Canyon Arts at Southern Utah University(SUU) is a creative artist residency that convenes each summer on the SUU campus. The goal of Canyon Arts is to bring together gifted college student performers and professional artists to be trained by faculty from all across the country. Faculty are drawn from this country's most noted conservatories and centers for arts training. Conceived by Southern Utah University's President Michael T. Benson, the 2011 Canyon Arts Festival features musicians from New York's famed Manhattan School of Music, members of the Utah Symphony, and internationally acclaimed musicians.