EDITOR’S NOTE: For preview coverage of the 49th Utah Arts Festival, which runs June 19-22, The Utah Review is presenting individual or group profiles of artists, performers, entertainers and some newcomers to the event. Visitors will also see the first significant change of the last 15 years in the festival map. There are several new features this year: Voodoo Productions’ street theater will include roaming graffiti stilt walkers, contortionists and living master works of art. Salt Lake Acting Company will appear for the first time at the festival, offering a sample from its upcoming summer show, The Secret Lives of the Real Wives in the Salt Lake Hive. Urban Arts is offering its largest live graffiti mural installation, while a row of several other artists will be demonstrating their creative process in real time. For kids, as admission for those 12 and under will be free, there will be plenty of make-and-take art options in Frozen Spaces in the Art Yard. The City Library auditorium will be the home to the 22nd edition of the international Fear No Film program, with the strongest slate of narrative short films in the event’s history. Of course, dance, who wears the empress jewels in performing arts, will be represented by Repertory Dance Theatre, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Echoing Spirit Dancers and, of course, the ever-popular 1520 Arts, at The Round. For tickets and more information, see the Utah Arts Festival website.
JOE ANDERSON, capgunjoe
Another of the impressive powerhouse of graffiti muralists lined up for the Urban Arts venue at the Utah Arts Festival will be locally based capgunjoe (Joe Anderson). He also has art available at Mellow Chromatic.
TUR: How have you seen your work best represent your own creative persona?
CGJ: My work thrives at the intersection of energy, movement, and bold storytelling. Whether it’s a graffiti piece pulsing with color or a large-scale mural layered with symbolism, my creative persona comes through in the balance of chaos and control. I see my work as a mirror of my lived experience — from my roots in the Midwest to my deep connection with the western landscapes of Utah. The Urban Arts venue has helped provide a space where raw expression can be seen as refined, where street aesthetics are treated with the same respect as gallery work. That validation allows me to go even deeper in representing my truth — loud, vibrant, and unapologetically personal.
TUR: What is your training as a street, graffiti, and public mural artist? Who are your most significant influences and inspirations? Do these shift over time?
CGJ: I’ve been a working artist for over 15 years, and most of my training has come through hands-on experience — painting walls, navigating different surfaces, collaborating with communities, and constantly pushing my technique. I’ve also been a tattoo artist for the past 14 years, and that background has sharpened my eye for line work, composition, and detail — all of which influences the way I approach murals and graffiti.
My biggest influences are El Mac, Smug One, Cantwo, and Rime. Each of them represents a different strength I admire — El Mac’s rhythmic realism, Smug’s technical mastery, Cantwo’s crisp, classic style, and Rime’s wild, expressive energy. Their work helped shape my visual language early on and continues to inspire me today.
As I grow personally and artistically, my inspirations evolve. I still look to those foundational artists, but I also draw influence from the landscapes around me, the stories I hear, and my own life experiences. The direction shifts, but the hunger to create stays constant.
TUR: Do you work full-time exclusively as an artist? Or, how do you augment your work as an artist?
CGJ: Yes — I work full-time as an artist. I divide my time between tattooing, murals, and public art installations, often weaving skills from each discipline into the next. I also travel for graffiti events and festivals, where I continue to sharpen my voice and connect with other artists. My work is self-funded more often than not, so I manage logistics, grant writing, budgeting, and community outreach as part of the process. Every part of my life feeds into the work — it’s never just paint on a wall, it’s an extension of who I am.
TUR: What do you see as the trends, challenges and opportunities in the next few years for street, public, and graffiti art?
CGJ: The biggest trend I see is the blending of genres — street art is no longer confined to the street, and traditional fine art is bleeding into mural work. There’s more opportunity now than ever to create meaningful, large-scale work that merges community voices, local identity, and bold visual statements. That said, a challenge remains in preserving the raw authenticity of graffiti as more institutions seek to commercialize or sanitize it. Gatekeeping can also still exist — especially when artists with less formal training or alternative styles are excluded from major opportunities. But I see that shifting, especially as festivals, city programs, and youth outreach become more inclusive and accessible.
TUR: What are your feelings about participating in the Utah Arts Festival? Have you been in other festivals, and do you plan to explore others?
CGJ: Being part of the Utah Arts Festival is meaningful to me. Utah is where I came to rediscover myself as a man and as an artist — the landscape, the energy, and the people have all shaped my work in ways I never expected. To have a platform like this to showcase graffiti and street art not as a side show but as a legitimate and celebrated part of visual culture — that’s huge. I’ve been part of other festivals and events, and I absolutely plan to continue. Every festival is an exchange — of culture, energy, technique, and stories. It’s where the work breathes.
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