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Marci Evans

Professor Jennifer Courtney

English 2010

September 28, 2018

Non-Profit Organization Report: Tuacahn Center for the Arts

Slowly fading from our schools is a program that has a lasting impact on the lives of

children, influences the community around us and enriches the human soul. Art programs are

quickly losing funding and are sometimes completely missing from the curriculum all together.

This seems as though it is a minor drawback, until the entirety of the situation is viewed. Luckily,

Tuacahn Center for the Arts is actively working to bridge the gap.

Tuacahn Center for the Arts is a little piece of heaven tucked away at the base of Padre

Canyon, opening in 1995 in the small city of Ivins. Kevin Smith the CEO of Tuacahn explains

that Tuacahn comes from a Mayan word meaning, “Canyon of the Gods” (Smith. 2015).

Tuacahn High School for Performing Arts was the first charter high school in Utah. It is a school

that is a non for profit entity and partially funded by the Washington county school district.

Tuacahn has grown from a school theatre for students to showcase their talent, abilities to make

scenery, play in an orchestra, and develop in every aspect of theatre production to a state of the

art outdoor amphitheater, seating over 2,000 guests each night during production season.

Hyrum Smith of Franklin Quest was the primary donor of funding to get the project off

the ground. In the first few seasons only a few hundred seats were filled in the 2000 seat theatre.

Now in 2018 most shows are sold out. Within the first 2 years Tuacahn was well on its way to

producing Broadway caliber musicals. While Tuacahn is non-profit it has brought over 80

million to the local economy second only to Zions National Park (Tuachan.org).
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It is important to ascertain that the Arts are a valuable part of the economy in many states.

Particularly here in Saint George, many restaurants and hotels have improved greatly over the

past twenty years with the tourists that come to see the musicals that are performed every

summer (Olson, 2017). Tuacahn alone made such a great impact on the local economy, showing

how important the arts are and the influence they can have on the community around them. Not

many would look at the business that has been brought to the community and think it was all

because of the arts. That just manifests the power and importance of art within schools and

communities.

To think that the dream of one man making such a financial contribution to the

community is unbelievable. It is difficult to quantify the exact amount or impact that Tuacahn

has had on the economic growth of the area. However, it has now become an integral part of the

economy of Saint George.

After reading Our Story, by Joseph E. Smith, Public Relations, I learned Tuacahn’s

purpose, this purpose further establishes how Tuacahn as a non-profit organization wants to

better the local community through heightening the arts, education, and the community it serves.

As of 2015 it has produced over 50 major musicals, and over 150 concerts, Tuacahn has

showcased hundreds of professional actors and musicians, educated thousands of students,

involved thousands of community volunteers and provided jobs to the local residents (Smith,

2015). The first year that Tuacahn producers went to New York looking for Broadway actors, no

veteran actors showed up to the auditions. However, word had gotten out about Tuacahn and the

next year they had dozens of veteran actors show up. With big name veteran actors signing on to

perform for the summer theatre run, it has brought a new audience to Tuacahn.
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As I looked further into the Tuacahn organization through their webpage, I found very

specific visions for what they hope to accomplish within the community. Some of those visions

included:

• producing quality entertainment to enrich the mind

• providing arts and academic education for youth through Tuacahn High School.

• To serve a wide audience through theatrical work that deepens our understanding of the human

experience.

This just barely skims the surface of what Tuacahn would like to accomplish here in the

community. Some of the issues I chose to explore that are critical community issues that the

Tuacahn organization addresses. I would like to change the opinion of the checklist of what a

stereotypical non-profit organization should be. This has made this assignment extremely

difficult. The organization I chose does not save lives or find cures or even help refugees find

jobs. My organization saves the human soul and creative mind. I am in no way saying that the

organization I chose is any better than another, but I would like us to expand our knowledge on

what a non-profit organization can be. .

While exploring Tuacahn’s website I found a tab that shared their governing values. One

of my favorite things about Tuacahn is their motto, “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving

Ladies and Gentlemen.” (tuacahn.org). I feel this gives a sense of respect for patron and

employee, and supplies us with how Tuacahn wants to represent themselves within their

community. At the end of this page they stated the value and appreciation of their contributors

and volunteers. Just a few of their upcoming events include Christmas in the Canyon and Live

Nativity, Saturday Market, and Gift Gallery. Christmas in the Canyon provides an opportunity
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for Tuacahn to show appreciation to the local community. Along with a Live Nativity that can be

viewed during the holidays featuring a cast of fresh volunteers each night.

Saturday Market is another opportunity Tuacahn provides so the community can

experience its beautiful canyon scenery in an outdoor market. Saturday Market features artwork

done by locals, opportunity for craft, food and entertainment. Helping local crafters and artisans

showcase their talents. In addition to other activities this is how Tuacahn is striving to involve

the community, while exposing individuals to local artwork and craftsmanship.

Tuacahn is always looking for opportunities to help others see the importance of the arts.

Whether that be through the Saturday market, Holiday programs, or producing musicals. While

all of these activities help influence the community and shine light on the value of having arts in

the community. Yet there is another occasion that stands out above the rest. That is when

Tuacahn’s cast members visit local schools and perform musical numbers for students.

By giving back to the community that has supported its’ endeavors and bringing the arts

into local schools provides an unforgettable experience and gets children involved directly with

the arts. Visiting each of the local schools and giving free performances to the student-body

students are exposed to something they otherwise might never observe outside of school. On a

recent Friday morning the cast from Prince of Egypt, came to Red Mountain Elementary to

perform. This particular elementary has 69% of their students on free or reduced lunch. The

students there include children from Switch Point, the homeless shelter, as well as the Shivwits

Indian Reservation. Most of these children would never be able to see performances of this

caliber. Experiences like these allow students who may never realize that a school of performing

arts is within their reach.

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Jacob Dickey who plays Moses, in

The Prince of Egypt. Performing at
Red Mountain Elementary assembly
on September 14, 2018.

Red Mountain Elementary is only allotted a small amount of time to focus on the arts.

They have a music teacher and an art teacher, whom the students work with weekly for

approximately 15-20 minutes. After seeing the vast impact arts can have on a community, it is

essential that students have exposure to the arts. After all there have been many studies that state

the arts help students excel in other subjects including, but not limited to, reading, writing, and

arithmetic.

Mrs. Cope, a local art teacher, is allowed to teach because of the Beverley Taylor

Sorenson Arts Learning Program. This is a grant which provides the funds for fine arts in

schools. In a personal interview with Mrs. Cope, I learned that Beverly Taylor Sorenson was an

educator who believed that the arts improved student’s abilities in their core classes, such as

math, language arts, social studies and science. If teachers could integrate the arts into the core

classes, students would have a greater retention of what they had learned. There are several art

forms in which students can learn from, these include, visual, art, drama, music and dance.
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It’s admirable that Tuacahn is making an effort to bridge the gap of the absence of the

fine arts in local schools through several of their programs and activities. Tuacahn is always

seeking to provide an opportunity for the community to come together, edify, and support one

another. Having this purpose is what makes the Tuacahn organization strong and gives meaning

to their mission. The values Tuacahn strives to instill will help build and solidify community

camaraderie. It is awe inspiring to see the entire community come together to ensure the success

of Tuacahn as a world renowned amphitheater as well as a school for the fine arts.
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Works Cited
Audience View. “AudienceView Deployed by Tuacahn Amphitheatre and Center for the Arts.”
Business Wire, 9 Oct. 2012.

Braten, Ben, director. Miracle in Padre Canyon. A Miracle in Padre Canyon, DSU Films, 4 Sept.
2017.

Evans, Marci. “Beverley Taylor Sorensen Art Program.” 12 Sept. 2018.

Jeter, Geri. “Utah Dreams.” Stage Directions, vol. 20, no. 3, Mar. 2007, pp. 30–32.

Olson, Pamela M. “The World’s a Stage.” Utah Business, vol. 31, no. 2, Feb. 2017, pp. 78–80.
Regional Business News.

Padgett, Sonya. “Tuacahn Amphitheater Thriving in Its 10th Year.” Las Vegas Review-Journal,
25 June 2009. Newspaper Source Plus.

School Performance. 14 Sept. 2018.

Smith, Joseph E. “Our Story.” Tuacahn Center for the Arts, Tuacahn, 2015, www.tuacahn.org.