A new mural, entitled “Rebirth and Resilience” and painted by Toronto artists Caitlin Taguibao and Andrea Manica, is on the wall of the YES Shelter for Youth and Families on Brock Street.
The setting overlooks a historic Indigenous burial ground. The two artists say the images of strawberry plants and dandelions represent compassion, kindness and a belief that people can grow and change, which reflects the YES philosophy.
‘We wanted it to have some meaning and significance to the location it would be in, so we read about the YES Shelter values and also of the history of this site,” Taguibao says.
Almost two dozen artists from around Ontario applied for the commission to create the mural. Taguibao and Manica usually paint such installations on-site but because of the distance from Peterborough, they had to paint it on individual panels in their Toronto studio. The panels were then transported to the site and raised into position.
“We’ve never done it like this before, so today’s the first time we’ve seen it, and we’re pleasantly surprised on how it came together,” Manica says.
This mural is the latest in a number of public art installations planned for the city of Peterborough.