Community Services

Center for the Arts

With great foresight in 1975 the citizens of Utah voted to fund a special project during the state's bicentennial celebration. This $8.675 million bond project included the construction of a suitable concert hall, an art museum, and the restoration of the Capitol Theatre. Supplemental funding was matched by Salt Lake County and private donations. The design and construction of the symphonic hall encompassed the latest acoustical technology and provided a stunning architectural legacy to the City. The project also included a new home for the Salt Lake Art Center. The visual arts gallery exists to anchor the southwest portion of the public plaza which welcomes visitors to both Abravanel Hall and the Salt Lake Art Center.

To round out the project for cultural facilities for the residents of Utah the Capitol Theatre was renovated from an old vaudevillian roadhouse into a state of the art proscenium theatre with a full fly loft. The Capitol Theatre is the home for several local performing arts companies as well as the temporary residence for the national touring companies. Recently the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center was added to this mix of performing and visual art facilities.

The Salt Lake County Center for the Arts has managed Abravanel Hall, the Capitol Theatre, the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, and the Salt Lake Arts Center in Salt Lake City since 1976. These public performing and visual arts venues serve the state and the region with innovative, entertaining, educational, and challenging productions that significantly enhance the quality of life in Utah. The Center for the Arts staff proudly contributes their talents and are dedicated to managing and maintaining these facilities while striving to present each venue and event to its fullest advantage.