Center for Latter-day Saint Arts

08/10/2026

Some of you have been with us since the very first Residency cohort in 2023. You've watched these artists come and go, and you know how much this week in New York actually does for them.

Daniel Martinez came to us from Uruguay and spent his week painting plein air watercolors of the city. Near the end of the week, he told us: "This experience changes peoples lives."

We didn't know yet just how true that would be. Six months later, Daniel has helped launch Uruguay's first International Watercolor Festival. He also joined with nine other artists to start a new foundation back home — Fundación 1 de junio — with a gathering space for artists called Casa de las Artes. He said he never imagined doing these things, and his time at the Residency is what motivated him to start.

One week with us. A festival and a foundation halfway across the world. This is exactly why the Center invests in LDS artists.

This September, six more LDS artists will have their own week in New York — and like every year, it only happens because of you. We just opened this year's Residency Registry, and it's built so that anyone can be part of it, in whatever way fits: a $34 Metrocard, a $50 bagel breakfast, an hour of studio time for $62.

If you've sponsored before, thank you — you're part of Daniel's story too, even if you didn't know it yet. And if you've been meaning to give more involved, this is a good place to start.

Explore the Residency Registry: https://www.centerforlatterdaysaintarts.org/residency-registry-2026

08/03/2026

When Glen Nelson asked Lance Larsen whether he enjoys hosting public readings of his writing, Lance admitted that his ideal isn't simply standing behind a podium. "I'd like more conversation," he said.

That's exactly what Office Hours are for.

Spend 45 minutes with former Utah Poet Laureate Lance Larsen discussing poetry, memoir, creative nonfiction, short fiction, or the writing process itself. A Pushcart Prize winner, National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, and BYU professor, Lance combines remarkable literary accomplishment with warmth, humor, and genuine curiosity about other writers' work.

Check out available appointments: https://www.centerforlatterdaysaintarts.org/office-hours

07/21/2026

Just a reminder that you can catch up on eight years of the Center's Studio Podcast with this special 4-part series that Glen Nelson curated for the Podcast's 100th episode:

1. Why We Make Art 💡 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-centers-studio-podcasts-100th-episode-an/id1362096956?i=1000773412647

2. Moments of Faith 🌱
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-centers-studio-podcasts-100th-episode-an/id1362096956?i=1000773406961

3. Unexpected Insights 👀
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-centers-studio-podcasts-100th-episode-an/id1362096956?i=1000773400545

4. Emotional Moments 🫶🏻
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-centers-studio-podcasts-100th-episode-an/id1362096956?i=1000773394478

Podcast Episode · The Center's Studio Podcast · June 19 · 1h

07/09/2026

Hamilton capitalizes on every quirky aspect of Latter-day Saint perception and behavior, leveraging his broad smile and uncannily optimistic features — traits explicitly pressed into many missionaries — into a funhouse mirror caricature.

He captures the self-ignorance and carefree cringe of an Idahoan dad and the sort of accidental teetotaler-ism that can only be obtained by someone raised in the bubble of a culture whose maxims are given by osmosis more than consciously adopted.

While this portrait seems to an LDS audience indelibly connected to Latter-day Saints, Hamilton expertly scrubs all signs of the church and religion from it, in a manner so sweeping and thorough it seems hardly noticeable. Hamilton understands, in ways that most Wasatch Front artists fail to grasp, the caustic, polarizing effect of active church membership in the coastal world. Without Mormonism, Ryan is a delightful, bumbling weirdo, a hilarious self-caricature of a man with a tight sense for observation and a delightful drama in his storytelling. With Mormonism, the narrative would transform.

From "That Smiley Fella, Hit By A Bus" by Ted Bushman. Read the full article online.

07/08/2026

Just dropping in to say that James Goldberg still has one Office Hours appointment available on July 15th. Glen Nelson also has a few open on July 16th.

Now is your chance to snag a spot with these experts in Mormon literature before they're gone:

Office Hours Where LDS artists can find personalized, one-on-one time with an expert to talk about their artistic work.Book a 45-minute session to discuss anything about your work and career development with a mentor or expert. The Centers offers a limited number of appointments on the first of ever...

06/17/2026

In response to the exceptional strength of this year’s applicant pool for the 2026 Artists Residency, the Center is delighted to announce a new round of Artist Development Grants. Underwritten and selected by the Center’s Board of Directors, these grants were awarded to one applicant in each artistic discipline and are intended to support promising projects that emerged from the adjudication process.

Development Grant recipients are:

Barrett Burgin (film, Tennessee)
Talavou Fitisemanu (visual art, Utah)
James Goldberg (literature, Utah)
Bronté Hopkins (choreography, Utah)
Ellie Prisbey (graphic design, Indiana)
Justin White (music composition, Florida)

The Center is proud to support these remarkable artists and their proposed projects. Best wishes to them as they continue their artistic work.