A new mural by Larry Winborg, on the side of Flats Luxury Suites (22 E. Center Street) in Logan, Utah, joins several other murals that are part of a public art boom in the city. The mural replaces “Baby Steps,” a mural created by the same artist in 2015.
In 2015, Logan, Utah’s Planning Commission granted conditional approval for a series of murals on a historic downtown building at 22 E. Center Street. The murals, mounted on a durable material designed to resemble paint, would change out periodically. While the project had strong support from the local business community, some raised concerns about preserving the area’s historic aesthetic. As city officials pointed out, they could regulate the size and upkeep of the murals but not the style and content.
“While we are in favor of the beautification of downtown, many wall murals can be akin to graffiti,” read one letter to the commission from Allen-Hall Mortuary (hjnews.com). Others were displeased with some of the few murals already in Logan’s downtown. “I hope that the proposed murals are better than the art we see the city allowing heretofore,” a commenter to the same story wrote. “I do not understand at all the bulls in tutus painted with M&Ms or other nonsensical scenes on them or the kindergarten level of art seen on the north wall of Angie’s Restaurant.”
Public art’s perennial conundrum is that you’ll never please everyone.
Larry and Jeremy Winborg were selected to create the mural. Though well-respected local artists known for their traditional styles, their selection still stirred debate. “The Winborgs are very talented, but they have plenty of pieces to choose from without resorting to showcasing their religious works in a downtown mural,” posted one commenter.
The Winborg’s first mural was anodyne enough that it didn’t cause any trouble. “Baby Steps” depicted a pioneer-era father and mother encouraging their child’s first steps. Despite the original plan to rotate the murals on a regular basis, this original mural remained on the side of The Flats Luxury Suites for years. By the time it was replaced in late 2024 by another mural by the Winborgs, it had been joined by more several other murals throughout the city.
In 2014, Matthew Vance, a business administration and marketing student at Utah State University, spearheaded a community-driven mural project on the side of Angie’s Restaurant in Logan, Utah (690 N. Main Street). The resulting 12-by-50-foot mural, themed “People, Places, and Times of Cache Valley,” reflects the area’s iconic landmarks and culture. The mural features the work of 12 artists, ranging in age from 12 to nearly 60. Image by Dylan Ison.
Salt Lake City artists Matt Monsoon and Brooklyn Ottens painted this mural on the Ice Rink Building at Merlin Olsen Park (280 E Center Street) in July 2022, as part of the city’s new Logan City Park Mural Program. Image by Shawn Rossiter.
Allentown, Pennsylvania artist Matt Halm was commissioned to paint this large-scale community mural on the North Tunnel at Logan’s Merlin Olsen Park (280 E Center Street) in 2022. The mural depicts several local landmarks. Image by Shawn Rossiter.
This mural by Salt Lake City-artist Chuck Landvatter was painted on the side of Cache Humane Society (2370 W 200 North, Logan, Utah) in 2023. The mural commission was thanks to a collaboration between Utah State University’s Honors students and the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art. Image by Shawn Rossiter.
Utah State University alumna and professional illustrator Liesl Cannon created this mural on the side of Somebody’s Attic thrift shop (39 W. 100 North, Logan, Utah) in June, 2024. The mural, the artist’s first, was commissioned with support from Logan’s Downtown Mural Grant program and depicts Cache Valley through the seasons, showcasing popular landmarks such as Beaver Mountain, Old Main and Tony’s Grove. Image by Shawn Rossiter.
Bliss Dresses (60 W 100 N Logan) spruced up their storefront with this mural in the summer of 2024. Image by Dylan Ison.
Painted in September, 2024, Cole Eisenhour’s mural at pays tribute to Cache Valley’s history. Spanning 72 feet wide, the mural on the side of Rage Salons (260 N. Main, Logan) features Old Ephraim, a legendary grizzly bear hunted by Frank Clark, alongside portraits of Shoshone leaders like Chief Sagwitch Timbimboo and historian Mae Timbimboo Parry. Image by Shawn Rossiter.
The Little Logan River mural is part of Chris Peterson’s ongoing Utah Wildlife Walls project. Painted in the fall of 2024, at a time when the Little Logan River runs through Merlin Olsen Park (it’s dry in the winter) means Peterson had to wade into the water to paint the north part of the tunnel. Wildlife featured in the mural include Cutthroat Trout, Grizzly Bear, White Faced Ibis, Monarch Butterflies and fireflies.
With our In Plain Site byline we feature publicly viewable art, both official and street art, throughout the state of Utah.
Categories: In Plain Site | Visual Arts
