As Heber Valley locals, we are familiar with the need to hit the brakes as the person driving the car in front of us slows down to admire the view. If we’re lucky, they’ll pull over at a scenic overlook to take in the scenery we often take for granted as we hurry from one engagement to another. We may shake our heads, but we’re equally guilty of coming around a bend and gasping audibly at the beautiful view. The truth is, the average Heber resident doesn’t take the time to play tourist in our backyard. Mural artist, John Moore, asked himself what it would look like if we truly found a connection to our community. Among his local artworks are three murals he says deeply connected him in this way, and which, he hopes, will also provide this connection for the viewer.
The Heber Mural, 2022, located on the south side of the Napa Auto Parts building, is a vintage postcard-style representation of what our valley offers visitors and locals in the way of attractions and culture. The Karl Malone Powersports Mural, 2023, located on the north side of the building, facing 400 North Street, is an all-gray-scale depiction of a helmeted dirt bike rider navigating a mountain trail. The Smith’s Mural, 2024, located inside the vestibule of the new Smith’s Marketplace is the latest addition to his repertoire, and its color block style is a nod to Moore’s graphic design background. Stylistically, the large-scale murals vary widely. Thematically, they all address a sense of belonging to a place and how we connect with the natural world around us.
I really strongly believe that people who write, and people who create art, are the ones that create history.
Although John Moore never intended to become a full-time artist or entrepreneur, he shares over and over how meaningful the act of connecting has been in his life. After earning a degree in Advertising/Marketing, with a Graphic Design emphasis, he still didn’t consider himself an artist because he compared himself to ‘the greats’ and other people who ‘were doing amazing things’. Moore spent some time as a creative director, but sitting behind a screen all day left him depressed and wanting more. “It became really overwhelming to me in a lot of ways — especially being remote [during the pandemic]. Not having much more than Zoom calls… it was so isolating. I thought, ‘I can’t go on like this. I have to make a change’ because I was struggling so badly.”
Depression and burnout nudged Moore into entrepreneurship. He was given the opportunity to help with the visual identity change when the LDS Business College rebranded to Ensign College, and he offered to do a few murals for the committee. Moore remembers there being a lot of pressure and freedom in that experience. After practicing in his garage, he carried it off and realized he could make some money painting murals. Moore stayed in the corporate world for a few more years, but said, “Having to go back to a desk job after painting murals was really hard.” In 2022, against a lot of people’s advice, he took the plunge and dove right into painting murals full-time. He knew it was what he and his growing family needed to live a happier, more connected life.
Moore’s large-scale murals often explore topics of connection. His other passion project, an essentially small-scale “mural” of a social platform, Heare Brotherhood (@hearebrotherhood), carries this theme as well. Through his social network, Moore has created real-world relationships that foster a true sense of belonging for many men in our valley, and around the world. “As I started to live that lifestyle [of entrepreneurship], I would go to lunch with people, just networking and getting to know them. And I thought ‘I need to do more of this. I want to do more of this.’ We all need these connections more than anything.” Because of his struggles with mental health issues, Moore came to admire the containers other men and coaches had created to hold space for him when he was in the “depths of despair.” He felt inspired to do the same for others. “For so long society has put men in this box of not being able to feel or express their emotions for fear of weakness.” What started as an awareness campaign for men’s mental health has turned into a semi-global movement. At its peak, the Heare Brotherhood had more than seven thousand members throughout the world, in more than 30 countries. “It all just started with awareness… and having places to be heard and places to find both support and growth. That’s when it turned into this purpose of connection, and connecting specifically with men. I wanted to [make those opportunities] more accessible to more men around the world because of the time [entrepreneurship] afforded me and the control over my life to make that happen.”
These seemingly small acts of connection — painting a mural on a wall in a public space or sharing an uplifting message with someone online — create huge ripples in the world around us. When asked if he feels like creating murals binds him to the community here? Moore shared, “It’s an honor for me to be chosen by people to represent a place that many of them have called home their whole lives. It’s a huge honor and privilege that they trust me enough to represent that through art. It makes me feel like I’m making my mark here.” He has a few favorite stories of interactions with community members while out painting in public spaces.
While working on the postcard mural across from the tabernacle, Moore was right next to the entrance of the store on a very busy street corner. “People going in and out would stop me, and I’d develop relationships with these people over the week or week and a half that I was working because they’d see me every day. This one guy saw me working in the hot sun — it was August or September when I was doing the Napa one… and one day he came up to me and said, ‘Hey, I have a gift for you.’ It was a special hat that came to a point, and it had a mesh container for my head so that it was breathable. And that was such a beautiful thing for me, to see the generosity of people.”
On another occasion, someone brought some hot chocolate while he was painting outside. Moore gets emotional while talking about it because the experience was so beautiful. “I had so many good conversations with people who would approach me and stop me. They are so fascinated and think I’m this incredible artist because I’m doing something they’re not used to seeing.” He laughs it off, stating that he thinks there are plenty of better artists out there. “But it’s a very cool thing to be in the middle of… It’s fun to have the mural process, as well as the work I do with Heare Brotherhood. Both are interactive in very different ways, and being with people… being poured into, and pouring life into others through those mediums is fun… I love interacting with people.”
Moore refers to himself as someone who values leaving a legacy. “I strongly believe that people who write, and people who create art, are the ones who create history. In a way, I get to help create the history of our town through art, and it feels like a good responsibility. Even though it may be small, we all play our part, and it’s fun to be able to do that.”
John Moore’s latest mural, visible inside the entry of the new Smith’s Marketplace, offers all of us another way to connect with this beautiful valley. We may not always take the time to stop as we’re driving or walking down the street, but if there ever was a good reason, I believe Moore’s murals offer the perfect opportunity to slow down, connect with a neighbor, and admire the view.
