Sidetrip: Bizarre Art in Cisco, Utah

by John Flahie

Cisco, Utah is mostly a ghost town. There is a post office and a handful of residents. The town even has its own desert ecosystem. When interstate highway 70 was built several decades ago, Cisco's thriving truck-stop, cafe, motel, mining, and railroad activities went bust. The few residents left for the "Big" towns of Moab and Thompson Springs. Left behind was the old Phillips 66 gas station building. Abandoned for years, the structure has become an "Art-house" of unprecedented scope in this area. Several unknown artists have contributed to the funky and eclectic media mix at this site. Murals on the exterior walls greet visitors with scenes of bison and mountains while the interior draws viewers into another dimension of reality. There are sculptures, paintings, and progressive time-line illustrations. Cowboy boots on sticks to delight the senses.