Salt Lake City Public Art Program

Connecting people to place and place to stories since 1984

Bridges Over Barriers

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Bridge Over Barriers is a long-term public art project launched in 2005 by NeighborWorks Salt Lake as part of a neighborhood-building initiative for Salt Lake City’s West Side. Led by Lily Yeh of Barefoot Artists, this project brought together countless local artists and neighborhood residents to create one of Utah’s largest public art projects. Through mosaic and stain concrete murals, the artwork reflects the spirit of the community, inspired by the lives and stories of those who call this neighborhood home. Many residents participated in its creation through workshops held in local churches, schools, community centers, and other spaces.

On the north side, Mother Earth symbolizes the nurturing spirit of Salt Lake City’s natural landscape and resilient communities, representing life and growth. Father Time, on the south side, honors the past while guiding the community forward. Together, they invite reflection on the cycles of life, the passage of time, and our shared role in building a connected and inclusive community. The images in each of the sixteen mosaic-covered columns were determined by the various communities of this area and brought to life by participating artists. The mosaic images depict the diversity, livelihoods, professions, and traditions of the residents of the neighborhood.

The original project, completed in 2012, was made possible by many community members, neighborhood residents, and organizations, including Lily Yeh, NeighborWorks Salt Lake’s Maria Garciaz, Brolly Arts’s Amy MacDonald, Utah Division of Arts & Museums’ Jean Irwin, Mestizo Institute of Culture & Arts’ Ruby Chacón and Terry Hurst, the Utah Department of Transportation, artist Jimmy Lucero, John Riddle, and many others.

In the spring of 2024, Bridges Over Barriers underwent a significant restoration effort. Under the creative direction of Brolly Arts, and in close collaboration with NeighborWorks Salt Lake and the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art program, a team of local artists dedicated six weeks to restoring and preserving this important community artwork. This restoration effort was made possible by Brolly Arts and the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program, with support from the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office, NeighborWorks Salt Lake, the Utah Department of Transportation, with assistance from neighborhood residents. The artist team, led by Amy MacDonald, included Fairpark artists Matt Monsoon, Brooklyn Ottens, Jessie Thomas, and mosaic artist Roger Whiting.

May We Have Peace

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May We Have Peace depicts a standing Native American man whose extended arms clasp a peace pipe. The sculpture combines Native American imagery with stylistic influence by modernist sculptors. It was set forth as a numbered edition of eight castings in 1992. Allan Houser had a special casting made in 1994 dedicated “To the American People of the United States from the First Americans” and presented it to then-First Lady Hillary Clinton. It was installed at the Naval Observatory, the official residence of the Vice President. It remained on display there until joining the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in 2001. Additional castings of May We Have Peace include those located in Oklahoma, where Houser was born and raised, Santa Fe, where Houser lived for much of his career, and at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. This casting of May We Have Peace and eighteen other Houser sculptures were loaned to Salt Lake City by the Allan Houser Estate in 2002 as part of the Cultural Olympiad, an arts festival that accompanies all Olympic games. Through efforts led by Ms. Karen Edson, Ms. Sharon Newton, and other private donors, Salt Lake City co-purchased the sculpture for permanent display.

 

Allan Houser was an artist, teacher, and member of the Chiricahua Apache tribe. He grew up in Oklahoma, where many members of his tribe were incarcerated for 27 years as U.S. prisoners of war after the surrender of Geronimo and the seizure of millions of acres of their homelands in New Mexico and Arizona. Houser attended the Santa Fe Indian School for painting in 1934. In his early days of schooling in Oklahoma, his name had been changed from the native Haozous, which refers to the sound and feeling of uprooting a plant, to “Houser.” He taught art at the Intermountain Indian School in Brigham City, Utah before founding the Institute of Native American Arts in Santa Fe in 1962. After gaining popularity in Europe and the American Southwest, Houser’s sculpture Offering of the Sacred Pipe, which is thematically similar to May We Have Peace, was installed at the United Nations building in New York. In the final two decades of his life, Houser focused on a prolific sculptural practice and became the first Native American awarded the National Medal of the Arts. Houser’s vast legacy includes navigating an inheritance of state violence against his tribe and ongoing marginalization of Native Americans.

200 West Cycle Track Planters

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Salt Lake City is committed to providing urban mobility through a diversity of transportation choices – including walking, bicycling, transit, and driving. The City’s bicycle initiatives seek to improve safety, enhance quality of life, provide sustainable and healthy transportation choices, and improve air quality in our region.

The public art program in coordination with the Transportation Division commissioned two local artists, John Riddle and Paul Heath, to enhance the Cycle Track by treating large concrete planters with paint and tile. The artists’ inspiration for the designs for the 33 planters along the Cycle Track comes from two sources. The first is an abstract representation of the directional paths and arrows which are often found on maps. The second is bold curved shapes meant to represent the motion, glide and flow of riding a bike. Superimposed on these designs are stylized bike gears and bright tile bands. Of the original 33 planters, 21 remain in place along 200 West

The artists “hope that these colorful planters will enhance the Cycle Track’s experience for cyclists as well as the pedestrians, residents and visitors to Salt Lake City who travel along the street and sidewalks.”

The 200 West Cycle Track project is part of the implementation of the City’s Downtown in Motion Master Plan (adopted in 2008) and Complete Streets Ordinance (passed in 2010), as well as the Wasatch Front Regional Council’s Regional Priority Bicycle Network.

Life on State

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Once adorned with an array of iconic neon and light-based signs, State Street holds a vibrant cultural history that brought color and personality to Salt Lake City’s urban fabric. Honoring this legacy, the Salt Lake Art Design Board commissioned eight Utah-based artists to create neon-inspired artwork that celebrates and reimagines this history. The Life on State public art project features eight unique designs brought to life by YESCO’s neon artists, each transformed into a 4-foot in diameter neon artwork mounted 10 feet on steel support posts. Four posts were constructed in total, each displaying two distinctive designs back-to-back.

This project highlights the Public Art Program’s dedication to supporting Utah-based artists, especially those new to public art. By managing fabrication and installation directly, the program created an accessible opportunity for many first-time public art artists. This project originated from a Call for Artists released in 2022, reflecting the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s commitment to fostering opportunities for local creatives to engage with the public on a significant scale.

Installed along the east and west portions of State Street that run from 600 South to 700 South, this public art installation is part of Salt Lake City’s broader “Life on State“ Implementation Plan, an initiative to promote economic development, improve transportation, and enhance safety on State

Photo 1: Kalani Tonga
Photo 2: Chuck Landvatter
Photo 3: Alex Billany
Photo 4: Liz Shattler
Photo 5: Valerie Jar
Photo 6: Emma Ryder
Photo 7: Ryan Perkins
Photo 8: Verónica Pérez

This project was made possible through the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program, with support from the Salt Lake City Engineering & Transportation Divisions, Utah Department of Transportation, the Midtown District of Salt Lake City, YESCO, and the Salt Lake Art Design Board.

Photo credit: Salt Lake City Corp

Kalani Tonga




Location: 716 South State Street

“[This design] incorporates several easily recognizable traditional Polynesian tribal patterns that I believe will foster a sense of belonging and pride in the neighborhood amongst Pacific Islanders…I chose to create these patterns using a rainbow color scheme because rainbows are historically connected to both the Hawaiian community and the LGBTQ+ community…"

Chuck Landvatter


Location: 716 South State Street

“[This piece] positively evokes movement and references Salt Lake City’s burgeoning downtown culture and night life.”

Alex Billany


Location: 711 South State Street

"One of my favorite aspects of State Street is its unique automotive culture and being able to see incredible low-riders showcased as they drive up and down the street throughout the year."

Liz Shattler


Location: 711 South State Street

"This design remembers the Paper Moon, Salt Lake City's only lesbian bar. The pink moon from their logo is centered above rainbow stripes which recall the stripes that were painted on the asphalt outside of the bar's front door. This neon sign is in tribute to the space we once had and to the local lesbian community."

Valerie Jar


Location: 638 South State Street

“My family would often take a weekend trip to Salt Lake City, driving up State Street for dim sum…I remember the excitement of heading to the city and spending time with my family.”

Emma Ryder


Location: 638 South State Street

“My neon sign illustrates an anecdote my grandmother told to distract me while crossing the street’s intimidatingly wide lanes. She said State Street was designed to provide room for an ox cart to make a U-turn and continue their journey in the opposite direction. I never forgot this little glimpse into the past. Now I get to share it with everyone who passes by in glowing neon. "

Ryan Perkins


Location: 643 South State Street

"The Great Basin rattlesnake reminds us that despite our urban landscape, the awesome power of wilderness remains ever-present. In addition, it evokes the wild and braggadocious tattoo culture whose historic home is on State Street."

Verónica Pérez


Location: 643 South State Street

"The butterflies in this piece represent migration and transformation. State Street was built on native land that sustained many Indigenous peoples, land that has been traveled by Mormon oxcarts and Mexican taco carts…The heart represents…how we have all adjusted and changed with these movements.”

Not Just a Sport

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In 2024, the basketball court located in the center of Salt Lake City’s Liberty Park was demolished and reconstructed. New perimeter fencing and seating were added to encourage the area to become a gathering place. This reconstruction was supported through Salt Lake City’s Capital Improvement Program, following a constituent application submitted by Lance Lavizzo of Hard-N-Paint Basketball, an organization that hosts street basketball tournaments throughout the Salt Lake area, with many games held at Liberty Park. In December 2022, the Salt Lake Art Design Board, with input from the Salt Lake City Arts Council, selected this site for Percent-for-Art funding.

At the request of the Salt Lake Art Design Board, artist Lindsay Huss was commissioned to create a vibrant perimeter mural in bold shades of blue, yellow, and orange. Titled Not Just a Sport, the mural captures the essence of street ball culture, illustrating how the game transcends sport to become a powerful expression of community, identity, and creativity. The artwork incorporates elements of music, dance, fashion, and art. Key symbols include a spray paint can, representing street art, and a cassette player with jukebox lighting, reflecting the deep connection to hip-hop and rap music. Shoe tread patterns and a two-tone gold chain further evoke the energy of breakdance, the fluid movement of players, and the urban fashion that defines the culture.

This project was made possible through the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program, with support from the Salt Lake City Public Lands Department of Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake Art Design Board.

Lindsay Huss, an artist represented in the 2023-2025 Salt Lake City Pre-Qualified Artist Pool, is a graduate of Weber State University with a degree in Visual Arts. After a decade-long teaching career, she transitioned to art full-time. Her work, a captivating blend of realism and abstraction, delves into themes of self, community, and placemaking. Recognized with numerous accolades, including the Indie Ogden Award for Best Ogden Artist and the Ogden Mayor’s Award for Visual Arts, Huss remains an active figure in the Ogden art scene, contributing to several murals in the Nine Rails Creative District and throughout Utah.

Photos by R/E Media Utah

Untitled

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This mural was commissioned for the Salt Lake City Public Library when this building was constructed in the early 1960s. It was painted on canvases mounted on panels and assembled to an overall size of 27 x 14 feet.

Doug Snow, a Salt Lake City native, studied at Columbia University and earned his BFA and MFA degrees from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and when he returned to Utah, joined the faculty in the University of Utah’s Department of Art. He served as the department chair from 1957-63 and brought modern and contemporary influences to the U’s Art Department. Doug Snow was one of the state’s leading and most significant abstractionist painters.

The mural underwent complete cleaning and restoration in 2012 following the renovation of the building for, what is now, the Leonardo.

Flight

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Flight was originally commissioned as the centerpiece of the former rooftop fountain at the second Main branch building of the Salt Lake City Public Library. The sculpture underwent a complete cleaning and restoration in 2012 following the renovation of the building, which now houses The Leonardo. Flight is made possible through the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program.

Angelo Caravaglia began sculpting as a child, in Erie, Pennsylvania. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he studied at Cranbrook Academy of Fine Arts in Michigan and received a Fulbright Grant to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, Italy. He won several awards, including the Dr. Francis Onorati Award for bronze casting and a Maxwell Gallery grant to work in Florence. In 1956, he joined the University of Utah’s Art Department, which was led at the time by renowned portraitist Alvin Gittins, bringing modernism to Utah alongside V. Douglas Snow. Caravaglia demonstrated mastery of a variety of 3D materials, including wood, bronze, stone, wire, terracotta, and found objects.

Apricot (Marmalade Plaza)

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This project was made possible through the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program, with support from the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake Art Design Board.

“The steep streets of the Marmalade District were all originally named after fruit-bearing trees that were grown by the first residents of the neighborhood.  The fruit of the trees was made into marmalade and sold at the bottom of the hill.”  -Day Christensen

Day Emil Christensen is a sculptor and mixed media artist. He has been commissioned for numerous public art works in Utah. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Art and Design and a Master in Landscape Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design. In 2008, Christensen was awarded a grant from the Utah Arts Council as part of the Individual Artists Services Grants program. He currently resides in Highland, Utah.

Photos by Logan Sorensen

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