VSA arts of Utah is the Utah affiliate of VSA arts, an international, nonprofit organization founded as an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by Jean Kennedy Smith in 1974. Dedicated to promoting artistic excellence and providing educational opportunities through the arts, VSA arts brings the power of the arts into the lives of over 5.5 million people with disabilities each year. To learn more about the international VSA arts, visit www.vsarts.org.

Art Access/VSA arts of Utah was chartered in 1984 by a small group of dedicated persons who saw the value of making the arts accessible to persons with disabilities. Over the years, Art Access has been housed in places such as the Executive Director’s home and donated space at Camp Kostopulos. In 1991, we found a permanent home in Artspace, an artist’s community in downtown Salt Lake City. One of our most successful programs was born that year – the Art Access Gallery, where the work of artists both with and without disabilities is shown. Over the past 22 years, Art Access has grown from a volunteer organization providing festivals to one with two full-time and one part-time staff. Our expansion now includes a plethora of artists, contracted service program coordinators, and a multitude of meaningful arts opportunities for those to whom the arts have traditionally been inaccessible. Art Access’ philosophy of inclusion ensures that individuals with disabilities and other disenfranchised peoples are treated fairly and with dignity.