Embracing the Vision of Community . Maud’s Cafe . 2019 . Glazed Tile Mural Design . 11’ x 10’
Thank you to our partners and other artists: Volunteers of America - Utah, Artspace, Sylviane Bahati, Mireya Franco, Iman Ibrahim, Sanjar Kushaliev, and April Norby
Been to Maud’s Café recently? If so, you’ve probably seen the art installation at Artspace. Embracing the Vision of Community is a mural that was installed on the east wall of Artspace Greenery in November 2019, culminating a 2-year project led by longtime Artspace tenant, Bad Dog Arts.
Bad Dog Arts’ main purpose it to provide accessible and hands-on experiences that introduces young people to the vast possibilities in life through the arts. This project was a prime example of this significant mission. After receiving a prestigious grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Bad Dog Arts collaborated with Volunteers of America (VOA), Utah and Artspace to create a mural that reflects the spirit of the community in the Granary District. To learn more about the experiences of our neighbors and the clients at Volunteers of America, Bad Dog Arts taught a number of art classes, including photography, to the clients at the VOA Youth Resource Center and engaged in dialogue with the teens and young adults at the center. They also conducted focus groups to gather information from community members. Then Bad Dog Arts' own Teen Studio Program got to work incorporating this feedback into a mural design.
The studio teens presented drafts of their work to a team of Volunteers of America, Utah and Artspace staff and made adjustments to the design based on further feedback. With final finishing touches coming from professional artists and Bad Dog Arts co-founders, Michael Moonbird and Victoria Lyons, the mural design was ready to go into the production phase.
This mural is probably not like other murals you’ve seen. Instead of being painted directly on the wall, it’s made of hand glazed tiles. This is an intensive process where the design is transferred to 12”x 12” porcelain tiles, hand glazed, then fired in a kiln. The final product is a beautiful, shiny (and graffiti-proof!) mural which was then professionally installed on the wall.
Whole Foods Mural at Trolley Square . 2011-12 .
Art Apprenticeship Program for Teens . Acrylic on Cement
Trolley Trax Station . 2000-2001
Designing Transit for TOD - Our example of a fresh look at designing a transit station and encouraging community building.
Innovative Community Strategies - Building livable communities with children’s art + design.
Public Involvement - Bringing about successful integrated and diverse community public art projects
through partnerships and collaborations.
The Bad Dog artist team achieved their goal through public art to make children’s art visible to the community and to give children a sense of lasting accomplishment. The children who helped to create this station can point with pride to elements that they designed and executed and which celebrate their unique personalities. Shortly before the 2002 Olympics the residents of Salt Lake City revived a true legacy piece that combines local history, beauty and the spirit of diversity. The following Artists were involved in the project: Valerie Price, Paul Heath, Victoria Lyons and Michael Moonbird