Platforms is a unique outdoor art gallery space that was initially incepted to provide activation to an otherwise vacant parcel of land in Ogden’s inner city. The site’s frequent rotation of temporary art installations has since become a popular pearl along Ogden’s First Friday Art Stroll route and an important catalyst for the ongoing growth of the Nine Rails Creative District. Io created a master plan for the district which was completed in 2018. In 2020, Io helped give the site a refresh by designing a series of low-cost, serpentine gravel pathways and a colorful pallet of xeric and native vegetation.

“Ogden Contemporary Arts was lucky enough to work with Io LandArch on our outdoor sculpture park, PLATFORMS. Shalae was critical to pulling off this community project. She offered their services as an in-kind donation and even went as far as recommending volunteer options, as we are a nonprofit with limited funds. The outcome was astonishing. What was once a lot of overgrown weeds, chain-link and trash, is now a welcoming park scattered with beautiful native plants and whimsical winding pathways. Ogden is lucking to have such a community oriented landscape architecture firm in our community.”

Venessa Castagnoli | Executive Director, OCA Ogden Contemporary Arts