Artwork showcasing Southern Utah’s beauty installed across Iron County

Written by Alysha Lundgren
September 29, 2023

CEDAR CITY —  Art representing Southern Utah has been wrapped around Utah Department of Transportation utility boxes across Iron County to add “some beauty to our communities.”

Artist Mary Jabens’ “Cedar Breaks” adorns Mayor’s Park at the corner of University Boulevard and Main Street, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 28, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News

The Iron County Public Arts Commission, founded in early 2022, launched the project last September with a call for submissions. They reviewed submitted artwork for several months, narrowing down which pieces would be chosen and where they’d be located, said Jessica Kinsey, the Southern Utah Museum of Art’s executive director and commission’s chair.

Twenty-three artists submitted, Kinsey said, adding that 11 were ultimately chosen. Adrianna Allegretti had two submissions chosen and installed in Parowan and another in Brian Head.

While many of the participants were local, others were chosen who had a connection to Iron County, Kinsey said.

“We didn’t want to necessarily keep it to just artists physically located here, but we wanted people who feel a sense of belonging, or Southern Utah has meaning to them and importance,” she said. “And so they all have some type of connection to Southern Utah, even if it’s just as a tourist.”

Instead of painting the utility boxes, the commission had the artists submit images, which were recreated in vinyl. Kinsey said this opened up the project to photographers and other types of artists.

Artist Farron Kanosh’s “Thunderbird” flies at the corner of Thunderbird Way and 300 W, near Southern Utah University’s Founders Hall, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 28, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News

“Your medium doesn’t have to be painting on walls to be public art, and I think that, for me, that’s what was really exciting,” she said.

The commission worked with the artists to refine their works to highlight Cedar City’s characteristics, Kinsey said. The commission considered each piece’s qualities when choosing its location. For instance, locals can find Farron Kanosh’s “Thunderbird” on Thunderbird Way and Malcolm Howard’s “Petroglyphs” — a photograph taken of the petroglyphs at Parowan Gap — near the exit they need to take to see them in person.

All the participating artists received payment, which Kinsey said she’s “really proud” of.

“I think that it’s important that we value art in this way — that there’s money behind it,” she said. “Because I think, so often in our world, we want to approach artists or musicians to do things for free, and it’s their career and their livelihood, and we should put money behind that. This is a great project that’s not only bringing some beauty to our communities, visually, but it’s also supporting financially some of our local artists.”

This is one of the last projects that will utilize UDOT’s utility boxes, as the department is no longer accepting applications from communities for similar work. Going forward, the commission will focus on other spaces to showcase artists, such as utility boxes owned by Rocky Mountain Power.

“We’re really fortunate that we got grandfathered in because we had already initiated the conversation with UDOT,” Kinsey said, adding, “UDOT was really great to work with — very communicative and especially as they were navigating not supporting these projects in the future. They were really great about helping us make sure we could see this project through.”

The pictures featured in this article are just a sampling of the artwork installed throughout Iron County, with 10 in Cedar City, two in Parowan and one in Brian Head. While Kinsey said a project map with each piece’s location is forthcoming, Southern Utahns can seek them out at any time.

The locations featured in this article are:

Artist Adrianna Allegretti’s “Hiker” can be found on state Route 143 (200 South) between 1200 West and 1000 West, Parowan, Utah, Sept. 26, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News
  • Mary Jabens’ “Cedar Breaks” adorns Mayor’s Park at the corner of University Boulevard and Main Street in Cedar City.
  • Rachel Koch’s “Hoodoos” stands near a Maverick gas station at the Corner of Thunderbird Way and Main Street in Cedar City.
  • Kanosh’s “Thunderbird” flies in Cedar City at the corner of Thunderbird Way and 300 W, near SUU’s Founders Hall.
  • Mallory Sanders’ “SUU Mandala” decorates the corner of 300 W and University Boulevard near the university’s Clark Center in Cedar City.
  • Howard’s “Petroglyphs” can be found on state Route 130 and 3000 North, near a Maverick gas station on the north end of Cedar City.
  • Allegretti’s “Skier” and “Hiker” can be found on state Route 143 (200 South) in Parowan, between 1200 West and 1000 West.

Photo Gallery

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alysha Lundgren joined the St. George News team in 2022. She began her career as a freelancer, writing resource articles for families of children with disabilities. She's also covered topics such as astronomy, recreation and nature. Originally from Nevada, Alysha fell in love with Utah quickly after moving to Cedar City. In her free time, she enjoys wandering and photographing Utah's gorgeous landscapes or hunkering down in a blanket to play video games or read a good book.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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