PROJECT SUMMARY
Mural Fest is a multi-year collaboration between artists, business owners, South Salt Lake Arts Council, and the South Salt Lake community. Each year, Mural Fest commissions local and visiting mural artists to create 10 public art murals in South Salt Lake’s Creative Industries Zone in order to contribute to the beautification and economic vitality of South Salt Lake.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Ten buildings located within South Salt Lake will be chosen to receive one of the Mural Fest 2026 commissions. The South Salt Lake Arts Board and other invited artists and arts administrators will select 10 artists or teams of artists through a formal jury process. Each artist or team selected will paint an original mural on an exterior wall of properties located within the designated 2026 Mural Fest location. The Arts Council will award a stipend of up to $6,500 to each artist or team of artists depending on location and size of wall. Building owners and/or businesses chosen to recieve a mural will contribute 50% of stipend paid to selected artists.
Artists will create site-specific work that:
- Reflects the diversity and character of South Salt Lake’s Creative Industries
- Zone Adds to the vibrancy and sense of place to the neighborhood
- Is not deemed as an advertisement
- Is not vulgar or obscene as determined by the South Salt Lake Arts Board
BUSINESS PARTICIPATION RULES
The South Salt Lake Arts Council will direct the matching of selected artists and buildings. Artists and businesses will be paired with each other by mid-March, 2025 to begin collaborating on the mural design. Businesses will respect the creative license of the artists. Artists will respect the boundaries of business wishes on artistic content. Artists will provide Mural Proposal for business review.
NOTE: As a non-profit organization with a limited budget, we are not able to pay artists as much as we wish. However, the artists who participate do so for the love of their craft and to give back to our community. We therefore ask businesses and property owners to recognize this when granting artistic freedom to artists rather than expecting what they might with a privately commissioned mural.
Businesses and artists must agree on a mural design proposal prior to March 30, 2026. The South Salt Lake Arts Board will review and approve mural designs by April 5, 2026. Painting may begin any time after April 26, 2026.
Artwork location and content must pass the South Salt Lake Arts Board review. This review will include, but is not limited to:
● Mural shall be visible from a public place (street, sidewalk, trail, park, etc.).
● Mural shall not appear to promote a business, religion, or political agenda.
● Mural shall not contain alphanumeric characters unless they are integral to the artwork. Text cannot be interpreted as an advertisement, address or related to the business.
● Mural content shall be appropriate for general public viewing with no offensive or sexually explicit content.
● No tags/graffiti art unless incorporated into the mural and covering under 50% of area. Mural can be painted without undue risk and with permitted access.
TEMPORARY FACADE EASEMENT AND LICENSE AGREEMENT
The Property Owner intends to sign a License Agreement agreeing to the painting and maintenance of the mural for public viewing that will be in effect for three years.
● Spectators allowed onto their property to view their mural while painting is in progress. Owner shall not cover the mural with any object or manipulate the mural in any way.
● Business owner will notify the South Salt Lake Arts Council immediately upon becoming aware of any damage or graffiti to the mural and allow the South Salt Lake Arts Council access to the mural to repair and/or restore the mural.
● Building owners will sponsor artist at a minimum of 50% of artist stipend (up to $5,000). Building owner has the option to pay additional compensation to artist to facilitate a larger mural so long as artwork still complies with South Salt Lake Arts Board Selection Criteria.
IMPORTANT DATES
Mural design proposal Arts Council review: March 30-April 5, 2026
Business Temp Easement Agreement deadline: April 5, 2026
Mural painting period: April 26 – May 8, 2026
Mural Fest Mural Walk: May 9, 2026
