The Center for Latter-day Saint Arts
Networking is essential for developing artisans and musicians, but sometimes it’s hard to figure out where to start. That’s where the Center comes in.
The Center for Latter-day Saint Arts is an organization that is founded for the purpose of encouraging artist and creatives in all fields “to connect with a worldwide audience – artistically, intellectually and spiritually.” Their vision: To be the cultural and artistic hub for Latter-day Saints all over the world.
In their desire to support artists, musicians, directors, actors, dancers, and other like-minded creatives, the Center offers valuable networking opportunities to both Latter-day Saints and non-members.
Here are some ways to get involved with the Center! —
The Center hosts yearly festivals for artists to get involved, learn, share and connect with one another. The festivals are usually held in “hub cities” (previous locations include Salt Lake City, Dallas, and New York City) and are multi-day events with workshops, lectures, fairs, performances, galleries and more!
The best way to keep updated on the plans for the future festivals is to sign up for the newsletter, follow them on Instagram, or regularly visit the website.
Every Fall the Center selects 6 applicants to attend a 1 week residency in New York City.
The program is tailored to each participant’s creative and professional development. Not only do participants get to spend the week with other artists and creatives, but they also attend galleries, shows, and take part in various unique New York activities.
All ages and stages of career, or study, are encouraged to apply!
The Center has selected applicants from all over the world, and creatives involved in all different mediums – Visual Artists, Choreographers, Creative Writers, Composers, Film writers and more.
While applications for such a huge program may seem daunting, the website for the Center has resources available for potential applicants to reference. How-to guides and Do’s and Don’ts for compiling and completing your submission. The website is user-friendly and the Residency program is a great opportunity to gain experience and exposure.
Each year the Ariel Bybee Endowment is awarded to an applicant as a grant, commission (for the creation of new art/music), or scholarship. It is a relatively competitive program due to the number of applicants, but each year the conditions and focus of the Endowment changes as the award shifts to highlight a different aspect of the life of Ariel Bybee.
Applications are due in the Spring and rotate yearly through 9 categories —
- Opera
- Dance
- Scholarship (studying)
- Art Song
- Youth Education
- Hymns
- Visual Art
- Collaborative Arts
- Choral Music
Even if you are not interested in this year’s grant, maybe the next one will be directly relevant to you! The 2026 award was a grant with a focus on Choral Music Compostition and in 2025 it provided a commission for an artist and collaborator to create a new visual art collection that was displayed in several galleries across the world. The web page gives advice on how to prepare your submission and also what will help you in your own networking and growth.
Each year a visual artist is chosen from a list of applicants for an original limited edition print. It usually takes place around the holidays and is sent as a thank you or season’s greetings letter to investors and subscribers. This commission is a great opportunity to build an artists portfolio and expand their networking range to others who may be interested in commissioning them at a future date.
Because the Center is closely connected with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it often works with the Church to create opportunities for artists to get involved. One example is the Center’s Come, Follow Me art resource, designed as a visual companion to the scripture study guide. This is referred to as the Art Companion and artists are selected via application to be featured in it.
The Center also hosts an at-home art curriculum for people looking at developing their own art skills. The Center provides college level courses (available online) and choose a new artist to be featured weekly in the program.
If any of this interests you, feel free to explore their website for more information!