About three years ago, Kate Kilpatrick was enjoying lunch at Balance Rock when Marianne Shiner approached and asked if she was the artist that worked on The Mecca. Shiner then informed Kilpatrick that her father-in-law wished to create a large mural on the Bookcliff Workwear building and that they would like to have Kilpatrick create it.
Shiner again contacted Kilpatrick a few months ago to inform her that they had secured funding for the project. The mural will be a creation in conjunction with the Shiners, Geri Gamber from the Association of Governments and Price City Mayor Mike Kourianos, and will be one of the longest murals in Utah.
The mural’s creation has already begun, which involved various meetings on the design and process. The drawing of the mural in the works, and Kilpatrick designed the concept on a large roll of paper to start. She will now develop a color palette to create consistency and highlight the area. Kilpatrick’s hope is that, if the weather is cooperative, she will have the mural completed in September.
The design is all about Carbon County’s history and will begin on Carbon Avenue. The mural will showcase people migrating from every area of the world to make their home in Carbon County. They will then come through Castle Gate and have scenes of the railroad.
From there, the mural will move into scenes of the mining industry before transitioning into the power plants. Kilpatrick remarked that she aims to highlight all of the large industries that shaped the local economy.
It was also very important to the committee to show the diversity of religions. This will start with the Methodist Church, Notre Dame and then the Mormon Tabernacle. In addition, the mural will have a hand in motion planting seeds, representing the Ute Indians working in the fields. There will also be cattle and sheep ranching before the mural concludes with education.
Kilpatrick likes to keep things local with her projects, and she will be working with Chase D’Ambrosio of Southeast Paint and Design for the high-end graffiti paints that she will be using. Kilpatrick has been chosen for more than one mural in the area, and she stated that being chosen makes her feel as if what she is doing is important.
Another part of her process is that she wants it to be significant to the area. “I think it’s hard to be excited about an area when you live there all your life and you get so used to everything,” said Kilpatrick. “You don’t understand the beauty that is around you, and I want Carbon County to see how cool it is.”
There are some really great elements to the county, Kilpatrick continued, and she wishes to bring pride and joy to people through the mural.