CITY OF GUELPH
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The sixth and final mural of the Main Street Mural Project was added to the City’s East Parkade this week.
The mural was created by Dan Bergeron and Gabriel Specter of Toronto, in response to a Call to Artists first issued in December 2018. It joins Annie Hamel’s creation on the side of the parkade and animates an otherwise grey corner of downtown Guelph.
Titled, ‘On the Light Fantastic,’ the mural, created remotely on aluminum composite panels, features silhouettes of contemporary dancers with bands and streaks of colour to show the energy, emotion and vibrancy of dance. The piece is inspired by River Run Centre, Guelph’s performing arts centre, located across the street.
“The mural communicates the grace, power and beauty of the human form and the important contribution arts and culture makes in our community,” explains Tammy Adkin, the City’s Museums and Culture manager.
She adds, “The installation of Dan and Gabriel’s mural is a highly anticipated addition to our visual landscape, and we’re thrilled to support the creation of new works through the Main Street Mural Project while paying artists a fair wage and advancing the City’s collection of public art.”
The project, fully funded through Ontario’s Main Street Revitalization Initiative, sought out professional muralists over two phases who could create art to support and increase the vitality of the locations selected. The art also enhances the pedestrian realm and sense of place, while beautifying the streetscape.
Four other murals can be found along Wilson Street beside City Hall, created by Alex Kwong and Sergey Ryutin (AKA Toner) of Calgary, Métis artist Kenneth Lavallee from Winnipeg, Toronto’s Emmanuel Jarus and Pellvetica (Sandy and Steve Pell) out of Kitchener.
The City received 202 submissions from applicants all over the world for the first phase of the Main Street Mural Project, including six from Guelph-based artists, and 84 submissions for Phase Two from applicants all over Canada, including two from Guelph-based artists.
About Ontario’s Main Street Revitalization initiative
The project is funded through the Main Street Revitalization Initiative, a $26 million fund from the Government of Ontario. The fund invests in the revitalization of main street areas to support and grow local businesses by driving tourism and encouraging public investment in municipal and public infrastructure.
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