A new mural on Salt Lake City's west side highlights eight impactful women from both the city’s past and present. The effort was spearheaded by Better Days 2020, an organization dedicated to sharing the history of Utah women.
"It's just really a testament to the important role that women have played in Salt Lake City's west side communities and the role that they still play today," said education and community outreach director Tiffany Greene. "The through line of all of these stories is that we build on the women who came before us. They provide inspiration and mentorship so that we can continue to serve our communities and meet their needs in our present time."
Greene said they received over 100 community nominations, but there was only room for eight of them on the murals at Rose Park Community Garden. The piece was done by mural artist Bill Louis.
"We were able to just choose some women that we thought really represented those silent leaders, women who maybe would never have their story told or it's not your typical in the spotlight women, but their stories are so important and so integral to how our cities and our communities function."
Four of the women are deceased, but Greene said they leave behind a trailblazing legacy.
Bobby Florez was the first Latina to serve in the Utah Legislature.
Cristina Caputo was an Italian immigrant who opened Caputo's grocery store in the Fairpark neighborhood in 1922.
Maria Cardenas helped pave the way for Latina entrepreneurs and was the founder of the Red Iguana Mexican restaurant.
Nettie Gregory was an advocate for young Black Americans on the city's west side.
The other four, Cencira Te’o, Karina Lugo-Villalba, Maria Garciaz and Sylvia Abaloscontinue to actively serve the community.
Public art is more than just a gallery of paintings, Greene said and she hopes this installation will be a sign of inspiration for young women that there are role models in their hometown.
"That is one key part of our mission. We want people in Utah to know that important things and important people are from here, that the stories from our own backyard are really what impact our day to day lives, probably more than those stories that you read about in textbooks and in the movies."
In general, the Salt Lake City Arts Council believes murals serve a number of purposes from adding vibrance to a specific area to sparking insightful conversations.
"It makes people curious about a place. And people go there, visit it and enjoy, enjoy the amenities around it. But a lot of times, the draw is the artwork," according to public art program manager, Renato Olmedo Gonzalez.
The council commissions art projects that add beauty and vibrance by integrating art in public spaces. In some cases, the art speaks to the characteristics of the location like the "Out of the Blue" roundabout whale in Salt Lake City's Ninth and Ninth neighborhood.
"I think with art in general, and with public art in general, is that we're not only dealing with the question of placing on our work in a public setting, which, you know, it has to appease a great number of people so you don't have to go into a museum to see it,” Gonzales said. “So that's the difference with public art, with a mural that you just encounter by being outside and visiting public spaces."
