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This 2007 photo shows, from left, Stephen Covey; Sandra Covey; Kathryn Allen, Provo Arts Council executive director; and Mayor Lewis Billings during the naming ceremony for the Covey Center for the Arts.

Courtesy Covey Center for the Arts

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Styx performs in concert on the Covey Center main stage.

Courtesy Covey Center for the Arts

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The Smoot Gallery at the Covey Center for the Arts.

Courtesy Covey Center for the Arts

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In this 2007 photo, Sandra Covey and Mayor Lewis Billing celebrate at the Covey Center for the Arts' naming ceremony.

Courtesy Covey Center for the Arts

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Scott Henderson, director of the Provo Parks and Recreation Department, gave a report about his department Tuesday that included the Covey Center for the Arts. He was enthusiastic as he sang the praises of the growth the arts have had in the city.

The timing of Henderson’s report is perfect as Friday is the 16th anniversary of the opening of the Covey Center. The Covey Center for the Arts opened its doors during the city’s 2007-2008 fiscal year with a goal of becoming a hub for community activity. All these years later, it has become one of the busiest art centers in the Intermountain West, boasting more than 175,000 patrons and 300 performances annually, Henderson reported.

The Covey Center for the Arts will celebrate its anniversary with a formal event at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Featured performers include the Osmond Chapman Orchestra, Utah Valley Symphony, Mindy Smoot Robbins, Dallyn Vail Bayles, the Utah Metropolitan Ballet, the Brigham Young University Cougarettes and others.

“The Covey Center has a threefold mission to enrich, educate and entertain,” said Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi. “Their legacy will be in enriching the lives within our community, providing educational development for all ages, and showcasing first-class, affordable entertainment for the entire family.”

The growth in programming is so apparent that Henderson has shared the need for a paid usher staff. The center has a 90% booking rate and is expecting more than 300 events this year.

A $2 million donation by Stephen and Sandra Covey in support of the center’s construction not only resulted in it being named for them, but also launched the fundraising effort that transformed the former Provo library into a permanent home for the arts.

“The arts enrich your life,” Sandra Covey said at the name ceremony on Aug. 23, 2007. “You can have a terrible or dull day, and then you can see a wonderful performance or study a painting and come away on a high.”

In addition to housing the Utah Metropolitan Ballet, Utah Premiere Brass and the Utah Valley Symphony in its 670-seat main hall, the Covey Center features a 95-seat black box theater, a 100-seat recital hall, a dance studio for ongoing community classes and three art galleries consistently featuring rotating local artist shows.

“The Covey Center provides opportunities for the community that they can’t get anywhere else. For performers, we offer community dance classes and a professional stage. For patrons, we provide an incredible opportunity to see national acts in a small venue where there is no bad seat in the house,” said General Manager Pam Cluff.

Cluff is the second general manager of the Covey Center, with Paul Duerden serving as its first, until his passing in 2022. Duerden’s contributions were innumerable, Cluff said, from the creation of the Brinton Black Box Theater and Brinton Recital Stage to the development of the Mayor’s Performing Arts Series, which hosted big-name performers such as the Beach Boys, Styx, the Oak Ridge Boys, Foreigner, Little River Band and America.

Duerden also developed a program to provide affordable dance classes for the community, according to Cluff.

“Paul was a devoted champion for the arts,” Cluff said. “His passion and imagination brought an affordable array of rich, lively cultural offerings to Provo — that will forever be his legacy.”

To enhance access to the arts, a variety of low-cost cultural offerings are provided through its Excellence in the Community partnership. Since 2015, professional Utah musicians from all genres have been showcased free of charge to the community.

“The construction and operation of the Covey Center for the Arts stands as a premier achievement in enhancing our quality of life in Provo,” Henderson said. “It is a generational asset bringing families and our community together.”

While Henderson was excited about the growth of the Covey Center, he also recognizes that time has exposed some wear and tear. “The facility needs refurbishing,” Henderson said.

But, he added, it is still one of the most attractive arts facilities in Utah County.

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