Derek Dyer
Founder and Executive Director, Utah Arts Alliance
Derek founded UAA and has led it since 2003. He helped build its five venues and founded KUAA 99.9 FM, Salt Lake City’s multilingual community radio station. Meet the full UAA staff.
Castle District Team
The partners who build the castle
UAA owns the castle and leads it. These partners plan its funding, draw its plans, design its veteran program and advise on every big decision.
Owner and lead partner
Utah Arts Alliance
UAA owns the castle and leads the project. Derek Dyer shares that leadership with Crystal Young of Sterling & Pink.
Capital planning and funding
Sterling & Pink
Sterling & Pink leads Art Castle’s capital plan, grants and funder materials on UAA’s behalf. Crystal Young shares leadership of the project with Derek Dyer, UAA’s executive director.
Crystal Young
CEO and Lobbyist, Sterling & Pink
Crystal develops the Art Castle project with Derek Dyer. She leads its capital plan, grant strategy and funder materials. cy@sterlingpink.net
Kayla Aitken
Associate, Sterling & Pink
Kayla supports UAA’s grant work on the project.
Architect of record
ASSIST Community Design Center
ASSIST Community Design Center is the architect behind Art Castle. This Salt Lake City nonprofit has elevated Utah communities by design since 1969.
ASSIST works with underserved communities to raise living standards through intentional design. Its Community Design program gives nonprofits and community groups architecture, planning and development support, with a focus on early feasibility and adaptive reuse. That focus fits a 1904 chapel that needs a second life.
ASSIST drew the campus plans. The newest set carries the date October 21, 2026. Jason Wheeler and Sam Ball lead the work.
Jason Wheeler, AIA
Executive Director, ASSIST
Jason is an architect and the executive director of ASSIST. He guides the organization’s work with underserved communities.
Sam Ball, AIA
Community Design Director, ASSIST
Sam is an architect and leads ASSIST’s Community Design program, which supports nonprofit and adaptive reuse projects like Art Castle.
Veteran program design
Joyful Summits
UAA contracts Joyful Summits to design Operation Palette, the veteran art therapy program at the castle.
Rebekah “Becks” Logan
Founder and Executive Director, Joyful Summits
Becks designs the program’s curriculum and operating systems. Read her story.
Advisory bench
Advisors to Art Castle
Leaders from government, development, architecture and community advocacy advise the project.
Peter Corroon
Former Salt Lake County Mayor and developer
Peter served two terms as Salt Lake County Mayor. Today he runs a real estate development and property management company focused on affordable housing and community redevelopment.
Darin Mano
Architect and former Salt Lake City Councilmember
Darin is an architect trained at the University of Utah and Harvard. He represented District 5 on the Salt Lake City Council from 2020 to January 2026.
Turner Bitton
Executive Director, Wasatch Advocates for Livable Communities
Join the castle.
Crystal Young
Development Lead, Sterling & Pink
cy@sterlingpink.net
Derek Dyer
Executive Director, Utah Arts Alliance
derek@utaharts.org