presented by Robert Redford at Sundance, which addressed the impact that the arts have on students, and he believes that the arts, included in the overall curriculum, increase proficiency, support a well-rounded education, and develop the creative side of the brain.<\/p>\n
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\nWhat is the role of culture and the arts in building communities?<\/strong>
\nHerbert feels culture has been important in Utah since its pioneer days: having culture and music in a wilderness setting was a way to provide a contrast to the surrounding frontier and allowed for a well-rounded community. He said, \u201cthe arts are an escape and uplift thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nHerbert noted that Utah was recently praised as having the\u00a0best economic outlook in America\u00a0and he believes this is accentuated by the significant cultural component in our lives. Culture is an essential fabric in Utah life. Even small communities have cultural celebrations because we\u2019re proud of our communities.<\/p>\n
\nHerbert believes that funding needs to be more privatized. Utah currently spends $3 million in arts outreach efforts through the State Office of Education and spends $11 million on the\u00a0Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program<\/a>, which is a public\/private partnership. He said the private sector needs to step up and pointed out that public education opportunities in arts-based curriculum are taxpayer funded.<\/p>\n
\nHerbert says there are performing arts centers in other cities in the state and if Salt Lake City has the support, then they should do it. Steve Covey was successful in building the\u00a0Covey Center for the Arts<\/a>\u00a0in Provo through a public\/private partnership, he points out. Herbert was otherwise hesitant, indicating that it was a local issue and that it would require private sector funding.<\/p>\n
\nHerbert was not aware of the statewide RAP proposal. After our interview I e-mailed him the audit performed by the Office of Legislative Auditor General for the State of Utah,\u00a0but have had no response to date.<\/p>\n