We are the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement.

New Name. Better Alignment. The Utah Department of Heritage & Arts officially became the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement (CCE) on May 5, 2021. This name change better reflects who we are as a department, and it brings common goals to the forefront as it aligns us as a family of divisions. Just as the name Cultural and …

Play Women’s History Bingo This Month

By Reneé Leta For Women’s History Month, the Utah Women’s History Initiative, a program of the Utah Historical Society, has put together a slate of activities on a Bingo style-card to showcase women who make a difference in their communities.  Utah has many unique connections to women’s history — from Paiute memory-keepers to Utah’s suffrage story and beyond.  The commemoration …

A black-and-white photo of a 1937 car with a retro Utah license plate.

Utah’s ‘Blackout’ License Plates

By Reneé Leta Utah’s new black-and-white specialty license plate has been in production for less than a year. With a six-to-eight week waitlist, the demand for the “blackout” plate has been remarkable. It’s a Utah phenomenon that’s part of a national trend, as more than 10 states are now offering similar plates. In 2018, state Sen. Lincoln Fillmore co-sponsored a bill …

A collage of photos of Sarina Ehrgott.

Sarina V. Ehrgott: Seven Years of Beautifying and Branding CCE

Branding is more than colors and fonts. It’s about the underlying strategy of reaching the right audience at the right time. Building upon those ideas, designing the More Than A Flag campaign was about more than colors and symbols. Adopting a new flag was about the process of inviting public designs, and public feedback, working with teachers, students, voters, professional …

Collage of images of Donna Law.

Up Close: Q&A with Donna Law

Appointed by Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox, Donna Law leads the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement as the interim executive director. “Donna brings a wealth of experience in the arts, administration, government relations and communications — a full package of skills that will serve the state’s cultural and community engagement needs well,” said Gov. Cox in an announcing …

So Long, But Not Farewell: Celebrating Jill Love’s ‘Transformative’ Leadership

To say farewell to Jill Remington Love, we’ve compiled a timeline of her most significant accomplishments in managing the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement. “Transformative” is a word longtime staffers use to describe her leadership. Beyond her service as a member of Gov. Spencer Cox’s cabinet, Jill has built department morale with her ambitious retreat planning, regular staff …

A performer looks at students at a Wasatch County school assembly.

A Closer Look: About Utah’s Arts Grants

By Renée Leta For nearly 60 years, Utah has been investing in the cultural sector through its support of arts and museum funding. Utah’s Division of Arts & Museums has the proud history of being the oldest arts agency in the nation, a signpost of how the state prioritizes our rich cultural heritage. Anchor nonprofits throughout the state include dance …

Giving Service with AmeriCorps Seniors

By Renée Leta  Every week, Patty Cook provides eight hours of joy, companionship and support to other seniors in her community as part of Tooele’s AmeriCorps Seniors program. Established in 15 of Utah’s 29 counties, AmeriCorps Seniors are key volunteers providing services to those in need at both ends of the age spectrum.  Through the Classroom Grandparent Program, AmeriCorps Seniors …

UServeUtah youth council member with boxes of donations for high school teen centers.

Utah’s Youth: The Multiplier  Effect of Youth Volunteers

By Renée Leta 685 hours in a year  – that’s the amount of volunteer service hours in one year that UServeUtah’s youth leaders invested in addressing local community needs. Those youth encouraged their friends and family to participate in their volunteer projects, which led a more-than-double multiplier effect of more than 1,444 total volunteer hours invested in community service projects. UServeUtah, …

Utah’s Public Art Program Helps Commission a New Golden Spike Monument

By Renée Leta On October 23, a 43-foot tall golden spike artwork arrived on the steps of the Utah State Capitol. The impressive “Golden Spike Monument,” by artist Douwe Blumberg, was the result of more than three years of work.  The monument began as an artistic idea from the nonprofit Golden Spike Foundation’s close work with numerous divisions within the Utah Department of …

A Tribute — and a Look Forward for Native Cultures in Utah

By Renée Leta This month, Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox declared November 2023 as Native American Heritage Month and November 3, 2023 as Indigenous Day. The declaration pays tribute to the Tribes’ rich ancestry and traditions, and calls for the advancement of Native American culture and opportunities. The state’s celebration draws on a 30-year-old national tradition. In 1990, U.S. President …