Proposed art at Boulder Park in Helper.
Carbon Corridor Press Release
The Carbon County Office of Tourism is pleased to announce the award recipients of the first ever Public Art Grant made available through its office. The office received a total of five applications with just over $30,000 requested. The public art projects range from outdoor murals to a 3D sculpture.
Awards were granted to Helper City, Main Street Southeastern, Price City Desert Wave Pool, Southeastern Utah Business & Technical Assistance Center, and the Greek Streak. Artists include Kate Kilpatrick, Terry Willis and Ascending Harvest, LLC.
The applications were reviewed and scored by members of the Carbon County Tourism Tax Advisory Board. Applicants had to score at least 75 points out of 100 to be eligible for funding. The Public Art Grant was created by the use of tourism tax dollars to help with beautification, community pride and the destination development efforts throughout Carbon County. Eligible applicants must live within the county, be a private or non-profit business, and or city/town, and must partner with an artist in a joint venture. The grant was designed as a 1-1 matching grant and the applicants will have until June 1, 2024 to complete their projects.
“I am amazed by the wonderful ideas shared in the applications. Everyone involved wants to see the beauty of public art in their communities. Our hope is that locals and visitors can gather to admire the efforts being made to honor the history and beauty of the places we call home,” said Tina Grange, Carbon County Tourism Specialist. “I am excited that we were able to provide this opportunity and I look forward to seeing the finished product.”
Tourism dollars are generated from transient room tax as well as restaurant taxes. Tourism dollars are not part of the county general fund and must be spent in accordance with Utah Code 59-12-302 and 5-12-601. The Carbon County Tourism Tax Advisory Board is made up of a majority of people from those taxing entities and meets monthly to discuss the spending of tourism dollars. The board provides strategic guidance and recommendations that always tie back to the Destination Development Plan and those recommendations are then presented to the Carbon County Commission for final approval.
The hope is to continue to offer the Public Art Grant in the coming years to be placed in public sites for everyone to enjoy. If you would like more information, please contact Carbon County Office of Tourism at (435) 636-3701.