“In 1959, Camille S. Pembroke, a passionate patron of the arts, had a question: how can we foster a lasting appreciation for the arts in the children of Utah? This simple question led Camille to found “Young Audiences of Utah” with one mission—give the children of Utah-schools a memorable, personal performance from professional artists. After only two years of bringing Utah Symphony musicians into the Salt Lake City public schools, their success had already expanded to include all public schools in Salt Lake and Davis Counties.
Then in 1992, Ernie Doose expanded Camille’s vision to not only continue exposure to quality arts for children but to tackle head-on the need of preserving human connection. After changing its name to Artistic Resource for Teachers and Students (A.R.T.S.), Inc., now all forty-one school districts in Utah have experienced our programming. We present more than 300 performances every year with professional artists and educators reaching more than 140,000 individuals annually, making us a leading source of arts and education for the State of Utah.
We continue to see the transformative impact that the arts have on children. Working collectively, we assist educators, parents, and communities to provide a teaching and learning environment where children discover the joys of learning through the arts. To this end we have created a new resource—one that will connect the children of today with professional artists, creators, educators, and fellow learners in the most personal and direct way possible, even across global, cultural, and socioeconomic divides.
As we look to the future, we remain committed to helping children find a sure footing in life and confidence in themselves in our ever-changing world.
