One of the things to love about Salt Lake City is the art that is incorporated and integrated into the city. From the large scale murals and structures, to the small, mostly unnoticed tiles along the major streets downtown. Art is truly a life affirming and life enriching aspect of our experience. A great example of public art in the City is the Flying Objects Series located on the median of 300 South between 400 West and 300 East.
The Flying Objects Series is part of Salt Lake City’s Public Arts Program which is designed to provide opportunities for artists to create works and for those works to integrate into and enhance public buildings and public spaces. It has certainly done that.
Judy Cullen, Marketing Director for Squatters and Wasatch Beers says, “Both the employees of Squatters and our guests love the Flying Objects public art. We think that these whimsical sculptures add energy, color, and fun to 300 South, and are very excited to have Flying Objects 5.0 as a permanent fixture on our block!”
The Flying Objects Series specifically began in 2005 and was designed by the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City (RDA) in partnership with the Arts Council. The idea was to add color, shape, interest, whimsy, and vitality to the streetscape. The Flying Objects is currently on its fourth series. Each series has been place for a period of 2 to 2.5 years before being taken down and returned to the individual artists. The current series will be taken down on Friday, April 14, making way for the fifth and permanent series to be installed Saturday, April 15.
Arts Council Executive Director, Karen Krieger, explains how this public art series has impacted local artists, “The Flying Objects public art series has provided great opportunities for local, emerging, and established artists to make their mark on our evolving downtown landscape and to enliven the overall street experience.” She adds, “This final, permanent installation is a fantastic legacy for Salt Lake City, the Arts Council, and RDA and reflects a commitment to visual arts, creative placemaking, and the community. We’re very excited to see it all come to fruition!”
If you haven’t been downtown recently, by all means, get down to 300 South this weekend and catch the action as crews take down the Flying Objects 4.0 pieces, and install the new – and permanent – Flying Objects art pieces. You read that right – the upcoming fifth series is a permanent installation, which means a great amount of thought has gone into the selections. We are all very eager to see what will line 300 South downtown, and the conversations the art will inspire!
To learn more about Salt Lake City’s public art collection, or the Flying Objects, visit the Arts Council website.
Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development 