SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Several Utah students from kindergarten to the 12th grade will have their artwork prominently displayed on the side of UTA buses and trains after winning UTA’s “My BeUTAHful” Community Student Art Competition.
UTA selected 14 winners from four age groups. According to UTA, each one will receive a $100 VISA gift card and a UTA pass for the summer. Teachers of winning students will also receive a $100 gift card for classroom supplies.
“Tree Bus” – Honor W. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“Wave” – Mariah B. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“Personal Growth and Change” – Valentina P. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“Welcome Aboard” – Morgan B. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“In Utah We All Belong” – Beau B. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“Sky of Imagination” – Jaden H. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“People of All Kinds” – Jane S. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“Different is Beautiful” – Katherine K. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“Food Bank Dream” – Katherine S. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“The Heart[beat] of the City” – Zoey M. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“The Future of Transportation” – Ben L. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“Unity” – Otto L. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“Spring Time in Utah” – Crystal J. (Image courtesy of UTA) 
“If I Could Create the Future” – Noelle H. (Image courtesy of UTA)
The 2023 theme for the competition was “Imagine + Lead + Change.” Students were encouraged to highlight through their art what they hope to see in Utah neighborhoods in the future. Artists emphasized community, diversity, and the beauty of where they live.
Five-year-old Beau Beck said his artwork represents all the unique people in Utah – a theme that was followed by all the artists who hoped to spread a message of inclusivity throughout their pieces.
West High School junior Katie Kim, the artist of “Different is Beautiful,” said it makes a difference when people are culturally accepting and have open mindsets.
“In my piece, I wanted to illustrate despite surface-level differences in things like gender, ethnicity or ideologies, we are all human and we are all a lot more alike than we are different,” explained Kim.
Some of the artists who submitted work to the competition voiced a desire to champion and lead change for a better tomorrow.
Jaden Howe, a 9th-grader who submitted the piece titled “Sky of Imagination,” said she was inspired by the theme and wanted to emphasize the “Imagine” part.
“To me, imagination is the first step for change,” said Howe. “I think we need to work together to lead to a brighter future. I want to have a strong idea of what change means and help others along the way find their own interpretation.”
UTA said the student’s artwork will be wrapped onto UTA buses and trains for one year and will be seen by thousands of Utahns. Various works of art will also be displayed inside buses from other transit agencies, in public parks, and at the 2023 Utah Arts Festival.
More information on the “My BeUTAHful Community” Student Art Competition as well as the art can be found on UTA’s website here.
