We asked Amber about the story behind her creative choices for the box design, here's what she said: "I grew up in Cottonwood Heights and went to Brighton High School. In 2011, Brighton had a contest to design a “Ferocious Bengal”. I was a sophomore then, entered, and won! The following summer, multi talented art teacher Adam Fernandez projected my design onto both sides of the main gymnasium and painted them on the walls. They glared down on opponents all the way until the “old” Brighton High School was torn down in 2021.

There initially were plans to include the Bengal in the new school building, but the designers shifted gears. For a while, the design was just a fond memory. Then Brighton’s Jerry Christensen reached out and asked if I could design a Brighton themed electrical box, and it just felt right to bring back the Ferocious Bengal. For the box design, I added two additional Bengals, to now make a Bengal Bunch with the idea of representing the overall good sports attributes of being Fast, Fierce, and Fervent. Seemed generally applicable! In the end, it was a fun project to bring my Tiger back!"

Thanks Amber! We love to see your "Bengal Bunch" beautifying the community.

Laura Williams - "Lake Blanche Infinite"

 Laura Williams created this painting specially for this project. The painting is titled “Lake Blanche Infinite” and is an oil on gessobord, it consists of two panels that fit together on either side in an endless configuration to loop around the box, and a peaceful sky to top them off. It is featured on an electrical box at 7500 S. 2700 E (near the entrance to Butler Park at Bengal Blvd.)

You may wonder how we got this painting onto a huge electrical box. It was digitized using high tech large format scanning equipment then enlarged and transferred onto a vinyl wrap that was applied to the box.

We asked Laura to share a bit about herself: "My name is Laura Williams. I’ve lived in Cottonwood Heights for 12 years. I love living in Cottonwood Heights because we are so close to the mountains. I chose to paint a landscape of Lake Blanche up Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Haiku:
May your trails be long
And your paths twist and divert
Adventurously"

Thanks Laura for sharing your talent with the community you love! We love your gorgeous craft!

Brekke Sjoblom

These beautiful geometric mountains are so evocative of the gorgeous views that we enjoy here and Brekke Sjoblom created this original painting for this project as ode to the natural beauty of her community. Her original, local artwork found its home on the electrical box at 2431 Bengal Blvd (just west of Cannon Mortuary).

We asked Brekke about her process and she said: “I am inspired by memories and the natural world. I try to highlight the patterns and colors I see and the feelings that places can evoke. I paint landscapes in order to maintain those memories.”

Thanks Brekke! We know your artwork is going to elevate our community!

Jerry Christensen

Jerry Christensen  serves as the Brighton Legacy Committee Chair and is also a member of the Cottonwood Heights Historic Committee. He's an incredibly dedicated member of our community. His box is located at 2220 Bengal Blvd, on the south side of the Brighton Highschool roundabout.

We asked him about his artwork, he good naturedly pointed out that he doesn't consider himself an artist, but more of an historian. "The box will sport the Bengal Country mural that used to be in the Brighton stadium as well as drone shots of our former circled halls school. I have a QR code created that opens an augmented reality (AR) scene where the viewer can see the site as it existed before the rebuild. The QR code also links the viewer into the maze of virtual reality 360 (VR) content we took of the old building before the destruction. You can virtually walk the halls of legacy BHS, find your locker, run out of the tunnel into the field, experience a piece of the last musical we had in our old auditorium and experience a match on our wrestling mats. It also links to digital copies of all of our 54 yearbooks. Art of a different sort."

Thank you Jerry for reaching into the archives to create this amazing piece of interactive community art!

 Gailon Justus

Gailon Justus, aka Sweet Needles, is a local artist whose artwork stems for tattooing and graffiti art as well as a plethora of other art styles that combined, produce unique and funky imagery that is a style of its own. His artwork is featured in tattoos, on apparel, skate decks, murals and more...and is now on an electrical box located at 2522 Bengal Blvd, just down from Root'd in front of a white brick church.

Savannah Cottam

 Savannah Cottam's work is featured on an electrical box at 2615 Bengal Blvd (on the northeast corner of Bengal and 2600 E), in front of the Shell station & across from the bike shop. The installation of her artwork will coincided with a xeriscaping service project by the 911 Service Committee to beautify that intersection and highlight the artwork.

Savannah Cottam is a locally grown visual artist who is graduate from Brighton Highschool and is currently studying design and architecture at the University of Utah. She is passionate about the environment and people's well-being. She aspires to actively use forms of art that engage in initiatives that contribute to meaningful transformations in people's lives and advocate for positive change.

We asked her about what this piece means to her: "This artwork symbolizes certain challenges associated with traffic. The rise in cycling fatalities is an ongoing concern that instills a fear in road bikers. Many roads favor the ease of cars and lessen the ability for individuals to bike. In a utopian world, everyone would experience a sense of peace while navigating the roads. This artwork captures the tension arising from congested traffic conditions."

Kylie Pregill

 Kylie Pregill's photography is featured on an electrical box at 2200 Bengal Blvd, at the western end of the Brighton High School front parking lot.

We asked Kylie to tell of about herself: "I was born and raised in Cottonwood Heights and I attended Brighton High School from 2014-2018. I have always had a love for the outdoors including, hiking, fishing, camping and skiing. I was lucky enough to grow up in a family that loved the outdoors and this has shown me the beauty of nature. I decided to buy my first camera in my sophomore year at Brighton. Since then, I have taught myself as I have explored many different areas of the world. I hope to transmit the beauty I see through my lens to you and my community."

 Jeff Anderson

 Cottonwood Heights-based watercolor artist Jeff Anderson created this colorful and whimsical original artwork, based off of an aquatic life series that he made. He tailored it to tie into Cottonwood Heights by incorporating the city's logo into the design very cleverly, especially because this box is on Bengal Blvd, directly in front of City Hall!

Working as a Creative Director in the tech industry, Jeff was initially drawn to watercolor as a refuge from the endless video calls of the day. Unlike the iterative nature of digital design, the process of watercolor painting is permanent. Jeff embraces this challenge, recognizing that each brushstroke must be intentional.

Jeff's journey from the tech world to traditional art is a testament to the inspiring nature of creativity. Through his art, he hopes others will (re)connect with the outdoors and find joy in our beautiful surroundings.

Cottonwood Leaf Sculpture

"Cottonwood Leaf"

By sculptor Malen Pierson

This sculpture can be found in front of Cottonwood Heights City Hall, on the corner of 2700 E and Bengal Blvd.

It was installed on October 8, 2022. In line with Cottonwood Heights’ commitment to the natural environment and bringing history to the forefront in our community, this eight-foot metal sculpture features antique tools embedded within the leaf, symbolizing our residents’ hard work , resourcefulness, and productivity. The leaf itself represents the city ’s roots, connection, and strength and will change and weather over time, just as our city changes and grows through the years.

A special thank you to those who contributed to the project in addition to the artist, sculptor Malen Pierson.

Below are photos of the creation process from the original inspiration from the leaf of a cottonwood tree, to sketches, to fabrication.

 Mountainview Park Mural