General Information

Government Type

Interlocal

Entity

Utah Performing Arts Center Agency

Public Body

Board of Directors

Notice Information

Add Notice to Calendar

Notice Title

UPACA Board of Directors meeting minutes- approved

Notice Type(s)

Meeting

Event Start Date & Time

October 22, 2026 09:00 AM

Event End Date & Time

October 22, 2026 10:00 AM

Description/Agenda

Meeting of the UPACA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thursday Oct. 22, 2026, 9:00am O.C. Tanner Lounge - Eccles Theatre w/Cisco WebEx option Attendees: Sarah Dibble Lata, Matt Castillo, Ross Romero, Helen Langan, Danny Walz, Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin, Taylee Foulger, Jacque Jones, Rachel Otto, Robin Chalhoub, Katie Hansen, Darin Casper, Jenn Niedfeldt, Cate Kizerian, Katelynn Killian, Angela Vanderwell, Aimee Odum, Scott Anderson Roll call and Introductions: Ms. Darby-Duffin called the meeting to order at 9:01am. Welcome: Ms. Darby-Duffin Welcome all. Review public comments: No public comments. Approval of minutes: August 20, 2026 Mr. Walz moved the request to approve the minutes. Mr. Romero moved to second. Unanimously approved. Revisit Eccles Theater 2027 Proposed operating Budget - Matt Castillo, Sarah Dibble Mr. Castillo noted that during the August board meeting, the proposed 2027 operating budget was presented and subsequently approved, with the exception of one Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) request for a Venue Manager. At that time, the Board requested additional information before granting approval. Following that meeting, representatives met with the Executive Committee-including Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin, Jennifer Bruno, and Helen Legan-as well as Danny Waltz from the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), to review the comprehensive workforce plan developed by the Arts and Culture department. Mr. Castillo stated that the plan provided the necessary justification for the position, and he invited members of the Executive Committee to share their feedback or recommendations from that discussion. Mr. Walz responded that after consulting with Matt and Angela, he felt comfortable proceeding with the request. He noted that the workforce plan successfully addressed the Board's initial budgetary concerns and provided valuable baseline information for future discussions regarding theater operations and ongoing budget management. He expressed his gratitude to the team for providing the clarification. Mr. Castillo thanked Mr. Walz and opened the floor, stating that while the team was available to answer any further questions, they were formally requesting the Board's consideration and final approval for the 2027 budget proposal's remaining component: the addition of the new Venue Manager FTE. The floor was opened for questions; however, no questions were raised by the Board. Ms. Hanson moved the request to consider approval of 2027 proposed BULIDING operation Budget. Mr. Langan moved to second. Unanimously approved. UPACA Board of Directors: City Appointment Expirations- Matt Castillo, Angela Vanderwell Mr. Castillo advised that The board consists of nine members: six appointed by Salt Lake City and three by Salt Lake County. Salt Lake City Appointees (6 Total) - Perpetual Members (3): Danny Walz (CRA), Jennifer Bruno (City Council Office), and Rachel Otto (Mayor's Office). - Community Members (3): Serve four-year terms (maximum two terms/eight years). o Katie Hansen: Recently renewed for her second four-year term. o Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin (Chair): Completing her second term in summer 2027. Recruitment planning is underway for this upcoming vacancy. o Helen Langan: Currently three years into her first term. Salt Lake County Appointees (3 Total) - Perpetual Members (2): Robin Chalhoub (Community Services Department) and Darin Casper (Mayor's Office). - Community Member (1): Serves a four-year term with an option to renew. o Ross Romero: Appointed in 2024; has approximately 1.5 years remaining on his first term. Modern Artwalk Project Update - Matt Castillo Mr. Castillo wanted to bring this informational item to the Board and introduced Scott Anderson, who explained this art piece, Roy Lichtenstein's 1978 sculpture, Lamp. Mr. Anderson provided an overview of the artist's biographical background and artistic legacy from the information packet that was sent to the Board prior to the meeting. Contextual Legacy & Pop Art Innovation - Art Historical Shift: Lichtenstein played a foundational role in launching the Pop Art movement by elevating mass-produced imagery-such as commercial advertisements and comic books-into high art. - Departure from Expressionism: His approach marked a deliberate break from the subjective histrionics of Abstract Expressionism, establishing a direct connection between fine art and contemporary everyday life. - Dialogue with Tradition: While utilizing an intentionally anonymous, commercial aesthetic, Lichtenstein remained deeply anchored in art history, famously noting that his work was systematically 'about other art.' - Formal Analysis of Lamp - Dimensional Amalgam: Cast in enameled, painted bronze, Lamp successfully translates Lichtenstein's signature two-dimensional pictorial style into a three-dimensional format. - Graphic Composition: The work depicts a domestic lamp casting stylized, non-glowing beams of yellow, red, and white light. These forms are bound by rigid black outlines and mechanical crosshatching, mimicking a comic-book animation cel suspended in real space. - Manipulation of Space: By purposefully incorporating open negative spaces between the metal marks, the sculpture integrates the surrounding physical environment into its composition. This optical interplay forces the viewer's brain to toggle continuously between flat graphics and spatial reality. - Material Paradox: Ultimately, the piece transforms an ephemeral concept-light-into the literal, concrete physical foundation of the sculpture, seamlessly merging mundane imagery with high-art abstraction. The proposed installation is a bronze sculpture measuring 12 feet tall by 5 feet long and 2 feet wide, currently under contract for $2 million. A recent Christie's auction of the artist's comparable work suggests a current market value of $4 million to $6 million, representing immediate equity for the project. History behind this art work is a committee called the Walk of Modern art had a major community initiative to install large-scale, iconic sculptures along Main Street (from the State Capitol to 600 South) and from the University of Utah down to 900 West. The project aims to elevate the local cultural landscape, extending the stay of tourists and business travelers. The initiative successfully launched a year ago with the installation of Robert Indiana's famous LOVE sculpture on the University of Utah campus. The state legislature has committed $2 million in ongoing annual funding, requiring a minimum 50% match from non-state sources. For this specific $2 million acquisition, the funding breakdown is as follows: - State Allocation: $1.5 million - Committed Private & Municipal Partners: Funding received from Salt Lake City, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, the Miller Family Foundation, the Kem & Carolyn Gardner family, and the Price Realty Group. - Current Shortfall: $350,000 to finalize the purchase. - Logistics Costs: $13,000 for shipping and $30,000 for installation (ongoing maintenance funds are already secured). The proposed site is the outdoor plaza in front of the Eccles Theater. To maximize public engagement, the sculpture will remain completely unenclosed, allowing pedestrians to intimately interact with and touch the piece. While some concerns regarding vandalism have been raised, the bronze material allows for straightforward repair and repainting if necessary. Moving forward, the committee intends to leverage the $2 million ongoing state allocation alongside private matching funds to introduce a new major sculpture to the community every two years. Our ultimate vision is to commission monumental, site-specific works of art that will become defining landmarks for Salt Lake City-achieving the same global recognition and cultural impact as 'The Bean' in Chicago. We welcome your partnership in bringing this transformative cultural asset to our community. Floor opened up for questions; addressing how funds would be used to bring in this work of art. Arts for All Program Update- Katelynn Killian Ms. Killian presented a comprehensive overview of the Arts for All Program to the Board, highlighting its community impact, current performance metrics, and strategic goals. Below is a professional summary of the presentation and subsequent discussion: Program Overview & Funding - Mission: The Arts for All Program serves as the Eccles Theater's primary community outreach initiative. It provides no-cost tickets for Broadway at the Eccles and Live at the Eccles performances to qualified Salt Lake County residents. - Funding Mechanism: The program is currently funded by a $0.50 fee on all tickets sold in Delta Hall. In August 2026, the Board approved a fee increase to $0.75, effective for the 2027-2028 season. - Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must be Salt Lake County residents and meet specific income-qualification thresholds outlined in the program's policies and procedures. Marketing and criteria details are distributed via bilingual (English and Spanish) public-facing flyers. Utilization & Impact Metrics - Historical Reach: Over its lifespan, the program has distributed a volume of tickets equivalent to filling Delta Hall five times. - Projections: While 2025 marked the program's highest utilization rate to date, current trends indicate that 2026 is on track to surpass those metrics. - 2025-2026 Season Performance: The program accommodated 10 Broadway at the Eccles productions, resulting in the distribution of 569 Arts for All tickets. This effort engaged 21 schools across 4 Salt Lake County school districts. Educational Enhancement: Beyond the Curtain (BTC) - Program Objectives: BTC provides supplemental educational experiences for students attending select Broadway performances. The curriculum focuses on enriching student engagement, promoting social-emotional development, and strengthening local educational partnerships. - Participation Growth: The 2025-2026 season featured 6 BTC engagements supporting 156 participants, bringing total participation to 264 individuals since the initial pilot workshop. - Future Expansion: The program plans to scale to 10 BTC engagements for the 2026-2027 season to increase community capacity and impact. This growth aligns with a 200+ percent increase in overall program engagement from Salt Lake County individuals since 2023. Community Partnerships & Forward Outlook - Current Network: The program actively collaborates with 28 community partners who manage ticket distribution under identical compliance guidelines. Management expressed a strong strategic interest in deepening engagement with these existing partners. - Strategic Goals: Key forward-looking objectives include: o Sustaining high ticket-utilization rates. o Expanding and maintaining the network of partner organizations, schools, and individual participants. o Continuing the development of community education programs like BTC. o Executing long-range operational planning, expansion initiatives, and fiscal modeling. Following the presentation, the floor opened for discussion. The primary inquiry from the Board focused on strategies to expand the program's reach into the higher education sector, specifically looking at ways to engage university students. The Board and leadership discussed several actionable ideas and outreach suggestions to address this opportunity. Arts for All Program call for Sub-Committee - Matt Castillo, Angela Vanderwell Mr. Castillo reminded the Board of the previously approved proposal to implement a $0.25 increase to the Arts for All fee, which will raise the rate from $0.50 to $0.75, effective September 1, 2027.Supporting this recommendation, staff developed a robust, long-range fiscal plan for Arts for All to ensure sustainable planning for upcoming initiatives and the appropriate utilization of the fund balance. During this planning process, staff identified a need for more in-depth Board oversight and guidance-specifically regarding the definition of program success metrics and optimal fund utilization levels. To address this, staff requested the establishment of an Arts for All Board subcommittee to participate in a series of working group sessions with staff. The subcommittee requires three volunteers, and Rachel Otto, Robin Chalbhoub, and Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin volunteered to serve. Site Strategy update & Community Engagement Presentation - Jenn Niedfeldt, Aimee Odum, Angela Vanderwell Ms. Odum presented an overview of the strategic vision for maximizing site space utilization, which aims to drive attendance and broaden community engagement. This initiatives focus on activating the venue's core support spaces, including the Regent Street Black Box, Grand Lobby, O.C. Tanner Lounge, McCarthey Plaza, North Lobby, and the Larry & Gail Miller Lounge. Community Engagement and Partnerships - The Eccles Presents Series: This internally produced initiative features diverse art forms and community activation events. These events are free to the public and intentionally designed to reach underserved demographics who have historically lacked access to the theater. Featured programs include Steppin' on Main, Mariachi Festival, Voces en Bloom, Salt Lake Speaks, and Salt Lake Beats. While highly successful, these comprehensive programs require significant operational bandwidth from the Arts & Culture team. - Strategic Partnerships: Collaborative efforts continue alongside Broadway Across America (BAA) and Live at the Eccles to deliver impactful community events. Notable recent collaborations include the SUFFS Voices of Women Festival (with BAA) and the Black Violin Q&A (hosted by Live at the Eccles). Moving forward, the organization aims to sustain this momentum by hosting at least one joint community engagement event per year with each partner. - Grassroots Outreach: The team remains highly intentional regarding grassroots outreach, leveraging networking and collaborative events to build and strengthen client relationships. - 'Lights on at the Eccles': Originally launched in 2018 and temporarily paused during the pandemic, this ongoing program has successfully resumed. It features commissioned installations by local artists designed specifically to enliven the Grand Lobby. Public Art and the Civic Museum This area continues to expand its public art footprint through seasonal commissioned installations (Winter and Summer), the Public Art Program (APP) Visual Art Collection, and the newly established APP Civic Museum. - Civic Museum Launch: Located in the North Lobby on Tier II, the Civic Museum officially opened this year with a highly attended inaugural reception. - Public Access: The building is open to the public during daytime hours for both self-guided and guided tours of the visual art collection. Educational and Professional Workforce Development To cultivate the next generation of theater and arts management professionals, several workforce investments are underway: - Technical Outreach: Implementation of specialized workshops, masterclasses, and educational collaborations with Broadway Across America. - Labor Partnerships: Collaboration with the Local 99 labor union to provide robust professional development opportunities. - Artistic Incubation Program: Launching this year, this new initiative pairs a lead artist with a cohort of local peers to foster creative growth and collaboration. Due to time constraints, the Board decided to table further discussion on this topic. It will be placed on the agenda for a subsequent board meeting to ensure sufficient time for a dedicated, comprehensive dialogue involving all board members. Current Budget and Activity Reports - Sarah Dibble, Angela Vanderwell Due to time constraints, we will not be delivering a formal presentation today. Mr. Castillo advises the Board to review the provided budget packet at their convenience. Please let us know if you have any questions or feedback. Overall, our financial performance remains strong. Arts & Culture and Eccles Theater General Updates - Matt Castillo, Angela Vanderwell Please join us for Eccles 10-year anniversary. More information to follow. Meeting adjourned at 10:01am. Next Meeting: December 10, 2026 2026 Meeting Schedule All meetings start at 9:00am and are held in the O.C. Tanner Lounge at the Eccles Theater with a Web-Ex option. (Dates, times, locations subject to change. Additional meetings may be added) a. February 19 b. April 23 c. June 25 d. August 20 e. October 22 f. December 10

Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations (including auxiliary communicative aids and services) during this meeting should notify Angela Vanderwell at avanderwell@slco.org.

Notice of Electronic or Telephone Participation

Electronic telephonic participation is available for this Body upon request.

Meeting Information

Meeting Location

Eccles Theater - O.C. Tanner Lounge
131 So. Main Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
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Contact Name

Angela Vanderwell

Contact Email

avanderwell@slco.org

Contact Phone

(385)468-2524

Notice Posting Details

Notice Posted On

October 22, 2026 03:57 PM

Notice Last Edited On

October 29, 2026 11:21 AM

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Audio File Location

https://slco.webex.com/slco/ldr.php?RCID=3c91a23bb18b04899252e870f9f6adda

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