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Downtown Drayton is getting a mural

The plan, once the project is approved by Mapleton staff, is to start setting it up and painting it on Sept. 25
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The mural design with a spot for people to stand and have their photo taken

DRAYTON — An upcoming mural will add a splash of colour to downtown Drayton.

Earlier this week Mapleton town council received a report on the mural project.

“I think it’s great,” Coun. Marlene Ottens said. “I love that it’s colourful and bright. And I love the way they’ve incorporated the pictures, with the lettering, and the water tower, they got that in there. So, yeah, I think it’s beautiful. I look forward to seeing it go up.”

Town council didn't voice any opposition to the price tag.

“But I believe, in total, the mural and the work kind of associated with it will be under $10,000,” Aly Hill, economic development coordinator, said.

Part of the intention of the mural is to brighten up downtown.

“In 2019 there was a fence installed between Alva Cherrey’s and the Drayton School of Music. The plan at that time was to put a mural on that fence to add some life and colour into the downtown, and to cover up the use of like the parking lot that was behind it,” Hill said.

The project did not go forward for a few years.

“After staffing changes, that project was put on hold, and then there’s COVID and everything that’s happened in between. So in early 2022 we decided to bring that project back to fruition,” Hill said.

Martin asked how the fence and mural will be put together.

“So is it going to get painted directly on to the fence, like right onto the wood, or is there another layer that goes on first?” Martin asked.

“We will be installing crezon panel. It’s like a thicker plywood to make it one smooth surface. Then, if the fence ever needs to be fixed or anything, then we can do that, and kind of take the mural off and put it back on. It just gives it a smooth, even surface to be painted on,” Hill said.

The economic development department hired a mural and graffiti artist based in Toronto, BLAZEWORKS, to paint the mural.

BLAZEWORKS, or Blaze Wiradharma, has a degree in illustration from the Ontario College of Art and Design and has been doing murals and graffiti since 2013.

The report was received by the council.

Jesse Gault is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.