Artist Ann Chen creating The Gratitude Wall at The Gateway
The Gateway, Salt Lake City’s downtown destination for dining, the arts, and shopping, is alleviating anxious times by welcoming the public to express their gratitude with a new installation by lettering artist Ann Chen. The interactive Gratitude Wall will be illustrated by the self-taught artist who specializes in murals and commercial installations. She has started her work on the exhibit, which will be complete by the end of this week in advance of the Urban Arts Festival kickoff. Chen is no stranger to The Gateway having created previous exhibits such as Hall of Breakfast and Love Letters Museum. The theme of this installation is “Keep a Grateful Heart.” “Ann’s word-based, vibrant, and playful style is a perfect complement to what we hope to achieve with The Gratitude Wall,” says Jacklyn Briggs, marketing director for The Gateway. “With the pandemic creating difficult times for members of our community, we wanted to inspire positivity by facilitating a conversation about gratitude. The Gratitude Wall will be a vehicle for people to demonstrate support for each other and express what they are thankful for.” One third of the mural will be an illustration portraying a glimpse of city life with a woman walking her Boston Terrier and a family enjoying birdwatching in the background, two scenes inspired by Ann’s life. Her father is an avid bird photographer and older sister owns a Boston Terrier. The remainder of the mural in an interactive component, featuring rows that begin with “I’m thankful for” followed by blank lines for people to fill in their answers. “It’s so important during the pandemic to focus on the importance of gratitude to maintain a sense of positivity and our wellbeing,” Chen says. “I hope people will see themselves in the illustrations and experience a moment of joy and gratitude because there is always something to be thankful for, even when we have bad days and things don’t go our way.” The Gratitude Wall marks Ann’s first outdoor, illustrated mural. “I’m really excited to have a piece that showcases my illustration passion and is accessible to people of all ages.” About The Gateway: The Gateway is a 1.4 million square foot lifestyle destination in the heart of Downtown Salt Lake City. Owned and managed by Vestar, the property recently underwent a $100 million redevelopment—infusing retail and dining, entertainment, modern office space, arts and culture, a boutique hotel, and a full calendar of community-driven events. [/av_textblock] [av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” row_boxshadow=” row_boxshadow_color=” row_boxshadow_width=’10’ custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ mobile_breaking=” border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ padding=’0px’ column_boxshadow=” column_boxshadow_color=” column_boxshadow_width=’10’ background=’bg_color’ background_color=” background_gradient_color1=” background_gradient_color2=” background_gradient_direction=’vertical’ src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ highlight=” highlight_size=” animation=” link=” linktarget=” link_hover=” title_attr=” alt_attr=” mobile_display=” id=” custom_class=” aria_label=” av_uid=’av-2hs7st’][/av_one_full]
