Local artist takes back the brush, restoring artist’s vandalized murals throughout town

Public tunnel art in Park City. Photo: Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah – As graffiti and vandalism have increased throughout town, local artist Emily Miquelon is fighting back, spreading positivity, and restoring murals throughout Park City.

Recently, Miquelon has been restoring the mural in the tunnel along Poison Creek Trail, under the overpass off Deer Valley Drive.

The mural, named ‘A Sacred Community Mural,’ was created in 2015 by University of Utah students Danny Stephens, Miguel Galaz, and Jessika Jeppson. The mural features brightly colored geometric shapes and was created using only spray paint and markers.

“We made the mural in 2015 in collaboration with the city’s Arts Council,” said Danny Stephens, one of the original artists, “the mural was a community effort. We also worked with a few students who were at PCHS at the time, who painted a few triangles of their own.”

Stephens was happy Miquelon cleaned up the mural, which had faded and had been painted over with graffiti.

“It was great to see Emily refreshing the mural because it really was a community project. When we would be there working on it, and someone would walk through the tunnel, we would ask if they wanted to paint a triangle. So, in reality, a lot of different people worked on this mural, so it’s cool to see her restoring it.”

Miquelon, who also worked with the Park City Government in identifying murals that have been painted over, felt the community’s excitement when repainting.

“It’s really cool that the Park City Government was focused on fixing up this mural, too, because the community was really excited.” Miquelon said, “People would walk by and say, ‘oh, you’re fixing the mural?’ You could sense their excitement because that’s right on people’s walk every day, so I think that they were tired of seeing the graffiti.”

“I fixed up the community mural… as well as the miners’ mural, which is up a little bit closer to town, under one of the bridges. And then I just finished fixing up the two moose; one on Main Street and one right by public works that I also revamped.”

Danny Stephens now lives in Portland, Oregon, and has an art studio; find his collection here. Emily Miquelon also has her own studio, and you can find her collection on her website or her Instagram @emilymiquelonart.

 

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