Mountview Park has been given new life with the addition of a vibrant mural, drawing attention to the park’s pollinator garden and showcasing local art. This project, spearheaded by the Cottonwood Heights Arts Council, was a collaboration between city committees, local artist Whitney Horrocks, and Draper Fabrication, a local business. Together, they transformed an old, faded wall into a colorful and meaningful centerpiece for the community.

The idea to revitalize the wall began when Laura Garcia, chair of the Cottonwood Heights Arts Council, visited the park: “I noticed that the wall that used to have tiles on it painted by elementary school kids was just completely faded,” Garcia recalled.

Garcia reached out to Ann Eatchel, Cottonwood Heights culture manager, to brainstorm ways to improve the wall. 

As they discussed potential themes, Garcia learned about the pollinator garden located near the park, which had been installed by the Parks, Trails, and Open Spaces Committee. Thus the idea for a pollination motif was born.

The arts council enlisted the help of local artist Whitney Horrocks to design and execute the mural. Horrocks is the owner of The Smartest Artist, an art studio that offers classes for children and teens.

“What was really fortuitous was that the wall is long, sort of like a comic, so it left so much opportunity for narrative without words,” Horrocks explained. “My goal was to have it be easily read, especially by children.” 

Horrocks used a limited color palette to emphasize simplicity and cohesiveness, as well as a loose line quality to evoke a childlike feel and encourage young artists to embrace imperfection. “Reaching children was my biggest goal,” she said.

Horrocks worked with Jesse Draper from Draper Fabrication, who fixed the tiles, prepped the surface for paint and sealed it for durability. They also projected her design onto the wall, allowing Horrocks to focus on painting the bees and overseeing the project. Though Horrocks created the design, many hands were involved in completing the mural on time, especially given the challenging weather during the two-week process.

The arts council is working on additional art projects, such as the painting of several electrical boxes throughout the city.

“We tried to focus on bringing art into the community, into people's everyday activities,” Garcia said. “So they're going to the park anyway, and then just to have this little extra bonus of a beautiful art piece while they're doing their everyday activities, or driving through that intersection and seeing the electrical boxes as they drive down a road that they normally drive on.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Mountview Park mural was held on Sept. 16, featuring remarks from Cottonwood Heights Mayor Mike Weichers and a brief presentation by the Wasatch Beekeepers Association.

Horrocks views the pollinator theme as a metaphor for the community, where each person plays a role in working together, much like bees in an ecosystem.

“We support each other the way that the bees do,” Horrocks said, “to just make our community a beautiful, smooth, welcoming and happy place to be.” λ