{"id":102853,"date":"2026-05-07T09:43:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T16:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/?p=102853"},"modified":"2026-05-07T09:43:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T16:43:35","slug":"a-japantown-mural-a-global-literary-nod-a-poet-laureate-call-and-other-recent-utah-arts-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/a-japantown-mural-a-global-literary-nod-a-poet-laureate-call-and-other-recent-utah-arts-news\/","title":{"rendered":"A Japantown mural, a global literary nod, a Poet Laureate call, and other recent Utah arts news"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>New mural planned for Salt Lake City\u2019s historic Japantown<\/strong>
\nSalt Lake City\u2019s historic Japantown\u2014one of the last remaining traces of what was once a thriving Japanese American district downtown\u2014will receive a new community-informed mural this summer. Led by the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency in partnership with the Salt Lake City Public Art Program and a community-led Japantown Art Committee, the project will bring a large-scale work by Utah muralist Cole Eisenhour to the north-facing wall of the Multi-Ethnic Senior Highrise along 100 South.<\/p>\n

Drawing on the Japanese practice of kintsugi\u2014repairing broken pottery with gold, emphasizing fracture as part of beauty\u2014the design uses flowing gold forms and interconnected imagery to reflect generations of Japanese American life in Utah. The mural arrives as renewed attention focuses on Japantown\u2019s cultural legacy: once spanning several downtown blocks, the neighborhood was largely erased by wartime incarceration, postwar displacement, and urban renewal, leaving only a single block anchored today by the Japanese Church of Christ and the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple. Planned for installation later this summer, the work is envisioned as the first in a broader effort to strengthen Japantown as a visible cultural corridor in the city center.<\/p>\n

Utah novelist shortlisted for international fiction prize<\/strong>
\nSalt Lake Valley writer B. Robinson has been shortlisted for the inaugural Libraro Prize, a new award aimed at discovering emerging English-language fiction writers. The prize package includes \u00a350,000 in support\u2014a \u00a330,000 cash award, \u00a320,000 in marketing backing, and a publishing deal with Hachette UK.<\/p>\n

Robinson earned a place on the six-book shortlist for An Oath of Malice, a dark psychological thriller centered on a writer held captive by a killer who believes he has a message for the world. An English teacher by day, Robinson lives in Utah\u2019s Salt Lake Valley, where he encourages students to develop a love of reading and writing while pursuing his own literary ambitions\u2014a reminder that Utah\u2019s creative community continues to make its mark well beyond the state\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n

Salt Lake City launches inaugural Poet Laureate program<\/strong>
\nApplications are now open for Salt Lake City Poet Laureate Program, marking the city\u2019s first official effort to appoint a civic ambassador for poetry. The three-year position (July 2026\u2013July 2029) will recognize a local poet to engage communities through public readings, civic events, and a signature project designed to connect poetry with everyday life across Salt Lake City\u2019s seven council districts.<\/p>\n

The selected laureate will receive a $5,000 annual honorarium and support for programming, with responsibilities that include public appearances, community engagement, and the creation of an original civic poem each year. Open to Salt Lake City residents with a demonstrated record of publication and outreach, the application deadline is May 17, positioning the program as both a new platform for literary visibility and a signal of the city\u2019s growing investment in its literary arts ecosystem.<\/p>\n

LEARN MORE<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>5\/7 SLTRIB: Sculptor behind a Washington war memorial will bring a monument to Utah\u2019s Capitol<\/strong><\/p>\n

An empty parcel of grass adjacent to the Utah Capitol will eventually hold a massive monument sculpted by the artist behind the\u00a0World War I Memorial\u00a0in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

Members of the Capitol Preservation Board, which includes Utah\u2019s top elected officials \u2014 like Gov. Spencer Cox, Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz \u2014 unanimously approved the proposal Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The approximately $50 million project by Sabin Howard is dubbed \u201cGrand Liberty Arch,\u201d and is supposed to be funded by private donors. Howard said he has already raised nearly $2 million of that total.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel very confident about it,\u201d Howard told the board when discussing funding, adding, \u201cAnd I come with a reputation, so I can do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>4\/29 SLUGMAG: Food, Nostalgia and Connection in Mercedes Nokyi Ng\u2019s Art<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you hear the word food, what do you usually think of? Do you think of community gatherings with overflowing containers of shareable cuisines? Or maybe you think of five-star restaurants with shouting chefs, bustling tables and food straight out of a magazine? Or maybe, just maybe, you think of a meal that feels like home with every bite.<\/p>\n

For Hong-Kong- and Utah-based artist\u00a0Mercedes Nokyi Ng, food is all of these factors captured in her oil-painted canvases. Her art features paintings of food, her home in Hong Kong and \u201cthe randomness of life,\u201d as stated on her website. She works primarily in oil paint because she fell in love with it in college due to its \u201cversatility and forgiveness. It takes a while to dry, and it makes me slow down a bit,\u201d Nokyi states.<\/p>\n

READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>4\/16 SLTRIB: Scientist, novelist and president: Here’s who will lead Westminster University next<\/strong><\/p>\n

She\u2019s been a field biologist studying tropical plants from the Congo to the Caribbean. She\u2019s published two award-winning novels. And she\u2019s been a leader in higher education, including as a dean at the University of Utah and, most recently, the president of a college in Maine.<\/p>\n

Now, Sylvia Torti is returning to Utah, where she will take the helm of\u00a0Westminster University\u00a0\u2014 a small private school in Salt Lake City where her varied passions will fit perfectly with the liberal arts mission.<\/p>\n

The university, tucked in the foothills of the Sugar House neighborhood, announced Torti\u2019s appointment in\u00a0a news release Wednesday. The news was quickly met with pomp and praise by students and alumni.<\/p>\n

READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>4\/4 SLTRIB: A pioneer love story in bronze: Utah sculptor\u2019s masterpiece unveiled at new City Hall Plaza in St. George<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of all the art that graced St. George\u2019s City Hall Plaza during its grand opening on Friday, it was renowned sculptor Jerry Anderson\u2019s bronze of a seminal historical moment that was the showstopper.<\/p>\n

Titled \u201cOne Beautiful Thing,\u201d the life-sized sculpture the city commissioned depicts\u00a0David and Wilhelmina Cannon<\/a>, the\u00a0<\/b>couple sent by pioneer-prophet Brigham Young in 1861 to settle the area.<\/p>\n

As author and history buff Lyman Hafen explained at the plaza\u2019s debut, Wilhelmina, exhausted by the harsh elements\u2014 sun, wind, floods, snakes, scorpions and mosquitoes \u2014challenged her husband to find a single \u201cgood and beautiful\u201d thing about the area to convince her to stay.<\/p>\n

David, Hafen explained, returned one day and presented Wilhelmina a sego lily that so enchanted her she opted to remain.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is said that after that day, Wilhelmina Cannon had only praise for this place where she lived and labored until she was nearly 90 years old,\u201d he said. \u201cHer story and hardships stand, as does this monument, as a tribute to the many other pioneer women who made the desert blossom as a rose.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE<\/a>
\n\"\"<\/a>4\/1 SLUGMAG: Utah Dreamer\u2019s Association: Dreamscapes<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ladies and gentlemen, a metaphysical force hasslipped through the cracks of the dream world and taken root at The Gateway<\/em>\u00a0in the heart of downtown.\u00a0Dreamscapes<\/em>\u00a0has a new location, new events and new quests to help you reignite your creative passion. Artistic Director and Executive Director of the\u00a0Utah Arts Alliance\u00a0<\/strong>(UAA),\u00a0Derek Dyer<\/strong>\u00a0and his team of dreamers have spent the last seven years curating an immersive experience highlighting local artists. This exhibit is perfect for those looking to inject some whimsy into their life young and old alike! Cozy spaces, secret corridors and mystical creatures may just have you lost in a dream for hours.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve likely heard of\u00a0Dreamscapes \u2014<\/em>\u00a0they\u2019ve taken on several iterations over the years in various locations. The idea was born in 2017 as a short term project until Dyer learned this could be beneficial to keep as a permanent installation.\u00a0Dreamscapes<\/em>\u2019 most recent location was in\u00a0The Shops at South Town,\u00a0<\/em>but they now have the opportunity for a homecoming right where it all began as\u00a0Dreamscapes<\/em>\u00a0at\u00a0The Gateway<\/em>. The current location grants more creative freedom to the team, allowing more connection to the exhibit. \u201cThis space feels more expansive because you feel more immersed,\u201d Dyer says.<\/p>\n

READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New mural planned for Salt Lake City\u2019s historic Japantown Salt Lake City\u2019s historic Japantown\u2014one of the last remaining traces of what was once a thriving Japanese American district downtown\u2014will receive a new community-informed mural this summer. Led by the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency in partnership with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":102860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_piecal_is_event":false,"_piecal_start_date":"","_piecal_end_date":"","_piecal_is_allday":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mixed_media"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-07-at-10.42.24-AM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-03 13:13:54","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102853"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":102861,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102853\/revisions\/102861"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}