Original Mural Breathes New Life into Old Space

Graphic designer Alex Martinez and the mural he drew.

Part storage facility and yoga room, the aesthetically stagnant main dance studio in the old part of Salt Lake Community College’s South City Campus recently received a much-needed infusion of art, culture, inspiration and story in one giant mural.

“I thought the space needed it,” says SLCC Dance Company director Whitney Harris. “I’ve never seen anything else like it on other campuses.”

The roughly 14-foot by 50-foot mural came to life over the course of about four months this past year. SLCC graphic designer Alex Martinez worked closely with Harris on the look and feel of the mural. “I wanted to reenergize everything,” Martinez says about the studio. “I don’t want people to say, ‘This old space.’”

The pair decided on a street art theme, using a graffiti style to project vibrancy, movement and, most important, diversity and inclusion. The eight characters Martinez drew at first by hand represent several cultures. “It’s huge and prominent,” Harris says. “And it’s strategically placed in hopes that it will signal to students of different backgrounds that this is a place where they are welcomed and desired.”

Whitney Harris mimics a move portrayed by one of the mural characters.

SLCC Printing Services installed the mural, using 54-inch-wide vinyl decal strips. The final design was the culmination of dozens of drawings, all imagined by Martinez, 31, who began showing an interest in art at age four. In 2012 he began seeking formal training in art at SLCC, where he has earned three associate’s degrees, including degrees in graphic communications and visual arts and design. “Art is kind of natural to me,” says Martinez, who is planning on pursuing a bachelor’s degree next year.

Harris and Martinez hope to collaborate again on a second mural for an adjacent studio. “He’s brilliant,” Harris says about her collaborator and his artwork. “The brilliance comes into play when it all comes together. The images combine so beautifully to tell a story. It represents stories we want to be told. It’s a call to all types of artists we haven’t seen or heard from historically, to say, ‘You are welcome here, and here are your stories.'”

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