“Safe, Home, Homerun”: A New Mural Brings History & Hope to Ballpark Neighborhood

Salt Lake City’s Ballpark Neighborhood has a fresh burst of color and significance, thanks to a new mural by artist Paul Heath. On Facebook, Heath announced he’s finally completed his mural at the Road Home office (1415 S. Main St., SLC), part of the city’s push to enrich this corner of town through public art.

The piece is titled “Safe, Home, Homerun,” and it weaves together two rich threads: the nearly 100-year history of baseball on the 1300 South corridor (between Main & West Temple), and the mission of The Road Home to provide shelter and paths to stability for those experiencing homelessness. Heath frames the mural as a symbolic bridge — celebrating both a sports legacy and a communal commitment to “getting people safely home.”

A public celebration of the mural’s completion is slated for Thursday, October 16, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. The gathering will take place at Big Willie’s (17th South), itself another mural site in the Ballpark collection. It’s a chance for neighbors, supporters, and art lovers to meet the artist(s), enjoy refreshments, and see the murals in person. (Instagram)

The Ballpark Mural Program: Art as Community Catalyst

Heath’s mural is one of at least ten new works commissioned this year under the Ballpark Neighborhood Mural Program, a partnership between the Community Reinvestment Agency (CRA) of Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake City Arts Council. The goal is to activate blank walls, celebrate local identity, uplift small businesses, and foster neighborhood pride. (cra.slc.gov)

These murals aren’t just decorative — they’re part of a deliberate investment in place-making. Over the summer of 2025, the Ballpark area was transformed into an open-air gallery, with each mural reflecting a unique collaboration between artists and property owners. (saltlakearts.org)

An application packet from CRA describes the program’s mission: “to support the creation of artwork that enhances the beautification, diversification, and economic vitality of the Ballpark Neighborhood.” (cra.slc.gov) The program also encourages resident involvement, and seeks designs that resonate with the neighborhood’s existing character.

Reading Safe, Home, Homerun

What does Heath’s mural communicate? The title alone points to layered meaning:

• Safe / Home underscores The Road Home’s core purpose: not just providing shelter, but restoring dignity, security, and hope.
• Homerun nods to the baseball heritage of 1300 South. Over many decades, local games, community league culture, and everyday fandom have left their mark on the identity of Ballpark.

Heath’s mural literally and figuratively situates these threads. It invites viewers to see the continuity between community, place, sports, and social responsibility — to understand that just as a baseball is sent “home” in the game, so too people deserve a place to call home in life.

Other Murals Worth Noting Around Salt Lake

Heath’s mural fits into a growing tapestry of public art across the city — here are a few others to check out:

• “The Sun, the Moon, and Everything Between” — This large 30′ × 60′ mural (latex on EIFS) was created under the Ballpark program too. Artist(s) describe it as an invitation to reflection — to remain aware of the threads that hold us up and where they go. (Caro Nilsson Art)
• Project 337 & South Salt Lake murals — South Salt Lake has seen a surge of murals along West Temple and nearby corridors, turning industrial facades and alley walls into visual narratives of community and identity.
• Salt Lake’s “Wall of Hope” at The Road Home — In past years, volunteers and artists collaborated to paint hope-themed murals at the Road Home facility, incorporating community input. (Artists of Utah)
• Ruby Chacon’s works — One of Utah’s celebrated muralists, Ruby Chacon has works displayed across SLC. Her murals often center identity, heritage, and storytelling in marginalized communities. (Wikipedia)

In making these pieces visible and accessible, the Salt Lake City Arts Council and CRA are building a living map of collective memory, aspiration, and urban vitality. (saltlakearts.org)

Beyond the Paint

• Cultural Identity & Memory: Murals anchor a community’s stories onto its walls and sidewalks. Heath’s choice to center baseball and The Road Home in one public artwork helps codify Ballpark’s evolving identity.
• Equitable Placemaking: By funding art in neighborhoods that might otherwise be overlooked, the CRA program helps distribute cultural investment more evenly — not just downtown, but in everyday places where people live, commute, and gather.
• Art as Connection: The October 16 celebration isn’t just a ribbon-cutting; it’s a chance for neighbors and visitors to meet artists, engage in conversation, and foster ownership of public space.
• Momentum for More: As these murals become part of the visual fabric, they may inspire more property owners, local businesses, and residents to support or propose future murals.

How to Visit & Support

• Take a walking or biking tour of Ballpark Neighborhood murals. Start at 1300 S / Main + West Temple and span outwards.
• Join the mural celebration on Oct 16, 5–6:30 p.m. at Big Willie’s, where you can meet Heath, other artists, and community members. (Instagram)
• Share pics and stories on social media to raise attention. Use local hashtags (e.g. #BallparkMurals, #SLCPublicArt) and tag the City’s arts programs to help build awareness.
• Encourage your local business or property owner to apply for future CRA murals — blank walls are opportunities, not constraints.

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Paul Heath’s “Safe, Home, Homerun” is a gesture of community affirmation, a marker of history. As more murals join Ballpark’s streets and alleys, they invite us to walk, pause, reflect, and recognize that the walls around us can hold meaning, memory, and hope.