ST. GEORGE — The remodel of the Utah Arts Academy has run out of money due to the increasing construction costs and additional classrooms. But a local woodworker and the State Bank of Southern Utah have stepped in, so students will still have desks for the new year.
“Construction costs are really, really expensive and we needed some additional funding,” Kent Brown, Utah Arts Academy senior director of operations, said.
Laura Keefe, vice president of commercial loans at State Bank of Southern Utah, said she heard of the school’s challenges from her daughter, Amy Clyde, a teacher at Utah Arts Academy.
“My daughter reached out to us because she’s a teacher there, and she said, ‘We’re short and unable to supply the classrooms with desks and tables,'” Keefe said.
Clyde’s husband, Steven Clyde, decided to donate his labor through his woodworking company. Plus, he had one of his vendors donate materials.
“It’s great that so many different things come together to get some of this done,” Keefe said.
Brown said the State Bank of Utah staff had been an “amazing partner” throughout the loan process for the remodel of the school, adding that the extra donation of $1,200 would ensure students have what they need when the school officially opens in January 2023.
“It’s a great benefit to the students,” Brown said. “We can’t say thank you enough for the great help State Bank of Southern Utah has been.”
The school’s website said it offers dance, film, music, stage design, audio production, songwriting, theatre and visual arts programs. Additionally, students participate in advanced placement courses. Some students receive scholarships to attend nationally recognized arts programs or prestigious institutions. And many students train to become musicians, actors, painters, dancers and writers, as well as doctors, lawyers, engineers and scientists.
“We strive to be a family where each person feels empowered to connect their passion with a meaningful purpose for their life,” the website adds.
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