Ogden parking garages are getting color as the focus of the five-part mural project | Local news
OGDEN – What were the massive blank walls on the city-owned parking garages along Grant Avenue in downtown Ogden come alive with color.
Artist Don Rimx has been at work since last week, filling the five 30 by 50 foot walls with art – his view of Ogden and the surrounding area. “It’s a reflection of what I see in the city,” he said, pausing from painting.
Artist David “Don Rimx” Sepulveda poses with one of five murals taking shape on the walls of the parking garage along Grant Avenue in downtown Ogden. The murals are the idea of Don Rimx. He was photographed on Thursday June 10, 2021.
One of the murals is done, the second is largely done, and next three more blank walls will grab his attention. The completed and largely completed murals cover part of the west side of the parking garage along Grant Avenue north of 23rd Street. The next three are supposed to cover the now empty walls of the garage building south of 23rd Street.
“The purpose of this project, of course, is to beautify downtown and a project that highlights the people of Ogden,” said Lorie Buckley, City of Ogden Arts Coordinator. The five murals, intended to breathe life into the otherwise monotonous strip of concrete on the east side of Grant Avenue in the area, are intended to “follow a historical timeline of the people who lived here and / or the things that shaped Ogden.”
The first, northernmost mural shows the Utes, one of the indigenous tribes of today’s Utah. “A tribute to them because they were the ones who were here first,” says the artist, whose first name is David Sepulveda, although he prefers to call it Don Rimx, his name as a graffiti artist from his time in San Juan, Puerto Rico where he grew up.
One of five murals taking shape on parking garage walls along Grant Avenue in downtown Ogden, photographed Thursday June 10, 2021. The murals are the brainchild of artist David “Don Rimx” Sepulveda.
The second shows the immigrants and others who came to Ogden and northern Utah and shaped the area, including Chinese railroaders and Latinos. The third will have a railroad theme arising from the area’s importance as a completion point for the transcontinental railroad. The fourth deals with Western US culture and the fifth focuses on local jazz legend Joe McQueen.
“All are related. It’s part of the history of Ogden, Utah, ”said Sepulveda, now based in Orlando, Florida. He started last week and worked long hours on a scissor lift that can raise and lower it on the walls as needed. He gets help with the massive painting process from Pedro “Spear” Torres, a fellow artist who grew up with Sepulveda and still lives in Puerto Rico.
“It’s a big project that I think will have a huge impact on the city,” said Torres. The job should be done within a month or so.
Don Rimx was selected after a national search that attracted the interest of more than 150 artists. The Ogden City Arts Council considered the proposal and recommended it, with Mayor Mike Caldwell making the choice. The project has a budget of $ 175,000.
Sepulveda met with locals, art officials, and others to come up with the ideas for the five murals. “I asked you what you would like to reflect in the mural. I don’t want to impose myself, ”he said.
A press release from Buckley’s office also highlighted efforts to develop the ideas and designs for the murals. “Don has spent dozens of hours immersed in Ogden culture, meeting different groups with different views on what it means to be an ‘Ogdenite’, while exploring ideas for one of Ogden’s most iconic public works of art,” said it.
Two of the five murals are taking shape on parking garage walls along Grant Avenue in downtown Ogden, photographed Thursday June 10, 2021. The murals are the brainchild of artist Davis “Don Rimx” Sepulveda, visible in a scissor lift next to the mural on the one with Pedro “Spear” Torres, who assists in the painting process.
Sepulveda started art at a young age. He painted graffiti and later expanded to more traditional art and graphic design work, attending art college and receiving more formal training at Escuela de Artes Plasticas in Puerto Rico. His murals and other works of art reflect this mix of experiences.
“After completing his studies, he devoted himself to integrating the various techniques of classical art into urban art, specializing in murals,” says his online biography. His murals cover walls in the United States and around the world. You can find more examples of Don Rimx’s work on his website and Instagram page.
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