Take a stroll through downtown St. George, and one thing is immediately obvious: Color is everywhere, courtesy of several new, large-scale murals. An extravagant palette has transformed a parking structure between the Advenire Hotel and the City View apartment complex. In celebration of the City Pool’s 50th anniversary, once-barren walls now boast tropical scenes. The new City Hall building will soon be adorned with a massive installation, comprising 1,000 porcelain tiles, each painted by local residents.
Add in the selfie-ready frescoes at Station 2 Bar by Zion Brewery, Homeside Mortgage, Electric Theater Complex, St. George Art Museum, Judd’s Store, Stapley Pharmacy, The Larkin Group and more, and it’s clear that an exciting trend has taken hold in the center of the city.
“When we created the first mural to celebrate the Art Museum’s 30th anniversary, there was some hesitation—we didn’t know if it would be embraced or seen as an eyesore,” recalls Assistant Director of Parks and Community Services, Michelle Graves. “I remember saying, ‘If you build it, they will come; the community will love this.’ And luckily that is exactly what happened. Now, so many business owners are contributing to the beautification of St. George with incredible murals.”
One of the most dramatic installations was completed at the end of May, when PEG Properties unveiled a towering, vibrant vision of Southern Utah’s picturesque plant life, with a special nod to the Southwest Symphony Orchestra. PEG partnered with the City of St. George, underwriting the costs of the installation and overseeing the artist selection process, while the City provided in-kind services and equipment. Covering two sides of the parking structure shared by the Advenire and City View, the visual was crafted by internationally renowned muralist/street artist Pepe Gaka.
“Pepe was selected from a pool of talented artists after reviewing his plan for a mural for the City View parking garage, his price point and his extensive experience creating large murals worldwide,” explains St. George City Councilmember, Dannielle Larkin. “We loved the concept of native flora, combined with images of musical artists from the Symphony. Mural art is accessible to every resident and visitor. It engages the eye and the imagination of all who visit our beautiful downtown.”
Adds Community Arts Manager, Peyton Lee, “We’re so excited that this integration of the public and private sector resulted in such a gorgeous mural that has transformed our downtown.”
Speaking of the public sector—when the City Hall mural makes its debut this fall, it will stand as a testament to what’s possible when citizens heed a call to action. Back in February, local residents began picking up paintbrushes at “Paint Night” sessions at the Social Hall and other venues, creating mini renderings of what they love most about life in St. George. All 1,000 tiles have since been transformed and are being assembled into an expansive work of art to be installed above the entrance to the new Council Chambers.
Says Peyton, “The very best thing was seeing the community come together. So many people said they wanted to take part in this project and leave their mark.”
Over at the City Pool, local artist Tiffany Dewitt deftly captured the “Summer Vibes” that St. George enjoys practically year-round. In honor of the facility’s golden anniversary, Dewitt—a 2017 Utah Tech graduate—incorporated exotic flowers, palm leaves and other summertime symbols.
“Tiffany presented three lovely concepts, and we went with this one, which is bright and fresh,” Michelle says. We’re so excited that St. George will have yet another wonderful mural for our residents to enjoy.”