Bold Vision, Rooted Purpose: BDAC’s 2025–2028 Strategic Plan Launches a New Era for the Arts

Sarina Ehrgott
8 hours ago
3 min read

At Bountiful Davis Art Center, we believe this without hesitation: art is a human right.

It’s not decorative. It’s not optional. It’s a necessity—for personal well-being, for civic health, for cultural continuity. Art opens minds, nurtures empathy, challenges assumptions, and fosters the kind of reflection that sustains both individuals and communities.

This is the belief that fuels every decision we make. And it’s the foundation of our newly released 2025–2028 Strategic Plan—a document that sharpens our vision, reaffirms our purpose, and clarifies our role in the regional arts landscape.

A Plan Built with Purpose

Over the last year, in partnership with Union Creative, BDAC engaged in a comprehensive planning process with board, staff, and community voices. The result is a focused, intentional roadmap for the next three years—one rooted not in expansion for expansion’s sake, but in deep alignment with who we are and how we serve.

This plan does not ask us to become something new. It calls us to stand more clearly in what we’ve always been.

Strategic Focus, Defined by Vision

Rather than reaching in every direction, this plan brings BDAC into sharper focus—as a center for contemporary visual art and artistic growth, and as a regional leader grounded in the needs of our community and the ambitions of our artists.

Our four strategic priorities reflect this clarity of purpose:

Artist Career Development

BDAC has long nurtured early- and mid-career artists. This plan expands that commitment—with residencies, solo shows, mentorship, and curatorial training that foster long-term artistic practice, not just short-term exposure. We are committed to being a place where artists build careers, not just exhibitions.

Organizational Integrity and Accreditation

To serve artists and audiences with excellence, our internal structure must be equally strong. We are pursuing museum accreditation and strengthening our governance, staffing, and funding model. The sustainability of our mission depends on the strength of our foundation.

Programmatic Rigor and Thematic Cohesion

We are refining how exhibitions, performances, and education intersect—anchoring annual programming around shared ideas and curatorial themes. This allows for deeper engagement, intellectual richness, and alignment across disciplines while maintaining accessibility and joy for all who enter our galleries.

Community Connection and Civic Role

Through partnerships with schools, cities, mental health organizations and cultural organizations, BDAC acts as a nexus of creative participation and public value, placing the arts at the center of civic life.

Looking Forward with Clarity

Now in our 52nd year, his strategic plan invites us to move forward with both confidence and humility—not chasing trends, but deepening roots. We are not trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, we are becoming more precise in who we serve, how we serve, and why it matters.

We believe the visual arts offer something essential—a way to see the world more clearly and connect more deeply with one another. They hold a mirror to our time, while also opening space for reflection, imagination, and change. At BDAC, we strive to be a place where artists are not only appreciated, but truly supported in their creative lives—and where every visitor, regardless of background or experience, can find a meaningful point of entry into the world of art.

This plan is the next step in BDAC’s long-standing commitment to those beliefs.