“En Plein Air”: Local Art Brings Community Together

On July 11, 2026, 17 local artists were commissioned by The Blocks Arts District to paint 17 iconic Salt Lake City buildings. These artists turned downtown into a  “walkable outdoor gallery.” The artists captured our most recognizable buildings in works that are now on display as the En Plein Air gallery. One common theme runs through the collection.

 “It was such a hot day,” says Kendyl Schofield. We’re examining her sunny painting of Beer Bar/Bar X, which now sits on display among the other En Plein Air pieces in the lobby of the Eccles Theater. Today is the gallery opening. Behind Schofield is Meera Edwards’ painting of the Walker Center against a brilliant blue sky. The real Walker Center is visible out of the theater’s bay window — now drowning in clouds. The excited chatter of the artists and their guests dims a bit as everyone turns to look at the sunset. I see Schofield snapping a picture as the sun sinks behind the skyline.

Capturing July 11 was a much more arduous project than the snap of a picture. I chat with Erin Joy Garcia, the Art in Public Places Coordinator for Salt Lake County. She says, “We get a lot of instant gratification these days. Everything is fast and easy… there’s something to be said about an artistic process that takes time and intentionality.”

All of the artists I speak to make it clear that it takes great effort to brush a building’s personality onto a blank canvas. This is especially the case when you’re painting on the crowded streets of Downtown Salt Lake. Many artists reflect on strange looks from some passersby. More commonly, they recall the community that gathered around their canvases. “A couple who lived above the building I was painting came out to stop and talk,” says Katie’B Jarvis. “They were excited. They said, ‘Oh goodness you’re painting our house.'”

En Plein Air was created by SLC artists of all backgrounds and levels. Students and masters mingle together at the opening night — excitedly complimenting and critiquing each other’s work. Lucas Horns, the Program Director for The Blocks, tells me, “I really see community as an ecosystem. It takes all kinds of artists… and artists of different stages to feed off of each other and inspire each other.” The opening gallery is evidence of that inspiration. Community members stand quietly in front of the paintings. They examine the artwork with the same scrutiny as the gallery artists themselves. The air is charged with creativity. 

Each artist’s rendition of their local landmark is vastly different from the next. Plein air paintings require creativity and improvisation. Zabrina Williams is the painter of Patio Season. She tells me that when painting live, “everything changes.” Shadows shifted as she painted the Caffè Molise. Williams preferred the later evening light over the bright sun that lit most of her painting. “I just kind of…merged the two,” she says with a laugh. Such creative liberties are exhibited throughout the gallery; The sky in Karen Horne’s pastel painting of the Eccles is a gentle blue-gray. Her piece has a softness that contrasts wildly with Elias Kempt’s angular “Broadway in Blue.” Both are wildly different from Hannah Carr’s “City Library – SLC.” Carr’s painting contains a cheerful banner flying over the library that reads “Find Strength in Community.” 

 En Plein Air was meant to capture a single day in Salt Lake. What it truly captured was the unending creativity of our Salt Lake City community. En Plein Air demonstrates the invaluable connection that local art provides. Through the project, 17 artists brought our city to life — one brushstroke at a time. En Plein Air will be on display in the Eccles Theater until March 21, 2027. 

Read more about local art here:
Painting the Desert of Helper – SLUG Magazine
Arts – SLUG Magazine

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