PROVO, Utah – Utah County is partnering with the Provo Towne Centre and other entities for an interactive art display discouraging underage drinking that will be temporarily installed at the mall.
The project, which was discussed during Wednesday’s Utah County Commission meeting, is part of a broader collaboration between the Utah County Health Department and Parents Empowered, a campaign led by the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
The Parents Empowered campaign was “designed to prevent and reduce underage drinking in Utah by providing parents and guardians with information about the harmful effects of alcohol on the developing teen brain, along with proven skills for preventing underage alcohol abuse,” as stated on the campaign website.
“This is in partnership with Parents Empowered and (the Las Vegas-based advertising company) R&R Partners, who created that campaign,” Heather Lewis, a substance use disorder prevention coordinator with the county health department, told the commissioners on Wednesday.
The commission unanimously approved accepting a donation to Utah County from R&R Partners in the form of an “8 x 12 foot graphic interactive display, containing messaging and imaging to be used by the Utah County Health Department for drug and alcohol prevention education.”
The interactive display will be installed in the food court of the Provo Towne Centre mall on Thursday and will be left up until July 30 “with the option to extend for a longer term as agreed upon,” as stated in the agreement that the commission approved on Wednesday.
“Utah County agrees to donate this mural back to R & R after it is taken down from the Mall,” the agreement states. “This generous donation will be a great asset to the mission of the Utah County Health Department.”
Additionally, the commission voted 2-0 to approve an advertising agreement between the Utah County Health Department and Brixton Provo Mall LLC, which owns the mall.
The advertising agreement states that the art installation intends “to educate parents on the importance of bonding with children as a method of preventing underage drinking.”
The installation “will include a two seat tandem bicycle, installed in front of the display, for people to interact with,” according to the advertising agreement.
The agreement further states that the licensee must ensure compliance with all applicable laws and guidelines, including guidelines related to COVID-19 like “the use of personal protective equipment and/or face coverings and following social distancing guidelines throughout the duration of the event, including set up and take down.”
Lewis noted that the installation will be “kind of like a heat press, so they can install it on the wall” and then remove it without trouble “when they’re ready to have it come down.”
“But it doesn’t leave anything on the wall so that we can take it away easily,” she said.
Commissioner Tom Sakievich praised the art installation project and noted that it was made possible by a $5,000 grant “to promote parents’ empowerment.”
“It’s an emphasis on parents spending time with their children and avoiding addiction,” the commissioner said.
