Local artist breathes new life into murals in Athens, Ont. with Indigenous elements

For many years, the village of Athens, Ont., was known for its colourful murals. But time and weather have both taken their toll on the hand-crafted displays.

Now, however, many of those tired paintings have been spruced up with an Indigenous element.

They help to tell the history of a village and an area and they have done so for decades now, but there was a time, not so long ago when the Athens murals were showing their age with faded and peeling paint and were unrecognizable to many.

“It’s a creative release for me and I think a healthy one as well. I’m always out here five days a week anyway, cranking these things out.” says well-known Brockville artist Dave Sheridan, as he adds new life into these pieces of art.

Sheridan and some friends helped to unofficially unveil the latest mural to get a makeover. It includes historically significant points of interest in the Athens area back in the 1890s, including what was called a First Nations market.

“This was a catchment area — Mohawk, Algonquin, Mississauga, many, many tribes came through here” says Sheridan.

Sally Smid from the Athens & Area Heritage Society says,  “There was a family that came to Athens and they rented a house towards Mapleview lodge for the summer.
They had gardens, they had basket weaving, they would sell their wares there and they were part of the community for the summers.”

Thanks to what Sheridan calls restoration and alteration, that Indigenous history is being more recognized. But he didn’t do it alone, Sheridan’s wife Diane also had a hand in the undertaking.

“We wanted the colours to be intense, Diane wanted to use the orange which symbolizes the reconciliation and things like that and of course the dream-catcher — the motif around the outside of this — that’s been derived from reconciliation graphic work that’s been designed” Sheridan explains.

National Chief Congress of Aboriginal People Elmer St. Pierre says this is what community is about.

“That’s how the healing process starts; that we work together,” Chief St. Pierre says.

“If we’re always fighting with one another then we’re not going to get anywhere.”

And he is happy his family could be a part if it.

Chief St. Pierre adds, “First step for Athens, first step for us. People that did show up, they appreciated it and … came over and thanked us. So it’s a good start.”

Next-up for Sheridan is putting touches on the mural at the village’s high school.