Over the summer of 2025, the Ballpark neighborhood was transformed into a vibrant open-air gallery through the creation of ten new murals. Each mural emerged from a unique collaboration between a local business and a local artist selected from the Public Art Program’s Pre-Qualified Artist Pool. Business owners offered their walls as creative canvases, while artists designed site-specific works that captured the people, stories, and distinctive character of the neighborhood.

Funded by the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency (CRA) and programmed by the Salt Lake City Arts Council, the initiative infused the neighborhood with new energy, color, and creativity. The project celebrated and strengthened the artistic spirit already thriving in the community, uplifting small businesses, showcasing local talent, and cultivating a deeper sense of place. Together, these ten murals formed a cohesive and dynamic collection that reflects what makes the Ballpark neighborhood truly one of a kind.

Paul Heath is a life-long Salt Lake City resident who graduated from the U. of U. with a BFA in Drawing and Painting in 1985. He has been involved in several public art projects, from the history of Salt Lake City baseball for the etched glass windows at Smith’s Ballfield, to this mural to celebrate the Ballpark Community. Since 2013, Paul has also been an elementary Visual Art teacher with the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program in the Salt Lake City School District. He received a master’s degree in education with USU in 2018. Here is how Paul describes his work for public and private commissions: “I characterize my work as “Pop-Nostalgia”. As a lifetime Salt Lake City resident, I draw inspiration from the awesome neon signs we have around us. I see my work as playful documentation, looking at objects and neighborhood niches through a lighter lens. I also paint images of older antique toys… to elicit a smile or friendly smirk.”

Photos by Logan Sorenson