$15k commission on offer for public mural project

A wall in want of character. The Folsom River Mural Project is an opportunity for local artists to make their mark. Photo courtesy of Seven Canyons Trust

The Seven Canyons Trust is soliciting proposals for a public mural to be painted next to the Folsom Trail at 25 South 1000 West. The winning proposal will be given a 275 x 25ft canvas in the form of a blank cinder block wall and a $15,000 award.

In its request for proposals, Seven Canyons Trust writes “the artwork is intended to acknowledge City Creek, beautify the Folsom Trail corridor, and represent the Euclid/Poplar Grove neighborhood. It will contribute to the vibrancy, uniqueness, and creativity of the neighborhood while recognizing its historical character.”

Jonah Hornsby, the property’s owner, reinforced that sentiment. He’s hoping to see something that will beautify the area but that’s also relevant to the history and character of the neighborhood.

“It’s such a large amount of square footage facing a public space, so I just felt it was the perfect canvas for an art piece,” said Hornsby. “There’s also a lot of history here, but it’s being changed by new developments and all these apartments coming in.”

Hornsby’s agency, Align Complete Real Estate Services, is a co-sponsor of the mural project, along with the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency, the Crocker Catalyst Foundation, and the Salt Lake City Arts Council.

The mural is part of the larger Folsom Trail project, a multi-phase initiative that’s been included in five master plans over the past two decades. The trail is a walking and cycling path that connects 1000 West to 500 West and the North Temple FrontRunner Station. It was completed in 2022.

As the Folsom Trail is city property, the overall process is being led by the SLC Redevelopment Agency, but Seven Canyons Trust is managing the mural project, including artist selection.

The mural is the latest step in the Folsom Trail Project, and it corresponds with public feedback from 2020, which requested additional lighting, seating areas, native plants, decorative gravel, and “landscaping and decorative elements that softened the industrial feeling of the area” – the feedback the mural addresses.

Hornsby, the property owner and a project co-sponsor, understands that need. “It’s not a pretty building currently,” he said, “so anything to beautify that stretch of the corridor would be an improvement. The city has done a great job starting the process, and Seven Canyons does a great job maintaining it, but it felt like something else was needed.”

Hornsby has no similar plans for other properties at the moment, but he’s always looking for opportunities to invest in communities, and this mural has been a goal for some time. “I’ve been trying to find someone to do a mural there,” he said. “I’ve reached out and just couldn’t find the right people, or the cost was just too prohibitive.” In the Seven Canyons Trust, he hopes to have finally found the right partner. “It was really serendipitous when they reached out and asked to use the wall.”

For more information on the Folsom Mural Trail Project, including how to submit a proposal, visit https://folsomtrail.org/mural. The deadline for proposals is March 31.