- South Salt Lake's Mural Fest showcases local, national and international artists' work.
- The event, on May 9, will add 10 new murals, reaching 89 total.
- Organizers emphasize community pride with art fostering unity and conversation among residents.
SOUTH SALT LAKE — From its colorful city office building to the variety of paintings sprinkled throughout its communities, South Salt Lake isn't bashful about giving artists a public platform to display their talents.
The city arguably has the largest collection of street art in the state, featuring works by both local and national artists.
And with the annual Mural Fest now just weeks away, nearly a dozen new public art pieces will soon be installed throughout South Salt Lake.
"Mural fest unites the community through arts. We have international, national and local artists coming to represent and showcase their stories on some of our industrial buildings in South Salt Lake,' said Britney Helmers, executive director with South Salt Lake Arts.
Each year, the event showcases the city's vibrant arts community with murals that tell a different story.
Helmers said artists are able to use their creativity in collaboration with local businesses to bring their vision of something that speaks to the community, a social cause or a compelling image to life.
"We allow the artists to be artists in this situation, so we get to see them exactly when the public gets to see them," she said.
When Mural Fest began nearly a decade ago, city leaders and event organizers set out on an ambitious goal.
"So nine years ago, my predecessor, Leslie Allen, worked alongside the mayor to set a pledge to have 100 murals in South Salt Lake within 10 years," Helmers said. Ten new murals are planned for next month's event, bringing the total number to 89 so far.
Event organizers say the Mural Fest has grown into one of Utah's largest and most notable outdoor mural festivals; they estimate around 12,000 people attended last year.
"South Salt Lake is now essentially an open-air gallery, boasting the largest concentration of murals in Utah, with our industrial walls serving as a perfect canvas for local, national and international artists," a city-issued press release states.
Attendees are invited to walk or bike the mural route, meet the artists behind the painting, enjoy live music, and much more.
But aside from the festivities, organizers say Mural Fest is about community pride.
"We look at art as truly inspiring the community — art instills a sense of pride in the neighborhood," Helmers said.
A map of previously created murals in South Salt Lake is available on the event website.
Mural Fest may only be a one-day event, but the art displayed throughout the community continues to offer a color palette of perspective for people who see and resonate with the pieces long after the event.
"We hear stories constantly with people walking around checking out a new mural, saying, 'Hey, did you see that — I didn't know that was there.' So it brings up a conversation — It's a talking point and people seem to really unite and talk about how those murals inspired them and impacted them," Helmers explained.
In alignment with the One Kind Act a Day initiative, two "graduation-themed" murals will go up, one at Woodrow Wilson Elementary and one at the Central Park Community Center.
"We did quite a bit of community engagement with some of the youth to help produce those murals. So that also inspired the artist's work that will be featured," Helmers said.
Public art enthusiasts can discover the new creations at the ninth annual Mural Fest on Saturday, May 9, kicking off at 151 W. Commonwealth Avenue.
