SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — MuralFest 2023 was held this past weekend in South Salt Lake, but the works of art that were being celebrated are still on permanent display. Dozens of murals now pepper the walls of the area called the Creative Industries Zone.
"It's fun, yeah!" said Chris Jacobs , the assistant brewmaster at Level Crossing Brewing Co. "It’s kind of moved into more things and become bigger and bigger, which is really cool."
Jacobs says he loves the mural they have on the side of their brewery, and especially how it highlights what they do, showcasing hops and grains and beer.
He says he's loved seeing the murals pop up throughout this community, and he believes they attract new businesses like his.
"They’re helping progress the area. They’re planting new trees along the road, doing all that type of stuff that has really made it look a lot different than it was four years ago," he said.
That's when they opened shop near 3000 South and West Temple. He says it's changed dramatically since then with major beautification efforts in just the past year.
"That building looked completely different sic months ago. They came in painted it all white and put these beautiful murals up on it," Jacobs said.
Once touted as the "Center of Industry," Jacobs says South Salt Lake still has that, but now offers so much more.
"There are places to come, sit outside, have a beer, have some food. There’s a few breweries around, there’s a few distilleries. It’s definitely becoming more of a hot spot," he said.
This past week, artists came from all over the world as a part of MuralFest to create these new works of art. Ten new installations were unveiled, adding to the dozens already here — now totaling some 60 murals.
Employees at a printing shop on West Temple say they love the art that is on the outside wall of their business, and they love what it's done for their community.
However, not everyone's a fan.
"To me, it’s an eyesore," said Ernest Potter, who has owned his home that looks out toward I-80 and what used to be a gray wall.
"I just enjoyed the privacy, and the freeway noise don’t bother me," he said.
Potter says already there's been more foot traffic after a new mural was unveiled right across from his house. Those behind the project tout the added foot traffic as a positive, but Potter says he doesn't like it.
"I’m not against the artist, and I’m not against the art, and I’m not against what South Salt Lake City is doing. But I don’t want it done in front of residences," he said.
He says he was never contacted about it and would have appreciated that. He also says he has concerns about what could be coming, fearing many more murals lining the wall in front of his home.
"The city should be respectful of property owners because they’re not coming out and asking us."
"We’re trying to make art accessible to everybody, so we’re trying to roughly make the world’s largest art museum that’s public and free," said Jonathon Trujillo King from the Utah Arts Alliance.
He says this all started in 2017, but it was one of the only festivals that managed to continue through the pandemic.
"It kept art alive. It was a very rough neighborhood, but over the years has just gotten better and better. It’s really revitalized the community," King said, adding that he believes the murals are the main reason behind the area's revitalization.
"100 percent! You take a wall that’s disheveled and put beautiful art on it and it brings people down and transforms a community and brings a vibrant economy," he said.
A map of the new art installations can be found at themuralfest.com.
