V. Kim Martinez, a professor of painting and drawing at the University of Utah, has transformed both public spaces and individual lives as a renowned muralist and painter.

Martinez is co-developing the YAP (Youth Arts Program), which, along with the Urban Arts class, is giving U art majors and high school students alike the opportunity to create murals that beautify public spaces throughout the Salt Lake Valley. For the young artists, these opportunities expose them to community service and give them an early college experience, while art majors at the U gain artistic and teaching skills through mentoring youth.

Over the past decade, Martinez has worked with more than 250 U students and 1,500 community members on 36 community-based murals, including a series for the Murray School District. She has exhibited her art in numerous galleries, from Ephraim, Utah, to Los Angeles to Odesa, Ukraine, and Sarajevo, Bosnia. Martinez also has presented more than four dozen workshops and public lectures on topics such as community-engaged learning, leadership and community murals.

Martinez has received numerous fellowships, including from The Sara Lee Foundation; Ragsdale; George L. & Ann Roman Siegel; Vermont Studio Center; International Iron Castors; and The Bemis Center for Contemporary Art.

She is the recipient of the 2003 Salt Lake City Mayor’s Visual Artist Award, recognizing her community involvement and contributions to groups throughout the state. She also is the recipient of the College of Fine Arts Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching, Research, and Service (2006). In 2019, she was selected as one of the 15 most influential artists in Utah by 15 Bytes Magazine. She received the Governor’s Mansion Award in 2021, which honors artists residing Utah.