The 2024 Spring equinox is almost upon us, and the year is shaping up to be an exciting one for the Arts Council. 2024 will be the year the Jeremy Ranch Roundabout Public Art Project will be installed. Funding for public art in the Jeremy Ranch Roundabouts is tied to the construction of those facilities. It was originally budgeted in 2019 with strong support by the County Manager and County Council but frozen during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the economic uncertainty of that time. The funding was unfrozen in 2023 and re-budgeted in 2024 with approval to move forward with the project.

*Howl* and *Pounce* by Don Kennell & Lisa Adler

The Roundabout project was delayed due to COVID-19 and the earmarked funds were frozen until the project could be continued. Public artworks will beautify the recently-installed roundabouts at the Jeremy Ranch/Pinebrook exit with large-scale sculptures to welcome those who enter Summit County via the I-80 corridor. The Jeremy Ranch Roundabout Project is produced by the Summit County Public Art Advisory Board (‘SCPAAB’), a volunteer board created to serve Summit County. The Arts Council is contracted through Summit County to administrate for the Board, and we are excited to assist in bringing more public art to our beautiful region!

SCPAAB’s public finalist selection meeting on February 27th generated enthusiasm, with Jeremy Ranch and Pinebrook residents proclaiming their support for the project. Many voiced excitement at the potential scale of the Roundabout artwork, claiming the high visibility from I-80 could make this one of the most iconic artworks in the State. SCPAAB members voted to nominate three finalists to develop proposals, which will be presented at the April 2nd public meeting, where one finalist will be selected after hearing each proposal and opening the floor for public comment. SCPAAB’s selection will be recommended to the County Manager Shayne Scott, who has final determination of which artist(s) receives the contract. The finalists chosen to develop proposals are the artist duo Don Kennell and Lisa Adler of New Mexico, DeWitt Godfrey, and Ilan Averbuch, both residents of New York.

While the $194,000 budget for the Roundabout artworks makes this project the largest yet for SCPAAB, the Board has a track record of producing thoughtful and innovative projects across the County. In addition to recurring traveling exhibits featuring the County collection and art piano concerts, recent artworks include the sculptural mobile Yambow by Utah artist Day Christiensen, which is suspended from the ceiling of the Kamas Valley Library, the 2022 Hoytsville Historical Mural by international artist Sasha Primo, whose extensive community engagement informed his design, and the 2018 mural The Future is Now, created by New York artist Bisco Smith in collaboration with Park City area youth. SCPAAB Chair Maureen Lahey says that Yambow’s 2019 installation was the first piece of public art she helped to produce as a new Board member; Lahey describes it as a marvelous sculpture, and suggests driving past the Library at night in order to look in the windows at Yambow, gently lit and floating.

Not only is the Jeremy Ranch Roundabout Project an opportunity to create a stunning visual impact in an area that serves as the gateway to Summit County—the artworks could improve traffic safety in the roundabout. There is evidence to suggest aesthetic landscaping and public art effect traffic calming, due in part to the visual interest and placemaking qualities of roundabout art prompting drivers to pay closer attention to their surroundings. Summit County’s decision to prioritize the installation of public artworks is in step with other regions across Utah, and several high-dollar projects have recently released RFQs and calls for artists. Ogden City recently closed applications for a $200,000 project to place public art in the new Community Center, and in 2023 The Utah Center for Public Art sought artists to create site-specific artwork for the new School of Medicine at the University of Utah, to the tune of $366,000. That is to say nothing of the dozens of active calls for public art projects across the country—Utahns are far from alone in our desire to enliven the places we love with public art.

For those looking to engage in the process of public art and to see the presentation of finalist proposals, you are invited to attend the SCPAAB April 2nd meeting, from 4-6pm at the Richins Building (Kimball Junction Library), or virtually at the link provided here.

The Jeremy Ranch Roundabout Project: Placemaking at the Gateway to Summit County