2027 Summit for the Visual Arts

The Summit for the Visual Arts returns to the University of Utah campus on March 25 and 26, 2027, hosted by the university's Department of Art & Art History. It's a two-day gathering that brings together artists, arts leaders, educators, and creative professionals to talk through the opportunities and challenges shaping Utah's growing creative economy. The format mixes panels, presentations, break-out sessions, and networking, so you'll spend as much time listening as you do talking with the people around you.

Two names anchor the program. Cannupa Hanska Luger takes the stage at Kingsbury Hall on March 25 at 7:30 PM. The keynote comes the next day: Arlene Goldbard, a New Mexico-based writer, painter, consultant, and cultural activist, speaks on March 26 at 5 PM. Goldbard has spent years writing on the intersection of art and community; her books include Community, Culture, and Globalization (2002), New Creative Community: The Art of Cultural Development (2006), Counting New Beans: Intrinsic Impact and the Value of Art (2012), and The Culture of Possibility: Art, Artists, and the Future (2013).

Between the big names, the summit keeps things grounded in the local scene. Community panelists bring the conversation back to issues specific to Utah and the Intermountain West, while the featured speakers pull back to look at broader questions about how the visual arts mesh with and transform the space around them. It's that back-and-forth—between what's happening here in the city and the larger trends in the art world—that gives the two days their shape.

The planning committee is led by Dr. Temma Balducci of the University of Utah, with UtahPresents and DoubleTree by Hilton as partner organizations. If you're in the creative world here, it's a good chance to see where things are headed. Luger kicks things off at Kingsbury Hall on March 25 at 7:30 PM, and Goldbard follows on March 26 at 5 PM.