Chairman Mary Anne Carter Visits Utah to Celebrate Blue Star Museums and America250 Projects
Recently, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter traveled to Utah to highlight the role arts and culture play in communities across the state and to celebrate projects connected to America’s 250th anniversary.
A key event during the visit was the launch of the 2026 Blue Star Museums season at the Hill Aerospace Museum at Hill Air Force Base. This national program provides free admission to active military personnel and their families at participating museums throughout the summer. In addition to Hill Aerospace Museum, more than 40 other museums across the state are taking part, such as the Natural History Museum of Utah, St. George Children’s Museum, and Ogden Contemporary Arts. Find the map of all participating museums across the country on our website. To mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Freedom Truck mobile museum also made a stop for attendees to explore. Learn more about the Blue Star Museums event in this Deseret News story.
Military families enjoy the Hill Aerospace Museum at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, during a Blue Star Museums event. Photos by Natalie Cass
While in Utah, Chairman Carter visited several other sites featuring arts and culture activities celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. Carter met with Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson at the Utah State Capitol, where they toured the Pen is Mightier: Writing a Revolution exhibit, which explores the power of communication during the Revolutionary era.
While at the Utah State Capitol, Chairman Carter was interviewed by KSL-TV Utah’s Carole Makita. Carter spoke about the strong support for the arts among Utahans. She also emphasized how important it is that the National Endowment for the Arts continues to partner with Utah, and other states, to demonstrate how the arts play a critically important role in communities all across the country. Watch Chairman Carter's interview with KSL-TV Utah's Carole Makita at the Utah State Capitol.
Carter also participated in Utah Cultural Alliance’s annual statewide Culture Connects convening. In a conversation with Utah Division of Arts & Museums Executive Director Victoria Panella Bourns, Chairman Carter highlighted the National Endowment for the Arts’ efforts to strengthen communities through grantmaking, national initiatives, and partnerships across the country.
In addition, Carter met with members of POPS Utah—a statewide arts education initiative that connects students with professional artists and arts organizations. The conversation highlighted how partnerships across Utah are creating opportunities for young people to engage with the arts and explore creative learning experiences.
Chairman Mary Anne Carter (center) stands with Caleb Chapman's Crescent Super Band, who performed for the students at Majestic Elementary Arts Academy as part of an NEA-supported project with Eden Festival celebrating America's 250th anniversary.
Rounding out her trip, Carter visited Majestic Elementary Arts Academy to learn more about the Eden Festival, a project supported by the National Endowment for the Arts that uses music to connect students with American stories and cultural heritage through the work of influential artists such as Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, and Nat King Cole.
From seeing families spend time together exploring a museum, to hearing lively student performances of some of America’s greatest songwriters, and meeting with many of the leaders advancing opportunities for people across Utah to participate in the arts, this visit was a powerful example of how the arts help connect people to their communities and shared history.
