MIDVALE, Utah — Midvale City officials are doing all they can to revitalize their historic Main Street.
One of the ways they want to showcase the vibrancy of their city is through public art which will be on display this weekend.
Nearly 40 buildings have been transformed into giant murals and will be featured as part of Midvale City’s "Los Muros festival."
The most recent pieces are being done by nearly a dozen artists, most visiting Utah from out of state.
On Saturday, all of the murals will be on display during the festival which will also feature music, food had a chance to meet the artists.
Muralists like Darion Fleming, who traveled from North Carolina to leave his mark on Midvale’s Main Street.
“It’s cool, I dig it!" Fleming exclaimed. "That’s the cool thing about public art, there’s a sense of permanence, but there’s also a sense of impermanence.”
Fleming is one of ten artists taking part in Midvale‘s Los Muros festival.
Midvale Mayor Marcus Stevenson says it is their latest step in bringing pride back to historic Main Street.
“The city has just been doing a ton of work to bring this Street back to life," he said.
Midvale’s first-term Mayor admits he can’t take credit for this idea, which had been in the works for several years, but he's glad it's happening on his watch.
“It’s incredible," he said. "I mean every, single day when I come down this street you’re seeing changes, our community is seeing changes, they’re positive changes.”
Darion Fleming answered the ad for artists, submitted a sample and was accepted.
He arrived in town last weekend, did some research and decided to paint one of the Romero brothers, who he learned are well-known in Midvale.
“These two gentlemen have been playing for decades, they play a lot for the senior center, they do a lot of Cinco de Mayo, festivals, weddings that sort of thing so they are adored by the seniors here and this whole building is the senior center," he said.
He’s already gotten to love the city, the state and happy to be leaving his mark…however, long it lasts.
“Buildings can be taken down and pieces can be buffed, painted over, replaced," he said. "So I think there’s kind of a romanticism to that, where not everything is here forever and it’s kind of cool to appreciate it while it is.”
Fleming and the other artists are getting paid through a city redevelopment agency fund.
You can appreciate all the impressive artwork beginning Saturday during the Los Muros festival, which goes from 4 to 9 PM.
