Demolition began last week on Salt Lake City’s Fleet Block, where, since 2020, large murals depicting individuals killed by police, both locally and nationally, have faced the public along 300 West and 900 South.
Created by the anonymous collective SL Mural Makers, the murals began appearing on the long white building in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. Over several months, new portraits were added, each featuring a consistent, stenciled aesthetic with a red and magenta palette. In total, 26 individuals were memorialized across the site.
The murals were painted on the walls of a city-owned property that had been vacant and slated for demolition even before the artwork appeared. Despite conversations between city officials and community activists, the city ultimately moved forward with redevelopment plans for the site. Salt Lake City has committed to dedicating three acres of the roughly nine-acre space to public open space and a future art installation intended to honor the murals’ legacy and social justice themes.
“Along with the open space, adjoining parcels will be offered for development in exchange for community benefits,” city documents explain. While demolition crews are set to remove all buildings on the property, concrete pads and asphalt will remain in place for now.
The site became a powerful visual tribute during the Black Lives Matter movement, serving as a meaningful stop during protests and a gathering place for remembrance. In April 2022, family members of those depicted wrote to Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, expressing concerns about how the memorialized faces might be replicated in a way that felt exploitative or tied to gentrification. They urged city officials to preserve the spirit of the space in a meaningful, non-commercial way (see Scotti Hill’s article in Southwest Contemporary).
On February 8, family, friends and community activists held a vigil in honor of those depicted.
While demolition continues, Salt Lake City plans to begin a public engagement process this Spring to develop a new public art installation that reflects the spirit of the original murals and their social justice message.
All images by Steve Coray.
With our In Plain Site byline we feature publicly viewable art, both official and street art, throughout the state of Utah.
Categories: Art Lake City | In Plain Site | Visual Arts
Rumor has it that this bold visual statement will be moved to a new location. I’m hoping activists will maintain pressure on the local authorities so that, once out of sight, it doesn’t get warehoused and forgotten. Instead of public funds creating anodyne new art, it would be better to redeploy this strong and available, much valued art.
We will miss this gathering place for those who lost loved ones to police brutality. We will miss passing by these murals depicting faces of those who should still be living.