Gananoque, Ont., held a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday to unveil five new murals in the downtown core.
The mural project was part of a community initiative involving area youth.
Local artist Mallory Bishop Brown and Kingston artist Shane Goudreau were among those who contributed to the project.
Goudreau says his three pieces in the downtown walkway north of Stone Street were painted with a combination of brush and airbrush work.
“It’s more of an actual Miami vibe really you know. You don’t see it … you’re starting to see it more in this part of the world but it’s cool to bring that here,” he said.
Mallory Bishop Brown’s two pieces bracket the visitor centre next to town hall. From a distance, the geometric shapes are most notable but Bishop Brown said the image changes when you get closer.
“You can see the images that represent the kids,” she said.
The artists worked in consultation with students at Gananoque Intermediate Secondary School to develop the concepts of the five pieces.
For Bishop Brown, who is a Grade 7 and 8 teacher at the school, it was a pretty natural fit.
“It was really important to me to be able to involve my students and to also be able to have them see themselves represented in the art,” she said.
The five murals were made possible through a $25,000 grant from the federal government’s Canada Healthy Communities Initiative.
Gananoque Mayor Ted Lojko voiced his approval of the project.
“This was kind of in response to the whole COVID-19 pandemic, to try to get people to go outside and appreciate either nature or art,” he said.
At the same time, the aim was towards beautifying the area, engaging area youth and creating a sense of ownership in the community.