SALT LAKE CITY — The COVID-19 pandemic pulled the curtains on most of Utah’s arts and cultural jobs, but after nearly three years, they are reemerging.

According to the reports, even though the cultural industry suffered the second largest impact because of the pandemic, it became even stronger.

Cultural jobs decreased by nearly ten percent in 2020, down from over 65 thousand jobs in 2019.

“We have gone through some pretty challenging times as a country and as a state,” said Brad Wilson, Utah’s Speaker of the House of Representatives.

But in 2021, both industries made almost everything up, recovering 63,500 jobs.

“The arts and culture in our state are one of the ways that we still stay connected together as a community and as family members,” Wilson expressed.

The cultural industry brought in 10 billion dollars in spending into Utah and generated 347.9 million dollars in tax revenue. Around seven and a half percent of all Utah jobs are either supported or directly related to the cultural industry.

“While these numbers are important, all of this impact is important. I think the greatest impact that we have as an industry is the impact in our lives, the impact to our families and our communities and our children,” said Crystal Young, Executive Director of Utah Cultural Alliance.

Many people say that the arts and cultural industry in the beehive state keep growing, and they hope to continue bringing diverse communities together.