(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The official portrait of former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is unveiled as he is helped by his wife Kate Kopischke on Wed., March 27, 2019, outside the MayorÕs Office at the Salt Lake City-County Building. Becker who served as mayor from 2008 to early 2016, had his portrait done by artist Jeff Hein who took into consideration Becker's championing of the environment and an avid bicycle commuter.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The official portrait of former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is unveiled as he is joined by his wife Kate Kopischke on Wed., March 27, 2019, outside the MayorÕs Office at the Salt Lake City-County Building. Becker who served as mayor from 2008 to early 2016, had his portrait done by artist Jeff Hein who took into consideration Becker's championing of the environment and an avid bicycle commuter.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The official portrait of former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is unveiled on Wed., March 27, 2019, outside the Mayor’s Office at the Salt Lake City-County Building. Becker who served as mayor from 2008 to early 2016, had his portrait done by artist Jeff Hein who took into consideration Becker's championing of the environment and an avid bicycle commuter.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The official portrait of former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker nears unveiling as artist Jeff Hein talks about getting to know the mayor over more than 20-hours of sitting time before it is unveiled on Wed., March 27, 2019, outside the MayorÕs Office at the Salt Lake City-County Building. Becker who served as mayor from 2008 to early 2016, had his portrait done by artist Jeff Hein who took into consideration Becker's championing of the environment and an avid bicycle commuter.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The official portrait of former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is unveiled on Wed., March 27, 2019, outside the Mayor’s Office at the Salt Lake City-County Building. Becker who served as mayor from 2008 to early 2016, had his portrait done by artist Jeff Hein who took into consideration Becker's championing of the environment and an avid bicycle commuter.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The official portrait of former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is unveiled as he is joined by his wife Kate Kopischke on Wed., March 27, 2019, outside the MayorÕs Office at the Salt Lake City-County Building. Becker who served as mayor from 2008 to early 2016, had his portrait done by artist Jeff Hein who took into consideration Becker's championing of the environment and an avid bicycle commuter.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The official portrait of former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is unveiled on Wed., March 27, 2019, outside the Mayor’s Office at the Salt Lake City-County Building. Becker who served as mayor from 2008 to early 2016, had his portrait done by artist Jeff Hein who took into consideration Becker's championing of the environment and an avid bicycle commuter.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The official portrait of former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is unveiled on Wed., March 27, 2019, outside the Mayor’s Office at the Salt Lake City-County Building. Becker who served as mayor from 2008 to early 2016, had his portrait done by artist Jeff Hein who took into consideration Becker's championing of the environment and an avid bicycle commuter.
Former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker was back in City Hall on Wednesday to participate in a portrait unveiling that adds a painting of him to a long line of past occupants of the city’s top office.
The city allows the portrait subject to pick his or her portrait artist. Becker chose Jeff Hein, a New York native who received his education at Salt Lake Community College and the University of Utah. His work has been shown in a number of galleries and museums and featured in American Art Collector, Fine Art Connoisseur and other publications.
Becker said his selection was motivated by Hein’s talent and his ability to “bring out the true character of his subjects.”
In the case of Utah’s former two-term mayor, Hein described his take. "Ralph Becker was big on the environment [as mayor], and still is. In the past year that I’ve worked with him, I never saw him drive a car. He would show up to the studio on his bike even if it was bitter cold, snowing or raining.”
Becker served as mayor from 2008 to 2016, losing his bid for a third term in the 2015 election to current Mayor Jackie Biskupski. Utah’s capital hasn’t had a three-term mayor for at least a half century.
