Jordan River murals to honor Westside women

A public art exhibit celebrating Utah women’s history that Better Days has already installed in Richmond Park. Similar murals are coming to the Rose Park Community Garden in June. Photo courtesy of Better Days.

People traveling along the Jordan River Trail this summer will have the opportunity to view the Westside’s newest art installation, which will be displayed in the Rose Park Community Garden, located at 871 N Cornell St (1525 W). The installation will feature several women from the Westside and will represent their stories, influence, and legacies.

Public art installations are becoming increasingly common across the Westside, and in partnership with Wasatch Community Gardens, Better Days 2020 has commissioned a new mural that will feature women from the Westside who have had an impact on the local community.

Better Days is a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness of Utah women’s history in creative and communal ways. “Murals are a great way to amplify the stories of women in the past who make our communities such vibrant places to live,” said Tiffany Greene, Better Days’ Education and Community Outreach Director.

Having successfully installed several other public art exhibits around the Salt Lake Valley, including one at the State Capital and one in Richmond Park, the team at Better Days is excited to shed light on historic women of the West Side. “Rose Park as a community is very old and historic – in a way that people who are new to the area don’t realize,” said Greene.

The mural to be featured in Rose Park’s community garden will be completed by Bill Louis, a Glendale native and muralist for the memorial portrait of Margarita Santini, which is displayed at the Og-Wai People’s Orchard and Garden.

While it is unknown who will be present in this next mural, Greene noted that over 100 submissions were received and included teachers, healers, herbalists, artists, and many others. She added that because of the diverse submissions, folks will be able to see themselves represented in the mural no matter who is featured.

Of the submissions, five to eight will be featured across four panels, with work beginning in May. An unveiling ceremony will be held on June 21, 2023 at Rose Park Community Garden and is open to the public. Greene hopes that the ceremony will be an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate the rich cast of women who have helped weave the tapestry of the West Side’s history.

“Ultimately we hope that this event and the mural will send the message that women are powerful and their stories shouldn’t be in the background or taken for granted,” said Greene. She also noted the significance of the location: “There’s something really beautiful about having a mural dedicated to women’s stories that is next to a flowing river – that is a cool metaphoric location to help tell this story.”