Extending nearly 2,000 feet along the 400 South Viaduct Trail, Strut is the single longest continuous artwork in Utah to date. The installation connects the Westside’s Poplar Grove neighborhood to downtown Salt Lake City through a sequence of artist-designed fence and concrete barrier elements, integrating color, pattern, and form into the structure itself.

The stacked and staggered elements create an undulating rhythm inspired by the Wasatch Mountains, the flowing Jordan River, and seasonal changes, including the vivid colors of the Salt Lake landscape and aspens. Its vibrant palette also reflects the community and a flock of wild peacocks on the Westside.

Developed through community engagement and collaboration with the project’s engineering team, Strut transforms a transportation corridor into a shared civic space.

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 Transportation and Engineering, the artists, Metal Arts Foundry, and residents of the Poplar Grove neighborhood.

Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan’s collaboration as an artist team began in 2001 and has fostered a wide range of innovative site-specific public art commissions and plans. Their Seattle-based studio, Haddad|Drugan LLC, operates at intersections of art, architecture, landscape, and theater. Laura Haddad has a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor’s degree in History from Bowdoin College. Her background also includes jewelry and stage set design. She has recently served as a member of the Seattle Design Commission and Seattle Public Art Advisory Committee. Tom Drugan received a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Colorado. His background includes sustainable building, filmmaking, and lighting

Photos by R/E Media Utah