Community members gathered along the Rail Trail in Coalville Thursday morning to celebrate the dedication of “Quilted Together,” a new public art installation that honors the area’s railroad history, quilting heritage and evolving community identity.
The installation, created by artists Trevor Dahl and Garth Franklin, was commissioned by the Summit County Public Art Advisory Board as part of Summit County’s Rail Trail Corridor Project and funded through the county’s Recreation, Arts and Parks Tax program.
During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Summit County Council member Canice Harte said the artwork grew out of community conversations about the future of the Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail.
“In recent years Summit County has been exploring opportunities to play a larger role in the future stewardship of the Rail Trail,” he said. “One of the ideas that emerged was how art and culture could help tell the story of communities connected by the trail.”
The artwork combines a quilt-inspired pattern with imagery of birds taking flight. Dahl said the design was inspired by Coalville’s quilting tradition while reflecting the many people, industries and wildlife that have shaped the region over time.
“The concept was all the different pieces that create a community,” Dahl said to the crowd. “The animals, the Indigenous people, the pioneer settlers, the coal miners — everybody that’s created this community over the centuries.”
The quilt serves as a metaphor for those connections, while the birds represent change and migration.
“The birds leave and different peoples leave and come back,” Dahl said. “There’s always a constant flux. The symbolism of this piece is the social fabric and also the fluidity of that.”
Franklin, a Coalville-area resident, artist and furniture maker, led the fabrication of the installation. The piece is framed with repurposed railroad steel, a nod to the Union Pacific line that once ran through the corridor, he said.
The artists collaborated previously on a public art project in Park City and submitted a joint proposal when the Coalville opportunity became available. Franklin said the project felt especially meaningful because it is his first public artwork in Coalville.
“I biked here from my house not too long ago, just to get that whole feel of the connection,” he said. “It feels nice to connect with the town.”
Organizers said the installation is intended to become a lasting landmark for those who walk, run and bike along the trail.
“I think this should really be a special moment for people on the daily, walking down Main Street, or walking and biking,” Franklin said. “They can stop and enjoy it and remember this moment.”