Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Mayor’s Artists Awards, which will be presented in conjunction with the Utah Arts Festival on Friday, June 20, at 5:45 p.m. at the Festival Stage at Library and Washington Square.
Established in 1992, the Mayor’s Artists Awards honor individual artists and organizations who have significantly enriched Salt Lake City’s cultural landscape and contributed to the well-being of its residents through the arts. This year’s recipients reflect the vibrant, diverse, and community-centered spirit of the city’s creative ecosystem.
Presentation Details:
EVENT: Salt Lake City Mayor’s Artists Awards presentation at the Utah Arts Festival
WHEN: Friday, June 20, 2025, 5:45 p.m.
WHERE: Festival Stage, Utah Arts Festival, Washington & Library Square, Salt Lake City, UT
Gretchen Dietrich
Gretchen Dietrich has worked in art museums for over 35 years. Since 2009, she has served as the Marcia and John Price Executive Director of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) at the University of Utah. Under her leadership, the UMFA has flourished, with increased attendance, award-winning exhibitions, audience engagement, and community outreach. She previously held positions in museum education, public programming, and exhibition planning at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut; the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston; and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She has served on several local and national nonprofit boards, including Alice Walton’s Art Bridges Foundation and the Association of Art Museum Directors.
Laura Durham
Laura Durham has dedicated 25 years to the nonprofit sector, bringing a rich background in arts administration to her current role as Director of Programming & Community Engagement at PBS Utah. Her creative insight and passion for storytelling shape every project she undertakes, often incorporating an artist’s perspective to inspire dialogue and connection. Laura is a steadfast advocate for artists and arts nonprofits, working to amplify voices and broaden reach through meaningful platforms. A familiar face in the local arts scene, Laura actively serves on various arts boards and committees and can often be found attending plays, performances, and exhibitions. For Laura, her work is more than a career — it’s a lens through which she sees and shapes the world.
Hot House West
Hot House West is a Salt Lake City–based nonprofit leading a renaissance of acoustic music across Utah. In 2024 alone, the organization produced 380 events — public concerts, free community jams, workshops, dances, and professional gigs — welcoming audiences from toddlers to octogenarians. Its four flagship initiatives — The Swing Orchestra, Swing Collective, Trash Moon Collective, and Westmoon Records — pair emerging players with seasoned pros, host residencies and collaborations with touring artists, and elevate local talent onto national and international stages. Fueled by a genuine love of the craft and community, Hot House West transforms common spaces into joyful, participatory listening rooms, amplifying Salt Lake City’s cultural heartbeat.
Oaxaca en Utah
Oaxaca en Utah is a community organization dedicated to celebrating and sharing the rich cultural heritage of Oaxaca, Mexico. Through vibrant festivals like La Guelaguetza, educational workshops, art exhibitions, and collaborations with schools and museums, the organization brings the traditions, music, dance, gastronomy, and crafts of Oaxaca to life in Utah. Founded on the values of community, inclusivity, authenticity, and cultural pride, Oaxaca en Utah provides opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to connect, learn, and celebrate. Its events highlight the beauty of Indigenous traditions while creating a welcoming space for families to build identity, strengthen roots, and foster cross-cultural understanding.
Salt Lake Film Society
Founded in 2001 by community film-loving locals, Salt Lake Film Society (SLFS) exhibits, creates, and preserves cinematic experiences. SLFS is a robust film nonprofit, screening over 250 independent films annually on six screens at Broadway Centre Cinemas (est. 1989) and stewarding the historic 1928 Tower Theatre. Popular with all film lovers, SLFS ensures independent film thrives daily in a “film festival all year round” model. Through collaborations far and wide, they bring to Salt Lake City FILMEXICO Film Festival, Czech That Film Festival, UNSTOPPABLE, and MASIMA: Pacific Island Film Festival. With 24 years of mission impact, SLFS has contributed over $150 million in arts and economic prosperity to our city.
