A new art installation aiming to reflect the Fairpark neighborhood’s character is expected to land in a traffic circle at 1300 West and 500 North this summer.
While city officials are in the final stages of nailing down exactly what that west-side installation will be, we want to know: What would you like to see there?
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A Jeep drives through a roundabout at the intersection of 500 North and 1300 West in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024.
The traffic circle itself is relatively new to the neighborhood. It was built as a part of improvements to 500 North that aimed to reduce speeding after a child was killed by a car there in 2018.
In late 2022, once the circle was completed, the city’s Art Design Board decided the intersection would be a prime place for public art.
Since then, the city has surveyed residents to get their opinions on the project and received 16 applications from artists interested in making their mark in Fairpark.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A woman crosses the street near a roundabout at the intersection of 500 North and 1300 West in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024.
The new piece, whatever it is, won’t be as large as the 9th and 9th whale — officially titled “Out of the Blue” — because the west-side traffic circle is much smaller than the one that hosts the whale.
But before the final renderings for the project drop next month, we want to hear your ideas. Something like:
• A kayaker on the Jordan River.
• A skater hitting one of the deep bowls at the VANS skatepark.
• A bull rider at the Days of ‘47 Rodeo.
• Hamilton “Ham” Porter, the catcher from the 1993 baseball classic “The Sandlot,” heckling a batter in an iconic scene filmed just northwest of the intersection at Riverside Park.
Check out our Google Form to share your ideas. We’ll keep you in the loop.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Businesses near the intersection of 500 North and 1300 West in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024.
