Community

UMOCA’s community programming brings people together through shared experiences with contemporary art. From hands-on workshops and public talks to film screenings, symposiums, and long-term artist support, these programs create multiple points of entry for engaging with the ideas, artists, and exhibitions at the museum. Designed for a wide range of ages, interests, and levels of experience, community programs extend the museum beyond the gallery walls and into everyday creative life.

The Assemblage Art Fund provides targeted support to visual artists and collectives in Salt Lake County, Utah, for new projects that are alternative, collaborative, and designed to engage new and diverse audiences. The fund supports experimentation and connection while helping to build longer-term support structures for artists working in Utah.

Each year, Assemblage Art Fund awards grants to 6–12 Salt Lake County–based artists at two levels: $5,000 Process Grants and $10,000 Project Grants. Awarded artists are selected by a jury of arts professionals representing local, regional, and national perspectives. Learn more at assemblageartfund.org.

Workshop Walk-Ins are free, adult-oriented art workshops held on the fourth Friday of every month from 6–9 pm. These drop-in sessions offer hands-on art making in a relaxed, social setting, with all materials provided and no prior experience required.

Workshops change monthly and have included foil lithography, tie-dye bandanas, Shrinky Dinks, matchbox dioramas, and cassette-tape cover collage. Visit our Events page for information about upcoming Workshop Walk-Ins.

The UMOCA Artist-in-Residence Program is a long-term residency designed specifically for artists living and working in Utah. Artists are selected based on artistic potential, commitment to contemporary practice, readiness for professional growth, and interest in participating in an engaged community of peers.

Residents receive time, space, and support to advance their work and contribute to the life of the museum. Visit our Artist-in-Residence page to learn more about current and past residents.

Fieldworks is a micro-residency program that brings together a cohort of artists for a multi-day creative retreat in rural communities across Utah. Organized by the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, the program is designed to foster connection between rural artists and artists from the Wasatch Front while supporting artistic inquiry grounded in place, research, and exchange.

Fieldworks invites participants to engage with local contexts, interdisciplinary knowledge, and site-responsive making to explore relationships between landscape, material, and community in the American West. Priority is given to artists based in Utah and the Four Corners region, with work generated through the program shared through pop-up exhibitions in host communities and at UMOCA.

Artist Talks feature exhibiting artists, including Artists-in-Residence, sharing insight into their work and creative process. Talks are held in the galleries or auditorium and are grounded in artworks currently on view at the museum.

These programs offer audiences the opportunity to hear directly from artists and engage with ideas shaping the exhibitions. Visit our Events page for upcoming Artist Talks.

UMOCA presents film screenings in its 150-seat auditorium in conversation with exhibitions on view. Screenings include narrative, experimental, and cult films that extend or reflect exhibition themes.

Past screenings have included El Topo and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Visit our Events page for upcoming film screenings.

UMOCA hosts public symposiums centered on exhibition themes, bringing together exhibiting artists with local and national thinkers for extended conversation. These programs create space for exchange, reflection, and shared inquiry.

Symposiums may include panel discussions, artist-led breakout sessions, workshops, and guided experiences. Visit our Events page for information about upcoming symposiums.

Out Loud is an artistic platform for young LGBTQIA+ voices.

Through a privately sponsored 12-week workshop series, participants learn from visiting artists, explore new art techniques and mediums, and development their artistic voice. The program culminates in a museum exhibition of their work, and is a celebration of our queer community members. The program provides a safe space for interactions with peers, mentors and the greater community, helping students build positive social connections and share their experiences with others.

There is no charge for accepted students to participate but space is limited. This opportunity is open to CURRENT High School students only. For more information contact alison.neville@utahmoca.org or call 801-328-4201 x122.

UMOCA invites children of all ages and their families to discover our changing exhibitions and participate together in hands-on art making activities led by a trained educator. Each activity connects to a brand new idea, medium or theme explored by an artist currently exhibited in the museum. Projects are suitable from toddler to tween in a wide range of abilities.