CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART

Financials

From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.

Officers, directors and key employees

As listed on the 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025, highest compensation first.

Address and contacts

Address (IRS master file)

243 E 400 S STE 301, SALT LAKE CTY, UT 84111-2843

Principal officer (990 for 2024)

LESLIE KELEN, 243 EAST 400 SOUTH SUITE 301, SALT LAKE CITY, UT 841112843

Signed the 990

LESLIE KELEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Phone

(801) 355-3903

Website

WWW.CDEAUTAH.ORG

Return prepared by

BOUNTIFUL PEAK ADVISORS

Mission

THE CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART (CDEA) IS DEDICATED TO USING THE TOOLS OF DOCUMENTARY WORKORAL HISTORY, PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM MAKING, NARRATIVE WRITING, VISUAL ART, AND MUSIC TO HELP UTAHNS LOOK INWARD TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR STATE'S PAST AND PRESENT AND TO GAZE OUTWARD TO DISCOVER OUR MULTI-FACETED CONNECTION TO THE NATION AND THE WORLD. CDEA CREATES AND SUPPORTS PROJECTS THAT EXAMINE AND HONOR THE CULTURAL, SPIRITUAL, AND ETHNIC IDENTITIES OF OUR NATION'S DIVERSE POPULATION IN FORUMS WHEREIN WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE DIFFERENCES, ESTABLISH COMMON GROUND, AND HENCE, BUILD COMMUNITY.

Program accomplishments

• THE ORGANIZATION REALIZES ITS MISSION BY DEVELOPING DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS THAT USE SOME OR ALL OF THE FACETS OF DOCUMENTARY WORK, WHICH IS DEFINED AS: ORAL HISTORIES, PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEO, VISUAL ART, RESEARCH, ORAL STORYTELLING, AND NARRATIVE. A PROJECT MAY USE SOME OR ALL THE FEATURES OF DOCUMENTARY WORK. FOR EXAMPLE, A PROJECT MAY DEVELOP A TRAVELING PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT WITH AUDIO GUIDES AND A PUBLICATION; OR A PROJECT MAY RELY ON TRADITIONAL ORAL HISTORIES WITH ACCOMPANYING STILL PHOTOGRAPHS; OR A PROJECT MAY AIM TO PRODUCE A SERIES OF SHORT FILMS WITH A WEBSITE. THERE ARE MANY EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PRESENT DOCUMENTARY WORK. CDEA PROJECTS THAT PRODUCE TRAVELING EXHIBITS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY MULTI- FACETED, EDUCATION-OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND FALL INTO TWO CATEGORIES: (1) MAJOR EXHIBITS CREATED FOR LARGE MUSEUMS THAT CONTAIN NATIONAL SUBJECT MATTER INFUSED WITH SIGNIFICANT HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES, AND (2) EDUCATIONAL EXHIBITS DESIGNED PRIMARILY FOR USE BY UTAH'S K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, LIBRARIES, AND SMALLER MUSEUMS THAT EXPLORE THE STATE'S AND NATION'S MULTI-CULTURAL HISTORY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. EXHIBITS TRAVELING INSIDE UTAH ARE PRESENTED UNDER THE TITLE PLACE-BASED EDUCATION (PBE) AND CONTAIN FOUR-TO-EIGHT-WEEK, PLACE-BASED, ARTISTS/SCHOLARS-IN- RESIDENCE (ASIR) PROGRAMS (PBE-ASIR). DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS RESULTING IN MAJOR EXHIBITS THE DEVELOPMENT OF DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS RESULTING IN A MAJOR STAND-ALONE PUBLICATION, OR IN A TRAVELING EXHIBIT WITH BOOKS AND FILMS IS ONGOING. ON THE AVERAGE, DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS THAT RESULT IN A STAND-ALONE PUBLICATION OR IN A MAJOR EXHIBIT TAKE FOUR-TO-SIX YEARS TO RESEARCH, DEVELOP, DESIGN, AND PRODUCE. BETWEEN 2006-2011, THE ORGANIZATION COMPLETED A MAJOR EXHIBIT TITLED, THIS LIGHT OF OURS: ACTIVIST PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. THIS PROJECT PRESENTED THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT THROUGH THE WORK AND VOICES OF EIGHT MEN AND ONE WOMAN WHO DOCUMENTED THE NATIONAL STRUGGLE AGAINST SEGREGATION AND OTHER FORMS OF RACE-BASED DISENFRANCHISEMENT FROM WITHIN THE MOVEMENT. THE EXHIBIT INAUGURATED THE HUMAN RIGHTS GALLERY AT THE LEONARDO: AN ART, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER, IN DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE CITY, IN OCTOBER 2011, AND REMAINED AVAILABLE TO THE UTAH PUBLIC FOR NINE MONTHS, OR UNTIL JUNE 2012. THE PRESENTATION OF THIS LIGHT OF OURS INCLUDED CELL-PHONE ACCESSIBLE AUDIO GUIDES FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS; A FREE, SIX-PAGE BROCHURE FOR USE BY STUDENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC; A 53PG CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR GRADES 7-12; AND A 251PG BOOK PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY PRESS OF MISSISSIPPI. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO ORGANIZED A MONTH-LONG SYMPOSIA AT THREE UTAH UNIVERSITIES AND A COMMUNITY COLLEGE INVOLVING LOCAL AND NATIONAL ACTIVISTS AND HISTORIANS. CDEA ALSO PARTNERED WITH UTAH'S PBS AFFILIATE, KUED-TV, TO CREATE UTAH'S FREEDOM RIDERS, A 30 MINUTE FILM PRESENTING UTAH'S CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS. MORE THAN 58,000 PEOPLE VISITED THE DISPLAY IN UTAH, WITH ABOUT THIRTY PERCENT OF VISITORS BEING K-16 STUDENTS. IN 2013, FOLLOWING THE EXHIBIT'S DEBUT, THE ORGANIZATION'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WAS RETAINED BY THE UTAH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION (USBE) TO CREATE AN EIGHT-WEEK, ON-LINE COURSE TO INTRODUCE UTAH PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. DIRECTOR KELEN HAS TAUGHT THE CLASS ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS SINCE 2013. IN FALL 2013, THIS LIGHT OF OURS: ACTIVIST PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT STARTED TRAVELING OUTSIDE UTAH. A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD (2013- 2018) WAS SET ASIDE FOR THE EXHIBIT'S INITIAL NATIONAL TOUR. THIS TOURING PERIOD CULMINATED WITH THE EXHIBIT'S DISPLAY AT THE IRVING ARTS CENTER IN IRVING, TEXAS, BETWEEN JANUARY-MARCH 2018. IN MAY 2018, THE ORGANIZATION PARTNERED WITH THE MALTZ MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE, LOCATED IN CLEVELAND, OHIO, TO CARRY OUT A SECOND FIVE-YEAR TOUR. THE START OF THE TOUR WAS DELAYED BY THE 2019-2020 OUTBREAK OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, INTERFERING WITH THE FEBRUARY-AUGUST 2020 DISPLAY AT THE BULLOCK SATE HISTORY MUSEUM, IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. A SECOND NATIONAL TOUR IS EXPECTED TO CONCLUDE WITH THE DISPLAY OF THIS LIGHT OF OURS AT THE MALTZ MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE FROM OCTOBER 23, 2022 TO APRIL 2, 2023. A THIRD NATIONAL TOUR OF THIS LIGHT OF OURS KICKED OFF WITH THE DISPLAY'S PRESENTATION AT THE SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, FROM OCTOBER 19 2023-FEBRUARY 25, 2024. NEW DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS SINCE 2016-17, THE ORGANIZATION HAS CONDUCTED RESEARCH AIMED AT DEVELOPING TWO INTERRELATED PROJECTS. THE FIRST IS A BOOK-PUBLICATION PROJECT TITLED, BECOMING AN AMERICAN IN UTAH: AN ORAL HISTORY-20TH AND 21ST CENTURY VOICES FROM UTAH'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THIS PROJECT WILL SELECT CONTENT FROM HUNDREDS OF ORAL HISTORIES THE ORGANIZATION TAPED BETWEEN 1982-1989, 1998- 2003, AND 2021-2024 IN ORDER TO CONVEY THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURY STORIES OF UTAH'S DIVERSE PEOPLE. BECOMING AN AMERICAN IN UTAH: AN ORAL HISTORY INVOLVES REEDITING, EXPANDING, AND REDESIGNING THE ORGANIZATION'S FOUNDATIONAL BOOK, MISSING STORIES: AN ORAL HISTORY OF ETHNIC AND MINORITY GROUPS IN UTAH, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH PRESS IN 1995 AS A PART OF UTAH'S STATE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS. UNLIKE MISSING STORIES, WHICH USED ORAL HISTORIES TO PRESENT EIGHT SEPARATE 20TH CENTURY COMMUNITY PROFILES, BECOMING AN AMERICAN IN UTAH: AN ORAL HISTORY WILL USE A GEOGRAPHIC/CHRONOLOGICAL/THEMATIC FORMAT TO DEVELOP A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURY UTAH LIFE. THE PROJECT'S AIM IS TO PRODUCE A BOOK THAT HAS BROAD APPEAL TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. CDEA AIMS TO COMPLETE THE CURRENT BOOK-IN-PROGRESS BY JUNE 2027. A SECOND (AND INTERRELATED ENDEAVOR) IS TITLED, MY AMERICA: STORIES OF UTAH'S IMMIGRANTS, MIGRANTS, AND REFUGEES. MY AMERICA IS CONCEIVED OF AS A SERIES OF SHORT (UNDER 8-MIN.) VIDEOS THAT NARRATE THE STORIES OF IMMIGRANTS, MIGRANTS, AND REFUGEES WHO LEFT THEIR PLACES OF ORIGIN IN THE 1924-1965 AND 1965 TO-THE PRESENT PERIODS AND RELOCATED TO UTAH BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, GOVERNMENT COMPULSION, OR TO ESCAPE PERSECUTION. THE ORGANIZATION AIMS TO USE THESE VIDEOS ON A WEBSITE THAT FEATURES BECOMING AN AMERICAN IN UTAH: AN ORAL HISTORY IN ORDER TO INTRODUCE THE SUBJECT OF MIGRATION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. NEW EXHIBIT ON APRIL 12, 2022, CDEA ACQUIRED A FORTY-IMAGE EXHIBIT OF BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS WITH DIDACTIC TEXT FROM JEANNINE HERRON, THE WIDOW OF THE LATE CIVIL RIGHTS PHOTOGRAPHER, MATT HERRON. HERRON DIED ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2020, WHEN HIS GLIDER PLANE CRASHED ABOUT 125 MILES NORTHWEST OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. HE WAS THE CURATOR OF THE CDEA MAJOR EXHIBIT, THIS LIGHT OF OURS: ACTIVIST PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AND A HIGHLY-REGARDED DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER, WITH A UNIQUE BODY OF WORK COMPLETED DURING THE 1960S CIVIL RIGHTS ERA. HERRON PRINTED AND CURATED THE 40-IMAGE EXHIBIT-I'M WALKIN' FOR MY FREEDOM-IN 2019, AND IN EARLY 2020 THE EXHIBIT WENT ON DISPLAY AT THE SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY. EXHIBIT PHOTOS DEPICT THE HISTORICALLY PIVOTAL SELMA TO MONTGOMERY MARCH LED BY DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. THE 54-MILE MARCH TOOK PLACE IN MARCH 1965 AND WAS CREDITED WITH MOVING THE U.S. CONGRESS TO PASS THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS BILL, CONSIDERED THE MOST IMPORTANT CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION OF THAT PERIOD. HERRON CONSIDERED HIS COVERAGE OF THE MARCH AS ONE OF HIS MOST SIGNIFICANT PHOTOGRAPHIC ACHIEVEMENTS. CDEA IS HONORED TO PLAY A ROLE IN FURTHERING MATT HERRON'S LEGACY AS AN ACTIVIST PHOTOGRAPHER AND TO USE THE EXHIBIT TO EXPAND A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT PROTECTING VOTING RIGHTS IN THE U.S. IN MARCH 2022, THE ORGANIZATION CONTRACTED WITH THE SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY, MUSEUM OF ART, TO DEBUT THE FORTY-IMAGE EXHIBIT IN UTAH AS A PART OF THE SUMMER 2022 SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL. I'M WALKIN' FOR MY FREEDOM WAS DISPLAYED AT THE CEDAR CITY MUSEUM FROM JUNE 2 TO SEPTEMBER 22, 2022, AND RECEIVED MORE THAN 13,500 VISITORS. VENUES IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE ARE EXPECTED TO BE UTAH PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS. CDEA RECENTLY CONTRACTED WITH THE SALT LAKE CITY DOWNTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY TO DISPLAY "I'M WALKIN' FOR MY FREEDOM" AT THE LIBRARY FROM OCTOBER 25, 2025 TO DECEMBER 5, 2025.
  Expenses $135,611 · revenue $6,099
• DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS RESULTING IN PLACE-BASED EDUCATION (PBE)- ARTISTS/SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE (ASIR) PROGRAMS PLACE-BASED EDUCATION DISPLAYS ARE SMALLER THAN MAJOR EXHIBITS AND ARE DESIGNED FOR USE IN UTAH'S K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PUBLIC LIBRARIES, AND RURAL MUSEUMS. EXHIBITS CONTAIN PHOTOGRAPHS AND ORAL HISTORIES (WITH RELATED DIDACTIC TEXT). THEY ARE BOOKED FROM FOUR-TO-EIGHT WEEKS AT EACH EDUCATIONAL SITE. FOUR PLACE-BASED EDUCATION DISPLAYS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. IN ORDER OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT, THEY ARE: - FACES AND VOICES OF REFUGEE YOUTH (2002); - SACRED IMAGES: A VISION OF NATIVE AMERICAN ROCK ART (2007); - REAWAKENED BEAUTY: THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF THE JORDAN RIVER (2009); AND JUSTICE-MEMORY-ARTIVISM (2014). THREE OF THE ABOVE EXHIBITS (SACRED IMAGES; REAWAKENED BEAUTY; AND JUSTICE-MEMORY-ARTIVISM) ACCOMPANY CDEA-DESIGNED ARTISTS/SCHOLARS-IN- RESIDENCE (ASIR) PROGRAMS AND ARE DESIGNED TO ENGAGE K-12 STUDENTS IN INTENSIVE, PLACE-BASED PROJECTS THAT PROMOTE STUDY AND PRACTICE OF THE DOCUMENTARY ARTS; GENERATE ORIGINAL STUDENT ART; AND INTEGRATE ARTS LEARNING WITH LEARNING IN OTHER SUBJECTS. PLACE-BASED EDUCATION DISPLAYS AND THEIR ACCOMPANYING ARTISTS/SCHOLARS-IN- RESIDENCE PROGRAMS ENABLE STUDENTS TO CREATE ORIGINAL ART WHILE EXPLORING SUCH VARIED SUBJECTS AS: UTAH'S ANCIENT AND CONTEMPORARY HISTORY, UTAH'S CULTURAL DIVERSITY, INDIGENOUS CULTURES, INDIGENOUS ART, ECOLOGY, BIOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, IMMIGRATION, DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE/ETHNICITY, AND CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION. RECENTLY, SACRED IMAGES: A VISION OF NATIVE AMERICAN ROCK ART- ARTISTS/SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM WAS PRESENTED AT PLEASANT GROVE HIGH SCHOOL IN THE ALPINE SCHOOL DISTRICT. REAWAKENED BEAUTY: THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF THE JORDAN RIVER-ARTISTS/SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM WAS PRESENTED TO SOUTH VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, IN THE JORDAN SCHOOL DISTRICT, AT CDEA'S OUTDOOR CLASSROOM SITE IN SOUTH JORDAN. AND JUSTICE- MEMORY-ARTIVISM-ARTISTS/SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM WAS PRESENTED AT THE MCGILLIS SCHOOL IN SALT LAKE CITY. A PRESENTATION OF CDEA'S NEW RESIDENCY, "WE ARE TELLING OUR STORIES (WATOS)," TOOK PLACE AT THE UTAH CULTURAL CELEBRATION CENTER IN JUNE 2024 IN COLLABORATION WITH UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERS, WEST VALLEY CITY, AND SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THIS MOST RECENT WATOS PROGRAM FEATURED DR. DAVID GONZALEZ, A NATIONALLY- CELEBRATED POET, STORYTELLER, AND MUSICIAN. CDEA ALSO IS PLEASED TO CONFIRM THE CONTINUING PRESENTATION OF ITS ENVIRONMENTAL-EDUCATION PROGRAM REAWAKENED BEAUTY: THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF THE JORDAN RIVER-ARTISTS/SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM. IN 2022, CDEA PARTNERED WITH THE UTAH RECLAMATION MITIGATION AND CONSERVATION COMMISSION TO BUILD THREE, RUGGED OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS ON ITS 123-ACRE, MIGRATORY BIRD RESERVE IN SOUTH JORDAN. THE OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS PROVIDE A LONG-TERM LOCUS FOR CDEA'S REAWAKENED BEAUTY RESIDENCIES, WHILE OFFERING THE URMCC A COMPELLING, MULTI-DISCIPLINARY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AIMED AT GUIDING YOUNG PEOPLE (HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE AGE) TO BECOME STEWARDS OF THIS UNIQUE SITE.
  Expenses $8,014 · revenue $6,000

What it must file and when

IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in June, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.

IRS record

EIN

94-2937284

Tax-exempt status

501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization

Foundation status

Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))

Donations deductible (Pub 78)

Public charity, 50% deduction limit

Exempt since

1984

Accounting year ends

June

Files

Form 990 or 990-EZ

Category (NTEE)

Arts, culture and humanities (A54)

Assets (IRS master file)

$378,712

Income (IRS master file)

$205,773

Filing history

990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 94-2937284).

Questions about CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART

What is the EIN of CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART?

The employer identification number (EIN) of CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART is 94-2937284.

Is CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART tax-exempt?

Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1984.

Are donations to CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART tax-deductible?

Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).

Which annual return does CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART file?

Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.

When is the next return of CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART due?

The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending June 30, 2026) is due November 16, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.

When did CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART last file with the IRS?

The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended June 2025.

Who is the principal officer of CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART?

The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 names LESLIE KELEN.

Who are the officers and directors of CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART?

The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 lists 10 people; 1 received compensation from the organization, the highest $54,000 (LESLIE KELEN, EXECUTIVE DI).

How much revenue does CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION AND ART have?

On its 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 it reported revenue of $205,773, expenses of $173,847 and total assets of $378,712 at year end.

Other nonprofits in SALT LAKE CTY

• UTAH SYMPHONY & OPERA
  EIN 51-0145980 · last filed 990 for 2025
• UTAH FILM CENTER DBA SALT LAKE CITY FILM CENTER AND
  EIN 75-3077559 · last filed 990 for 2025
• BALLET WEST
  EIN 87-0264274 · last filed 990 for 2025
• SALT LAKE TRIBUNE INC
  EIN 84-1878709 · last filed 990 for 2025
• THIS IS THE PLACE FOUNDATION
  EIN 84-1426573 · last filed 990 for 2024
• SALT LAKE FILM SOCIETY
  EIN 87-0677001 · last filed 990 for 2024
• PRICE AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM
  EIN 87-0644630 · last filed 990-PF for 2025
• WILD EARTH SOCIETY INCORPORATED
  EIN 16-1402497 · last filed 990 for 2025

All nonprofits in SALT LAKE CTY · Utah · Arts, culture and humanities