Judge freshman's artwork to be displayed on UTA

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MILLCREEK – The artwork of Bella Franco, 15, a Judge Memorial Catholic High School freshman, will soon be seen by thousands of people across the Salt Lake Valley.

Bella was named as one of the winners in a new UTA contest My BeUTAHful Community Student Art Competition that invited students from Kindergarten to 12th grade to submit entries with the theme “Meet Your Neighbor.”

“Through this competition we want to give young people in Utah the opportunity to self-express through public art, be a visible part of the public transportation system, bring art to riders and the communities that we serve, and to celebrate and represent Utah communities in our service,” UTA said on its website.

Bella was one of three winners in the seventh- to ninth-grade category.

“Your piece was beautiful!” art contest officials wrote. “It caught our eye with its creativity and artistry. We are so excited to have a chance to display your work for people to see.”

“Not only is Bella an extremely kind and caring person: she is dedicated to her craft,” said Judge art teacher Aundraya C. Dain, who encouraged her students to enter the contest. “She is always searching for ways to better improve her skills and learn new techniques, but most importantly, she retains the joy that art brings her. It’s never a chore or a difficult task but genuine curiosity and love of imagination that drives her to create.”

“I am so happy for Bella,” she added. “I can’t wait to see how she grows as an artist.”

Bella’s artwork, a digital image produced on an iPad, depicts several neighbors in an apartment building being together apart during the pandemic.

“I wanted to do something really simple” so it would look deliberate, she said. She was inspired by toy blocks for the image. “People communicating through apartment buildings or even being by themselves with pets – I thought that would be a good way to show we’re still together even if we’re not physically together.”

“I’m very proud of how it turned out,” said Bella, who hopes to pursue an art degree after high school and become a children’s storybook illustrator/author. “I try to make art as big as it can be of my life.”

Bella’s mother, Melodie Franco, has always been a believer in her daughter’s ability. “I was thrilled that she won,” she said. “I always tell her her art should be displayed and she should be proud; she’s not as confident in her work as I am.”

The artwork will be displayed for a full year inside FrontRunner and TRAX trains and as a mural bus wrap. Along with having her piece displayed, Bella also qualifies for a cash prize.