Austin Tenny's Trip through Provo

I pass through Provo Center street everyday on my way to work and at first glance, I would have never guessed such a small square footage of land could house so much talent and history. 

On my walk through town, I noticed a guitar shop right along side the road. It was neat, orderly, and well kept. It gave me the distinct impression that the owner took great pride in his work. Each guitar was hand carved from scratch, and he had several of his unfinished products in the window on display, probably as a way of showing those passing by that the work done in the shop is genuine. 

In addition to this display of talent, the artwork I came across during my stroll was quite appealing. In the picture below, I decided to take a walk down an alleyway to find Provo's hidden secrets. I found this "diamond in the rough" painted on the wall and was curious as to why something painted this well would be so hidden. Maybe it was visible at one point in time or maybe it was an amateur artist practicing his work, trying to avoid scrutiny. I think is a great piece of art, and teaches the viewer that a proper understanding of Provo culture cannot be seen through a window in the passengers side of the car. It must be understood slowly and we must pay close attention to Provo's "holes in the wall". 

I liked what I saw in the alley ways so I continued to walk through the back-way. I ran into this old tractor and it completely took me off guard. There are no farms near center street nor crops. This got me thinking that at one point in time, Provo was farmland with few roads and no shops; maybe a farmer's market. It is all rusted out, and looks like it was never put away. It is a piece of forgotten history, waiting to finish what it originally set out to do. 

While history was still pressing on my mind, I saw these as I returned to the main road. The first picture must have been a sign to a old store while the picture on the right was used to distribute the daily paper. Sometimes time passes too quickly and doesn't give old things time to grow old and properly fade out of the "now". Instead, they are plowed over or pushed aside without second thought. 

 

Finally, I started walking over to Smith's when I ran into this old sign and this old parking lot.

I had no idea there used to be a movie theatre and a mall right next to Smiths! I did my fair share of research and found out that Central Square went bankrupt about 20 years ago and no one has claimed the property since. Honestly, I was afraid of staying to long. There were dead animals all over the place and shattered beer cans everywhere I stepped. What used to be a happening hangout is now drunken and dismal, inviting a very shady and mischievous crowd.