The Foothills Trailheads: Bike Rack Murals public art project features 10 unique bike rack murals painted by local artists, celebrating the ecological importance and rich natural and cultural diversity of Salt Lake City’s Foothills. These murals incorporate imaginative art elements, offering visitors a visually rewarding experience at the trailheads.
This project spans two locations: the Bonneville Boulevard Trailhead and Popper Park Trailhead at 1401 Popperton Park Way. These trailheads serve as major confluences and urban interfaces for the Foothills trails, connecting several Salt Lake City landmarks, including the Avenues neighborhood, the Utah State Capitol, and the University of Utah. We encourage you to explore both trailheads to see all 10 bike rack murals*. Each bike rack features a sego lily cutout in the tires, designed by local artist Derek Ballard.
This project was made possible through the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program, with support from the Salt Lake Art Design Board, Salt Lake City’s Department of Public Lands, community stakeholders, and the artists.
Photo 1.1 – 1.2: Xander Brickey
Photo 2.1 – 2.2: Eric Fairclough
Photo 3.1 – 3.2: Valerie Jar
Photo 4.1 – 4.2: Bill Louis
Photo 5.1- 5.2: Caro Nilsson
Photo 6.1 6.2: Brooklyn Ottens
View the other location of the Foothills Trailheads: Bike Rack Murals at Popperton Park Trailhead.
Photo Credit: Logan Sorenson
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Xander Brickey  | "The mural was inspired by the ecology of the Salt Lake foothills. It depicts friendly honeybees collecting pollen from sunflowers and elephant’s heads—both native Utah flowers." |
Eric Fairclough  | "My inspiration for my bike rack mural comes from the many years spent exploring the mountains and foothills of Salt Lake City. The muted, earth tone color pallette is meant to reflect the experience of hiking the trails above the city. I wanted something that was bold in the pattern work but that also blended in with the surroundings. Really happy with how it turned out and excited to see it installed and ready for use. " |
Valerie Jar  | "This design is based on my experiences trail running in the foothills—I wanted to capture the moments where day shifts to night, so one side shows the landscape in bright daylight and the other shows the lower contrast side of the night." |
Bill Louis  | “The inspiration behind my artwork stems from my culture and the sunset in the Islands with palm trees. From the base that represents bamboo, coconut husk seat and fishing hook for handle bars. All these elements are inspired by Polynesian and Island culture. I wanted to have more Pacific Islander representation here in Utah as their is a growing community here. " |
Caro Nilsson  | "This bikerack is a celebration of the neighbors we have up in the foothills - the absolute joy of paintbrush exploding in colors that almost vibrate. I want us to remember that the simple act of our noticing, our awe, has the power to make the world around us that much more vibrant." |
Brooklyn Ottens  | "My mural design was heavily influenced by the presence of the Sego Lily cut into the middle of each wheel. As our state flower, I really wanted the Sego Lily to be the star of the show, so I used simple colors and heavy lines to accentuate the flower to create a vintage, pop art style bike rack." |
Artwork featured in header: Sun, Moon, & All Things In-Between by Michael Moonbird and Victoria Lyons