About Us
Utah Humanities is an independent non-profit dedicated to improving communities through the humanities. Image courtesy of Utah Humanities.
Who We Are and What We Do
Utah Humanities is an independent non-profit established in 1975. With a small, dedicated staff and volunteer board of directors, we offer public humanities programs across the state that involve thousands of people and organizations. To do our work, we partner with organizations that want to improve their communities through the humanities. Our partnerships span Utah and focus on literature, heritage, education, conversations, and local humanities ideas.
Our Mission
We strengthen Utah communities by cultivating connections, deepening understanding, and exploring our complex human experience.
Read our Strategic Plan.
Click the image below to watch our video "Utah Humanities: Who We Are and What We Do":
Theory of Change Statement
We believe that through our partnerships, we create a Utah where mutual respect is prevalent, difference is celebrated, diverse perspectives are welcomed, and civic dialogue is rooted in curiosity.
Values
Collaboration
Collaboration is the heart of what we do. We strive to support and uplift one another and actively seek meaningful connections within our organization and with our partners. By amplifying the work of our partners and investing in their long-term success, we create ripple effects that strengthen communities throughout Utah.
Thoughtful
We put great care into our work and aim to bring consideration and empathy into all that we do. We recognize we do not always have the answers, but are eager to listen deeply and carefully explore new questions. We provide space for varied perspectives, nuanced conversations, and divergent beliefs.
Professionalism
We hold expertise in our fields and bring a high level of professionalism into everything we do. We approach our work with honesty and transparency, and adhere to best H-1
practices that result in tangible outcomes. We strive for excellence and seek to partner with organizations, scholars, and tradition-bearers who are experts in their communities.
Community-Centered
We are mindful of the many and varied geographic, demographic, ideological, and ever-changing communities of Utah. This means our work begins with a community-first mindset, offering perspectives and resources relevant to each community, and continually challenging ourselves to broaden our reach.
Catalyst
The humanities are a powerful catalyst for positive change. We gather communities together to understand and honor their differences, consider new perspectives, and transform ideas into action.
Diversity and Inclusion
We cultivate spaces where all voices are represented and feel welcome. We see great power in connecting across identities, geographies, values, cultures, political leanings, ideologies, races, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to learn from and amplify diverse and marginalized voices. We encourage our partners to broaden their reach within and beyond their communities.
What Are the Humanities, And Why Are They Relevant?
We believe that communities can be strengthened and improved through the humanities!
The humanities focus on how people experience and document their world, and they help us to understand the meaning of all human expression such as literature, history, art, and thought. As the study of human experience, the humanities can connect us to ourselves and each other in deeply meaningful ways. In fact, if you are human, you already "do" the humanities. Everything you read, think, create, and do adds to the human experience and can be looked at for interpretation and understanding.
Learn more about the humanities:
- Visit The Humanities
- Click the image below to watch our video "Utah Humanities: Ideas in Action":
Land Acknowledgement Statement
Utah Humanities acknowledges Utah’s Indigenous communities as the original peoples of these lands. This extraordinary confluence of alpine mountains, salty deserts, and sinuous redrock are the ancestral homelands of Nuche (Ute), Nuwu (Paiute), Newe (Shoshone), Kutsipiuti (Goshute), Diné (Navajo), and Ancestral Puebloan peoples.
These first peoples hold the entire landscape as sacred, not only for themselves, but for their ancestors, future generations, and humankind as a whole. We honor their stewardship, respect their resilience, and celebrate their traditions and living cultures. We honor the land and respect the kinship others hold for these landscapes.
We foster respectful connection to Utah lands and first peoples through our programming. Working in partnership with Utah’s Indigenous communities, we re-commit ourselves to providing sustained opportunities for Utahns to understand systems of oppression, protect and honor memory, and preserve and support Indigenous cultures. We call for a brighter future together, for people and the land – one human interaction at a time.
Contact Us
202 West 300 North
Salt Lake City, Utah 84103
801.359.9670
Visit our Staff page for individual contact information.
Utah Humanities is supported by generous contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations, and receives public support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the State of Utah, the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts and Parks Fund, and the ESRR Endowments.
Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed on this website do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
