SLC PROTEST
Designs Wanted For New BLM Mural At Salt Lake City Hall
Jul 8, 2020, 4:01 PM | Updated: 6:11 pm
A demonstrator holds a Black Lives Matter at a protest in Salt Lake City in June 2020.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Salt Lake City is asking artists to submit their design ideas for a Black Lives Matter mural to be painted at the entrance of City Hall.
The city will outline the words “Black Lives Matter” off the building’s east steps, and submitted designs will be chosen to fill in the letters.
Designs will be selected by a committee that includes Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Lex Scott, founder of Black Lives Matter Utah, Salt Lake City Councilmember Ana Valdemoros and creative director Chris Owens.
“We want to make it clear that Salt Lake City believes Black Lives Matter, and is committed to real change in our community. We’re taking this symbolic step as a city to boldly acknowledge this movement and commit to our role in it,” Mendenhall said in a news release. “An important part of this for us is creating a space where artists and community members are able to come together to express their feelings on this movement.”
The release said the mural is legally considered “government speech” and a public forum is not being created with it.
“Black Lives Matter Utah is very excited about this mural. This mural is a symbol of how this country is changing, and coming to understand the movement,” said Scott. “We have been in these streets working towards justice and equality for six years. Now we get a visual representation of our work and goals to truly achieve justice in this country.”
The mural will be temporary and eventually fade away, but the city will document it digitally for preservation, the release said.
Interested artists, designers and the members of the public can submit designs online through 5 p.m. July 15.
The committee will announce winning entrants on July 16. Each entrant will paint two letters.
