Salt Lake City Public Art Program

Connecting people to place and place to stories since 1984

Free Flight

by

The 9 Line Bike Park is a unique recreational amenity, offering dirt jumps and a pump track for Salt Lake City riders. In 2017, Salt Lake City’s Department of Parks and Public Lands responded to community requests to expand the 9 Line Bike Park at 700 West and 900 South. The bike park, popular with riders of all ages and skill levels, includes jumps and a pump track. The storage container located on site is used by City crews and volunteer work groups to store maintenance equipment, and provided 208 square feet of surface for a mural wrapping three sides of the unit.

Josh Scheuerman’s Free Flight depicts a fleet of paper airplanes and origami birds in front of blue geometric mountains and a glowing orange and yellow sky. Free Flight showcases the Wasatch Front and mimics sunsets visible from the park. Scheuerman used the familiar image of childhood paper airplanes to evoke the concept of flight after he noticed young kids at the park watching the older riders catch air.

This temporary public artwork is intended to remain installed for three to five years. This project was made possible through the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program, with support from Salt Lake City’s Department of Parks and Public Lands.

Photos by Logan Sorenson and Josh Scheuerman

Colorful Connection

by

In 2017, the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City requested an appropriation from the City’s North Temple Viaduct bond to create an art installation as part of the I-15 underpass Pedestrian Improvements Project. The project’s goal of contributing to a safe and aesthetic passage at a key juncture linking the east and west sides of North Temple garnered the participation of several city departments, and was an opportunity to blend installation, landscaping, and links to the community the project sits within. The Salt Lake City Art’s Council commissioned local artist Traci O’Very Covey from its pre-qualified artist pool to design and implement Colorful Connection.

Playful and bright, Colorful Connection consists of steel sculptures, a sign introducing the “NOTE District,” a vinyl mural utility box wrap, and complementary landscaping between the bridges. The work enhances the experience traveling under the I-15 underpass and vibrantly greets pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and transit users alike. O’Very Covey’s imaginative characters and installations incorporate the colors and circular shapes of the NOTE District branding throughout the project, highlighting the sense of community and connection in the neighborhood.

Follow the Art in the NOTE District walking tour to see and learn about this work along with four other public art projects in the area: map and details here! 

This project was made possible through the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program, with support from Salt Lake City’s Redevelopment Agency, Engineering Division, and Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development.

Photos by Logan Sorenson.

 

Fire Station 3

by

In October 2018, the Salt Lake City Fire Department opened the new Fire Station 3 in Sugar House. Following Fire Station 14, it is the nation’s second fire station to be built as a LEED Gold certified, Net Zero energy building. Utah-based artist Sarinda Jones was commissioned to create three public art installations inside of the building. The installations– Parley’s Undercurrent, Common Threads, and Tribute– were completed and installed in March of 2019.

Parley’s Undercurrent is an installation of approximately 240 kiln-formed glass disks that reference Parley’s Creek, which runs through Sugar House and connects the neighborhood. Sarinda drew inspiration from the calming, serene movement and colors of the creek and sought to bring these qualities into the station to create a restful atmosphere for the fire fighters who live and work at the station. As part of the fabrication process for this installation, Sarinda invited the fire fighters to her studio to create disks of their own that were later integrated into the final installation.

Common Threads, the second installation, is a triptych which abstracts the idea of intertwined community and greets those who enter the Fire Station through the main doors. Its overlapping threads represent both the interconnected communities that the fire fighters serve, as well as the gridded streets that make up Salt Lake City.

Tribute, the third installation, depicts the previous Fire Station 3, reinforcing a sense of the history of Sugar House and of the previous Fire Station.

Situated in the interior of the building, these three works are on view and can be seen by contacting the Fire Station to schedule a visit.

Parley’s Undercurrent, 2019, kiln-formed glass.
Common Threads, 2019, kiln-formed glass.
Tribute, 2019, kiln-formed glass.

Photos by Logan Sorenson.

337 Pocket Park

by

Prior to being a community park and garden, this site was once home to a two-story, privately owned residential building. The home was scheduled for demolition in 2007. However, before being torn down, the property owner invited over 100 artists of various disciplines to fill the 25,000-square-foot structure with art. The building, full from floor to ceiling with paintings, murals, sculptures and installations, received thousands of visitors and became a visual arts hub before it was destroyed. Later the vacant lot was sold to Salt Lake City Corporation and in 2015 a portion of the land was developed into a community garden managed by Wasatch Community Gardens. In 2017, Salt Lake City Parks and Public Lands decided to create a pocket park to function as an inviting and engaging gathering place for the community.

As a nod to the site’s art-infused history, the fence that surrounds the perimeter of the park was designed to include 24 unique designs by local artists to carry on the tradition of displaying the work of Utah’s diverse art community. Sixteen artists were selected to design panels for the park fence: Rob Beishline, Shelley Beishline, Chris Brown, Trent Call, Josh Cisar, Karl Hale, Sarinda Jones, Beyza Kilic, Lenka Konopasek, Juan Luis Molero, Jared Neves, Traci O’Very Covey, Brook Robertson, Heidi Moller Somsen, Shannon White, and Maria Zielinska. All panels were fabricated in Corten steel in 2018.

From left to right:
Photo 1: Shannon White, Untitled // Juan Luis Molero, Untitled
Photo 2: Trent Call, Untitled // Shelley Beishline, Living Roots
Photo 3: Traci O’Very Covey, Veggie Garden // Rob Beishline, Blowing Leaves
Photo 4: Maria Zielinska, Untitled // Sarinda Jones, Substrate
Photo 5: Shelley Beishline, Living Leaves // Trent Call, Untitled
Photo 6: Heidi Moller Somsen, Untitled // Sarinda Jones, Buoyancy
Photo 7: Brook Robertson, Look! // Shelley Beishline, Living Blooms
Photo 8: Karl Hale, Untitled // Lenka Konopasek, Untitled
Photo 9: Trent Call, Untitled // Beyza Kilic, Untitled
Photo 10: Rob Beishline, Triangle Tree // Josh Cisar, Untitled
Photo 11: Lenka Konopasek, Untitled // Jared Neves, Ball
Photo 12: Chris Brown, Untitled // Lenka Konopasek, Untitled

Photos by Logan Sorenson.

Flying Objects Permanent Collection

by

These 8 flying objects were initially crafted in Flying Objects series 1.0-4.0, and were purchased by the Salt Lake City Arts Council and the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake for permanent display in the City. They join the 18 permanent flying objects crafted in series 5.0, which are installed along 3rd South.

Indiana Bridge

by

The Indiana Bridge, located at 800 South 1000 West, crosses over the Jordan River and serves as the north south connection for the high volume, multi-use Jordan River Trail. The Indiana Bridge was built in the 1940’s and was originally designed in the Federal Style of Architecture. Reminiscent of many Post Offices and other large architectural forms built by the Government in this same Era, its design is still significant and appealing today.

For the rehabilitation of Indiana Bridge, artist Cordell Taylor decided to restore and rebuild this bridge to it’s original design with added elements to enhance its significance in and for the surrounding neighborhoods. The original steel railings have been reused and the cement end-rails and buttresses have been recast in the same/similar style but with graphics that represent the Poplar Grove Neighborhood.

The coloring of the cement end-rails and Buttresses and Sidewalks are a Sonoma Orange typical of Utah’s landscape and bright enough to stand out as a gateway to this neighborhood. The Graphics depict a Grove of Poplar Trees in the light of a burgeoning Sun, a Ribbon of River meandering through a central meadow, and  “POPLAR GROVE” is overlaid onto it identifying the Neighborhood.

A large steel arch has also been added to each side of the bridge to echo its significance as a river crossing and street lighting of the same period has also been added to enhance the design of the bridge and make the pedestrian crossings more visible to oncoming drivers.

It is the artist’s hope that the bridge’s re-design and re-enhancement will help bring vitality to the Jordan River, the Trail, its users of this community.

This public art project was funded through Salt Lake City’s Public Art Program. Special thanks to the Salt Lake Art Design Board, the Salt Lake City Arts Council, Salt Lake City Corporation, and members of the Review Committee for their assistance with this project.

 

Flying Objects 5.0 (2017)

by

.

.

.

.

.

.

 

The Flying Objects public art project began in 2005 during a time when downtown Salt Lake City was under considerable construction for the City Creek Center, one of the nation’s largest mixed-use downtown redevelopment projects. The project was designed to stage a series of sculptures, installed in three locations, that added color, shape, interest, whimsy, and vitality to the streetscape through a curated series of twelve sculptures in a range of styles and materials.

Since then, five series’ of Flying Objects have been accomplished with great support from the artists and the community. The first four series were installed for a period of 2 to 2½ years; however, Flying Objects 5.0 which consists of 18 sculptures will be a permanent installation. The permanent series is located on the medians of 300 South and 400 West to 300 East. Flying Objects 5.0 was paid for collaboratively by the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake City Public Art Program. 

The Flying Objects project has offered both established and emerging Utah artists an opportunity to participate in a temporary public art project and create sculptures on a smaller scale using a variety of materials and subject matter.

Photos by Logan Sorenson.

Ribbons in Time

by

Paul Housberg’s installation, Ribbons in Time, was designed to weave subtle ribbons of color throughout the interior of the Eccles Theater. Drawing inspiration from the blues and grays of the Great Salt Lake, the warm yellows and oranges of sunsets, and the golds and pinks of Southern Utah’s canyons, the artwork balances vibrancy and restraint. Its lively hues create a graceful, festive atmosphere that shines through the theater’s façade, while its minimalist design invites each viewer to form their own personal connection with the colors.

This public art project was funded by the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City. Special thanks to the Salt Lake Art Design Board, Salt Lake City Arts Council, and Salt Lake City Corporation for their assistance with this project.

Photos by Paul Housberg.

en en