Salt Lake City Public Art Program

Connecting people to place and place to stories since 1984

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

PBS Utah – The Neon Comeback: Local Artists Transform Salt Lake’s State Street

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

Jordan River Current (Glendale Park)

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Jordan River Current is a large-scale public art installation along the Jordan River. Santa Fe, NM-based artist, Colette Hosmer, created a total of 25 eight-foot-tall steel trout sculptures as part of this multi-site project aimed at connecting recreational users of this natural tributary with their environment.

The artwork was installed at four different boat ramps, spanning 7.2 miles along the Jordan River Trail. Across all four sites, one fish in each cluster is painted in a different color than the rest visually linking all locations across the river and functioning as a wayfinding element and marking for each ramp.

The Glendale Park site contains five sculptures, with one fish painted blue. The artist team and the Salt Lake City Arts Council established a partnership with Edison Elementary School in Poplar Grove for this commission. The school’s 4th grade students were involved in naming all four colored fish within this installation. The blue fish at Glendale Park was named BeanCheleen.

Colette Hosmer is a contemporary naturalist who is celebrated for her monumental outdoor sculptures and site-specific work utilizing organic materials.

Photos by Logan Sorenson.

View the rest of the installation at Gadsby Trailhead, Riverview Trailhead, and Fisher Mansion.

Jordan River Current (Fisher Mansion)

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Jordan River Current is a large-scale public art installation along the Jordan River. Santa Fe, NM-based artist, Colette Hosmer, created a total of 25 eight-foot-tall steel trout sculptures as part of this multi-site project aimed at connecting recreational users of this natural tributary with their environment.

The artwork was installed at four different boat ramps, spanning 7.2 miles along the Jordan River Trail. Across all four sites, one fish in each cluster is painted in a different color than the rest visually linking all locations across the river and functioning as a wayfinding element and marking for each ramp.

The Fisher Mansion site contains three sculptures, with one fish painted green. The artist team and the Salt Lake City Arts Council established a partnership with Edison Elementary School in Poplar Grove for this commission. The school’s 4th grade students were involved in naming all four colored fish within this installation. The green fish at Fisher Mansion was named Decrayvion.

Colette Hosmer is a contemporary naturalist who is celebrated for her monumental outdoor sculptures and site-specific work utilizing organic materials.

Photos by Logan Sorenson.

View the rest of the installation at Glendale Park, Riverview Trailhead, and Gadsby Trailhead.

Jordan River Current (Gadsby Trailhead)

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Jordan River Current is a large-scale public art installation along the Jordan River. Santa Fe, NM-based artist, Colette Hosmer, created a total of 25 eight-foot-tall steel trout sculptures as part of this multi-site project aimed at connecting recreational users of this natural tributary with their environment.

The artwork was installed at four different boat ramps, spanning 7.2 miles along the Jordan River Trail. Across all four sites, one fish in each cluster is painted in a different color than the rest visually linking all locations across the river and functioning as a wayfinding element and marking for each ramp.

The Gadsby Trailhead site contains six sculptures, with one fish painted white. The artist team and the Salt Lake City Arts Council established a partnership with Edison Elementary School in Poplar Grove for this commission. The school’s 4th grade students were involved in naming all four colored fish within this installation. The white fish at Gadsby Trailhead was named BiggieCheese.

Colette Hosmer is a contemporary naturalist who is celebrated for her monumental outdoor sculptures and site-specific work utilizing organic materials.

Photos by Logan Sorenson.

View the rest of the installation at Glendale Park, Riverview Trailhead, and Fisher Mansion.

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