Featured Projects

Mural #1 – Stay Motivated

Location: Salt Lake Valley Youth Detention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Year: 2020
Partners & Sponsors:
Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs, Utah Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services, Utah Division of Arts & Museums, University Neighborhood Partners

Stay Motivated was the first mural I co-created with youth in custody at the Salt Lake Valley Youth Center. This project laid the foundation for a statewide series of trauma-informed mural residencies focused on healing, youth empowerment, and restorative visibility.

Over the course of multiple sessions, Tracy worked side-by-side with the youth to co-design the mural concept, integrating their voices, values, and lived experiences. Once the design was finalized, the youth were entrusted with full execution—applying their newly learned painting skills with care, confidence, and leadership.

In a powerful shift, the youth then became the teachers—guiding facility staff members and community volunteers who joined the painting process. What began as an art project transformed into an ecosystem of mentorship, trust, and collective growth.

Read the full article: The Bold Colors of Healing
By Claudia Loayza and Ellen Fagg Weist | Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs
Read the article here: The Bold Colors of Healing 

Mural #2 – Watch Us Grow

Location: Weber Valley Detention Center, Ogden, Utah
Year: 2023
Partners & Sponsors:
Ogden Contemporary Arts Museum (OCA), Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs, Utah Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services, Utah Division of Arts & Museums
Featuring artist collaboration with Rob Pacheco

After the success of Stay Motivated, I teamed up with Ogden Contemporary Arts and lead artist Rob Pacheco for Watch Us Grow. The residency included three weeks of virtual workshops followed by on-site mural creation. Youth in custody at Weber Valley took full ownership: from ideating the concept, sketching designs, to leading portions of the reveal event.

The mural’s imagery represented personal growth through adversity—rooted in soil, reaching toward light. A COVID outbreak delayed the original unveiling, but the youth’s dedication didn’t waver. When the reveal finally happened two months later, it was deeply emotional.

Featured Blog (Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs):
By Claudia Loayza 

Read the article here: Watch Us Grow Mural 

Mural #3 – The Marathon Continues

Location: Farmington Bay Youth Center, Farmington, Utah
Year: 2024
Partners & Sponsors:
One Kind Act a Day, Ogden Contemporary Arts (OCA), Utah Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services, Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs, Utah Division of Arts & Museums, University Neighborhood Partners, SoTrace, Voices for Utah Children, AdThing Creative Agency (University of Utah), National Endowment for the Arts

Featuring artist collaboration with Rob Pacheco

This mural titled “The Marathon Continues” was born from the belief that kindness can interrupt cycles of pain and open space for healing. It began with One Kind Act a Day’s 30-day kindness challenge, and expanded into a co-led mural project that brought boys and girls from the facility together in healing and creation.

Over 2.5 weeks,  Rob Pacheco and I led a residency focused not only on painting, but on reflection, vulnerability, and emotional courage. The youth shared about family, struggle, and resilience while painting imagery symbolizing reclamation—hands forming a heart, trees rooted in identity, and boxing gloves retired in peace.

What made this mural special: Every youth was individually honored at the reveal ceremony for their kindness, effort, and leadership. For some, this was the first time they were publicly acknowledged in front of their families and staff—not as defendants, but as artists and community builders.

Read full article:
Incarcerated Kids at Farmington Bay Youth Center Create Mural of Hope
About One Kind Act a Day – AdThing, University of Utah

Watch or read: Positivity Through Poetry Program Helps Youth in Utah’s Juvenile Justice System – KSL-TV Positivity Through Poetry & Mural Art 

Murals #4 & #5 – Kindness is Key

Location: Salt Lake Valley Detention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Year: 2024
Partners & Sponsors:
One Kind Act a Day, Ogden Contemporary Arts (OCA), Utah Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services, Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs, Utah Division of Arts & Museums, University Neighborhood Partners and SoTrace.

These two hallway murals were painted with youth currently on probation and transitioning out of the system. Many were returning to school and family while still navigating trauma, shame, and the hope of starting over.

In addition to mural painting, I created custom portrait pieces featuring icons such as Selena, Nipsey Hussle, Kobe Bryant, and Tupac. These reflected shared cultural backgrounds, loss, and perseverance. The paintings were installed permanently along the hallway as mirrors of the youth’s own journey toward resilience.

At the mural reveal, youth stood proudly before court judges, probation officers, staff, and family. They shared what they had learned—not just about painting—but about collaboration, voice, and vulnerability.

Key Moment:
During the reveal event, youth told judges how they co-led the mural project. Many spoke publicly for the first time—shifting the room’s energy from correction to celebration.