This sculpture – entitled “Archie: The Deep Water Angler Fish” – is now on loan to Centennial Plaza, courtesy of artist Richard Prazen. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

Remember back in the fall of 2021, when a lot of us were still pretty sheepish about popping our turtle heads out of our turtle homes, to actually mingle with other people? Sure, sure – most of us had received our COVID vaccines by then; but a lot of us were still wearing masks, too. Can we all agree, it was still a bit uncomfortable?

Into that hesitant climate, Taylorsville City launched an experiment when elected officials hosted the official ribbon cutting for their $3 million Centennial Plaza: that open acreage with the oversized outdoor stage south of city hall. Besides showing off their new entryway waterfalls, the city also introduced “Plaza +Art.” Four years ago, that consisted of six artistic statues, displayed throughout the area.

Over the past four years, our willingness to get out and mingle has certainly grown. And so too has the number of statues visitors can enjoy as they stroll “Taylorsville’s front yard.”

Artist Tom Jackson’s sculpture, “Listen to the Ravens Call…” is displayed prominently in Centennial Plaza, not far from the main stage. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

“This is our fifth annual Plaza +Art statue unveiling; and our number of statues has grown from six in 2021, to 22 this year,” Mayor Kristie Overson said. “It is so fun to celebrate with all of you artists at this…I’ll call it a la-di-dah.”

The ‘la-di-dah’ to which the mayor was referring was the annual artists’ reception and dinner, held just before the new crop of statues were announced to this year’s final “Starry Nights @ the Plaza” audience. And in attendance at the annual la-di-dah, for the first time ever, was one artist who resides outside the United States. Yes, in 2025, Plaza +Art truly became an “international” display.

Mayor Kristie Overson welcomed the Plaza +Art program’s first international artist into this year’s sculpture collection. Paul Reimer, of British Columbia, has loaned two pieces for the year, including this one entitled “Movement of Inspiration.” (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

“I live in Cranbrook, a city of about 20,000 in eastern British Columbia,” artist Paul Reimer said. “I am a blacksmith by trade. I began my blacksmithing apprenticeship at age 15. My artwork grew out of that; but my blacksmith work still pays the bills.”

Although his work is new to Taylorsville, Reimer has been a prolific public art sculptor for more than 15 years.

“The first artistic piece I sculpted in 2008 was a bench for a library,” he said. “I hammered and sculpted the upright part (where your back rests) to look like a shelf of books. I enjoyed the process and have been doing it ever since. I now have 63 permanent public art sculptures on display in Canada and about 10 different states. Another 26 of my pieces are now on temporary display – including one in St. George. That’s my only other piece in Utah at the moment.”

By the way, “permanent” means the sculpture has already been purchased, while “temporary” means you’re only a checkbook away from moving it to your own yard.

Reimer’s two pieces unveiled in Centennial Plaza fit that latter, “for sale” category. “Movement of Inspiration” is a 16-foot tower, with pipes in a swirl at the top. His second Plaza +Art piece, “Breeze,” is the largest and heaviest bird feather you’ve ever seen.

“I’m so excited Paul learned about our display from other artists – and thrilled we now have our first sculptor from outside the United States,” Overson said. “It’s just very exciting to see the popularity of our Plaza +Art program continue to grow.”

Taylorsville resident Dan Toone has displayed at least one of his sculptures in Centennial Plaza every year since the city’s Plaza +Art program launched in 2021. This piece is entitled “Tranquility.” (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

Taylorsville resident Dan Toone is one of just four sculptors who has had one of his pieces selected for display all five years Plaza +Art has existed. His new piece unveiled this year is entitled “Tranquility.” Toone and his wife Janean have also been instrumental in publicizing the Taylorsville display throughout their art community.

“(Centennial Plaza) is one of the best venues for displaying art I have ever seen,” Dan Toone told the artists’ reception audience. “The art fits so well with what the city is trying to do with the space – to invite the community in to enjoy it. The city staff is also wonderful to work with. I encourage any artists who have not applied to get one of their pieces on to the plaza, to do so.” 

The 8-member Plaza +Art Selection Committee includes Overson, her Executive Assistant and Starry Nights @ the Plaza Director Jan Andrus, other city employees as well as a few Taylorsville residents. Sculptors will find an application for the 2026 display on the city website, with the submission deadline coming next spring.

In addition to the Centennial Plaza sculpture display, Plaza +Art has also spawned a series of free artist lectures. The most recent of those, on October 20, was scheduled to include artists Tyler Swain, Nate Brimhall and Ryan Tollstup discussing their works. 

Look for the next “Evening of Art” lecture around Valentine’s Day.