THE BLOCKS is a visionary initiative of the City and County to promote the abundance and vibrancy of our creative community, facilitate partnerships and collaborations, and activate underutilized spaces to establish downtown Salt Lake City as the premier cultural district of the Intermountain West.
THE BLOCKS works to advocate for and build collaborations amongst our legacy and emerging arts and cultural organizations while fostering partnerships within our creative community, businesses, and government. Our goal is to heighten the captivating and inclusive atmosphere found in our cultural district while working closely with Salt Lake City’s creative community to activate and reimagine underutilized public spaces and venues.
THE BLOCKS is Salt Lake’s Cultural Core.
It represents the highest concentration of arts, culture, events, activities and entertainment in Utah. It is an invitation to explore and discover. It is a promise to support the arts and build audiences. It is a collection of experiences including performances, festivals, concerts, murals, exhibits and more.
Salt Lake’s artistic and cultural legacy
THE BLOCKS is an atmosphere, a new chapter, in the historical narrative of Salt Lake’s artistic and cultural legacy. By leveraging the abundance of world-class programming and the energy of our creative community, this collaborative, 20-year investment will establish downtown Salt Lake as the premier urban cultural district of the Intermountain West.
Partnering with arts organizations, creatives, and community leaders
THE BLOCKS is a partnership with arts organizations, creatives, and community leaders to highlight and explore more inclusive, diverse, and collaborative arts and cultural programming and to create a sustainable and supportive environment for our creative community.
Spotlighting a range of diverse cultural programming
THE BLOCKS aims to engage and bolster audiences across Utah by promoting our existing programming, identifying creative cross-promotional collaborations between artists and organizations and spotlighting a range of diverse cultural programming to foster an inclusive and participatory downtown atmosphere.
Activation of underutilized urban space.
THE BLOCKS encourages activation of underutilized urban space through local visual art, music, temporary installations, performances, projections, experiential marketing and engaging mid- block experiences.
New collaborations, enhance the public right of way, celebrate our diversity
With more people living, working, commuting into, and experiencing downtown, now is the ideal time to re-imagine our public spaces, forge new collaborations, enhance the public right of way, celebrate our diversity, build audiences and support the energy of our creative community.
THE BLOCKS is the brand identity of Salt Lake’s Cultural Core
THE BLOCKS is the brand identity of Salt Lake’s Cultural Core, an initiative created by the City and County of Salt Lake to promote and develop arts and culture in the downtown area and to provide a reliable revenue source for 20-years.
THE BLOCKS are…
Diverse
Unique and diverse voices are actively engaged
Respectful
We treat all with respect
Equitable
We support all creators equally
Resourceful
We use resources efficiently and effectively
Dedicated
We put community priorities ahead of personal interests
Professional
We are responsive, competent and conduct ourselves so as to enhance the reputation of the Cultural Core and our creative community.
Collaborative
We support each other and our community partners.
Get in touch with THE BLOCKS Team
Britney Helmers, Program Director
britney@downtownslc.org
Joshua Jones, Marketing and Communications Director
josh@downtownslc.org
Merinda Christensen, Program Manager
merinda@downtownslc.org
