One major hurdle was cleared in the arts/performance arena of the 2002 Winter Games when SLOC named Don Mischer Productions executive producer of the opening and closing ceremonies.
But for other local arts organizations, there's still a race to be run.The question of what's in store for the 2002 Cultural Olympiad remains largely unanswered.
Raymond T. Grant, SLOC director of arts and culture, said he has been involved in "extensive" discussions with all groups. Grant wants to focus on local performing artists while keeping national artists to a minimum.
"This will be a Cultural Olympiad that celebrates the contribution the artists have made locally," he said.
But the major, world-renowned arts organizations in Salt Lake City haven't been able to solidify any plans for the festival, a required part of the Olympics.
Nothing has changed in the past four months for dance companies Ballet West, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company and Repertory Dance Theatre. In May, all three were asked to submit a budget, a program idea and production dates to the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
They're still waiting for a reply.
"We're still in the process of raising money to make these cultural programs happen," Grant said.
However, some organizations are further along the production road than others.
"At this point," said Utah Symphony CEO Donald L. Andrews, "I can say we plan to play with the Utah Opera in performances of Stephen Sondheim's 'A Little Night Music' and also a special evening saluting Stephen Sondheim and his music."
That was decided nearly five months ago.
Both the Utah Opera and Utah Symphony said that, aside from a SLOC crew filming the Symphony, nothing has changed and nothing new has been announced.
In comparison, the 1996 Atlanta Games Cultural Olympiad booked many of its shows and programs several years ahead.
Atlanta's High Museum of Art landed the multi-faceted "Rings: Five Passions in World Art," but it took more than five years of negotiations.
Margaret Doyle, chief press representative for the Atlanta Games arts festival, had a few words of advice. "Work with local arts organizations closely. Hear what they have to say. Be flexible.
"The clincher is, once the festival starts, things move very quickly, and if you're not prepared, you'll lose."
Susan Elliott, director of communications for the Atlanta Cultural Olympiad of 1996, said Atlanta's festival began taking shape six years before the event.
"The planning began in 1990 with a majority of the shows confirmed in 1993," she said. "There were many unforeseen challenges, however.
"The fact that the Cultural Olympiad is such a visible part of the Games, and the fact that many people who came to Atlanta were interested in many of the productions, put a lot of pressure on us to make sure it ran smooth."
Putting on a Cultural Olympiad isn't easy, Elliott said. "We had many out-of-country exhibits and performers that we had to get visas for. That was time-consuming. And we had to double-check and make two or three calls to confirm the exhibits."
Grant's original plan was to meet in June with the International Olympic Committee's Cultural Commission to discuss details of the Cultural Olympiad. Itdidn't happen.
Now it is scheduled for December. But Grant doesn't believe this will pose a problem for the festivities.
"The focus should be in and around game time," he said. "We commissioned a study recently that suggested it might be better to pull our resources together during the period of the Games. Strategically I think that's best."
Although nothing seems to be set in stone thus far, Grant did say he wants to highlight some of the contributions that the West and Utah have made to arts and humanities.
In its early stages, the Olympics was a competition devoted exclusively to music, whereas sports were added much later, Grant said.
As early as 1896, a major goal of Olympic coordinators included an attempt to stimulate interest in the fine arts. They felt arts contributed to a broader and more well-rounded life, that the Olympic movement helped to inform people of the educational benefits of combining sports and physical activities with artistic and intellectual endeavors.
"(The arts) are as strongly linked with the Olympic movement as sports is," Grant said. "I think when it's all said and done, the arts programs are going to be exceptionally pleased."