Park City’s Newest Mural, Yesterday and Today, By Chuck Landvatter

In summer of 2019, Salt Lake City artist Chuck Landvatter responded to a Request for Proposals from the Park City Public Art Board to paint the tunnel nearest the Park City Transit Center. Chuck pitched an idea that incorporated his traditional approach to murals, representational imagery, including historical and contemporary human figures from Park City, spray-painted over bold colors and nonobjective shapes. 

The Park City Public Art Board selected Chuck’s proposal and he began the background work on the mural in the fall of 2019, then after the snow melted in the spring he finished up the mural by adding the details of the faces and hands. The mural was recently completed in May and it is a beautiful representation of Park City’s past and present. We spoke with Chuck briefly about the faces and people represented in the mural, his goal behind his work and what inspires his art.

Chuck tells us that the mural includes figures who helped shape and continue to shape Park City. When you are in the tunnel, on one side you see historical figures in black and white paint juxtaposed with a colored background, and on the other side of the tunnel, you see contemporary faces in color contrasted with a black, white and grey background.

The historical figures depicted are the hands of a miner working, a Chinese worker, who represents all of the Summit County Chinese workers from the past who played a role in mining in the area and in creating the Transcontinental Railroad that passes through nearby. The last historical face is the Silver Queen of Utah, Susanna Bransford. Susanna is one of the silver mining era’s millionaires and a fascinating local character. 

On the opposite side of the tunnel, more contemporary faces are depicted. These faces include Tori Pillinger, a former U.S. Ski Team alpine racer from Park City who died of breast cancer in 2017; Sage Kostenburg, an American snowboarder who grew up in Park City and won the first-ever Olympic gold medal in men's snowboard slopestyle at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia; and finally Eric Porter, a professional mountain bike rider who lives locally. The mural tells a colorful and meaningful story of Park City in a visually appealing way that makes you stop and take a closer look as you pass by. 

When asked what he wanted people to gain from this mural Chuck says simply, “education.” He wanted people to engage with the art and ponder the history of Park City, ask themselves who these people were and how they impacted the city as we know it today. Chuck said that similar to the people he depicts in his mural, he is inspired by legacy. “It’s important for people to leave a positive impact and a lasting legacy. I think art is often an under-appreciated aspect that provides a positive impact. When I create, I pull inspiration from everything around me but I’m always thinking about legacy and how I can leave a positive impact for my kids and future generations to come.” 

Check out Yesterday and Today, by Chuck Landvatter in the tunnel nearest to the Old Town Transit Center. Learn more about Chuck on his website https://chucklandvatter.com and follow him at @chuckdillah.