Painting pride: Logan’s 2025 Public Art Action Plan

The 2025 Public Art Action Plan seeks to expand and build on community art, promising to enhance Logan’s cultural identity, engage residents and make the city a more vibrant, connected place for all.

The plan continues to expand its public art initiatives as it builds on a foundation established by the Public Art Master Plan adopted in June 2020. This plan aims to integrate art into public spaces, enhancing community engagement and cultural identity.

One mural completed last June was painted by Utah State University alum Liesl Cannon.

“I hope that it told a story of our favorite things to do here in Cache Valley,” Cannon told Utah State Today shortly after completing the project. The mural, standing on 39 W. 100 N. next to Somebody’s Attic, depicts Cache Valley throughout the seasons.

In September 2024, Ogden-based artist Cole Eisenhower completed a mural on 260 N. Main St. honoring Cache Valley’s Native American history. That same month, Merlin Olsen Park finished its wildlife-themed tunnel mural.

According to Aaron Smith, Logan’s neighborhood improvement manager, Merlin Olsen Park’s empty walls made it an ideal site for public art installations, with each new mural contributing to the area’s vibrant aesthetic.

Smith leads the Public Art Program. He said all of these art pieces were met with positive feedback from residents, reinforcing the city’s commitment to transforming public spaces through creative expression.

“The public response to these murals and our other public art projects has been very positive,” Smith said. “We try to hold community socials following the completion of the projects and have had some great turnouts.” 

 According to the official plan, the purpose of these murals is to contribute to Logan’s art scene and to help foster a sense of pride and belonging. Smith attributes the success of these projects to the local themes, Utah-based artists and the overall quality of the art. 

 Looking forward to 2025, Smith outlined several new projects, including continuing the downtown mural program, adding art installations at Willow Park and planning for sculptures and other displays downtown.   

 One notable project under consideration is the development of public sculptures along the Boulevard Trail, which connects to USU. Smith sees this as an opportunity to link the Logan community with USU. 

 “We’ve looked at the Boulevard Trail as a possible location for sculptures,” Smith said. “This would create a nice connection to USU’s sculpture walk and lead folks down to Merlin Olsen Park, which has several murals. This project is still in the planning stages, but it has great potential.” 

 The city is also exploring the creation of display boxes in downtown Logan, where smaller works such as pottery and sculptures from local schools and USU students could be rotated. These displays would give students an opportunity to showcase their talents and engage with the community in a unique way. 

 The cost of creating and maintaining public art is high, but Smith says the community’s support has been key to its success. Many projects have benefited from private partnerships, including matching grants for downtown murals and collaborative funding for the wildlife mural at the park. 

 “It’s great that we have been able to leverage our public funds with private funds to commission these beautiful art pieces in our community,” Smith said.