Community Rides: Partners make it possible!
Part two of three celebrating our My BeUTAHful Community Student Art Competition
Art in Transit is live!
The “My BeUTAHful Community” student art competition is now open for visual art submissions. K-12 students throughout the state of Utah are invited to submit their artwork based on the theme “Meet Your Neighbor”. Students have a unique opportunity to share their artwork with thousands of people living in the state of Utah in a moving art gallery of UTA buses and trains. Buses in Park City, St. George, and Uintah Basin will also feature the winning artwork, in addition to community exhibitions in public spaces, such as schools and libraries, throughout the state.
Twelve winners will be selected and each will receive a $50 gift card, along with a Certificate of Achievement for their work.
Several community organizations have partnered with UTA in creating this program. In this post we are highlighting each partnering organization so you can learn more about them and the work they do in our communities.
Kimball Art Center is a nonprofit organization in Park City, established in 1976. Since then, it has been “a resource for creative expression, social connection, and community dialogue." The center believes in connection and community building through art, and provides art education in Utah schools, free exhibitions of world-class quality, and a number of community events that are free to the public.
They recognize the importance of art in establishing and encouraging compassion and connection in our communities, and have provided their expertise on the creation of the competition and support in getting the word out to the people they serve.
The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is committed to safe and healthy schools, effective early learning, personalized teaching and learning, and effective educators and leaders in all schools in the state. They support all levels and areas of education in the state and work with the community and families to provide a high-quality education for all Utah students.
USBE has worked with UTA to reach students who have an interest in art. Their help and support has encouraged students to feel confident in applying for the competition.
The Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs works to increase equity, access, and inclusion to support diverse populations and meaningfully impact Utah’s quality of life and education. One of their initiatives, the Multicultural Youth Leadership program, works to help students become involved citizens, cultivate leaders and provide opportunities for youth to interact with their elected officials. They work with youth across the state to introduce them to leadership roles and help them be engaged in making their communities better places for all.
UDMA has been a vocal supporter of the My BeUTAHful Community student art competition since the beginning, assisting UTA in our efforts to make the program diverse and accessible for all students in the state. Their influence on the competition has helped expand the vision and make something more inclusive for everyone.
The BTS Arts Learning Program provides arts-integrated instruction to 400 elementary schools in Utah, serving approximately 202,800 students. Arts Are Core is a program that provides professional development opportunities supporting BTS Arts schools’ implementation of the collaborative arts integration teaching model. They provide year-round professional learning opportunities in arts integration for K-12 teachers, coaches, art educators and students at Utah State University.
Their focus on professional development, pre-service learning and community projects increases the quality and quantity of arts learning experiences for elementary students and teachers in the USU service area.
Read more about the partnership between UTA and UA&M here.
We have partnered with Park City Transit to promote the art competition and to feature the winners in their buses once the competition has finished. Visit Park City and try out their electric buses!
Cache Valley Transit District works with USU School of Business to run their own student art competition each year, with the winner featured on a bus wrap in Cache Valley! They have provided help in crafting this competition and been generous with their expertise. Learn more about their art competition here.
UMFA has provided valuable insight and guidance in the creation of our art competition! They work to be a destination for global visual arts and to promote art education in K-12 classrooms throughout the state. You can discover fresh perspectives on art from all over the world and enhance your artistic abilities and interests through their work.
Uintah Basin Association of Governments
UBAOG serves Duchesne, Dagget, and Uintah Counties. They work to unify the tri-county area for economic and social development. The Basin Transit Association has served the Uintah Basin since 2011, and has partnered with UTA to display winning artwork in their buses.
Dr. Edwin Stafford, a Professor of Marketing at USU, works with his community for a high school poster contest promoting clean air and sustainable living in a partnership with Cache Valley Transit. He advised the creation of our art competition with his expertise in both art and community building. Learn more about his poster competition here.
UMOCA believes in the power of the art of our time. They work with Utah communities and students to build a better and more artistic world. Their programming, advocacy and collaboration instills confidence in Utah artists and builds excitement for art across the state.
The Utah Division of Indian Affairs is a part of the Utah Department of Heritage & Arts. The work they do promotes positive intergovernmental relations and the government-to-government relationship between the state of Utah and Utah’s American Indian Tribes. They have assisted UTA in promoting the art competition to the diverse Utah Tribes and Utah’s American Indians to assure that more young Utahns have the chance to express their artistic talents.
Libraries are an important part of community building and furthering education. USL provides funding, training, professional expertise, and technical advice to library directors, staff and trustees across Utah. They ensure access to library materials and state publications for all Utahns.
Submit Today!
To learn more about the competition or submit your artwork, visit our website today. Submissions will be accepted until March 16, 2021.