 | A group of artists will be working on a unique public art project to create a temporary mural at the northeast corner of Pitt and Second Streets. | |
Cornwall - Sep. 27, 2011 - A group of artists will be working on a unique public art project to create a temporary mural at the northeast corner of Pitt and Second Streets.
Beginning this Thursday evening, local artists, entrepreneurs and "Walldog" artists from across Canada and the U.S. will paint a seven-foot high mural around the 260-foot perimeter of the Dominion Place construction site. The project is expected to wrap up on Sunday.
The mural will feature a streetscape of colourful store facades, and it will be removed once the Dominion Place project is completed.
The project is being spearheaded by Heart of the City and the Centretown Cornwall revitalization project. The project is being managed by well-known artist Noella Cotnam of Sign It Signs and entrepreneur Keitha Fisher.
"Along with showcasing local artists, this mural will add a unique visual element to the Downtown while the Dominion Place development is completed," said Councillor Denis Carr, who heads up Heart of the City. "It also builds on the recently-completed Centretown Streetscape Report which speaks to the need to make the Downtown and Le Village areas more appealing and inviting."
Chris Markell, Vice-President of R.J. Bourgon & Associates Ltd., welcomed the opportunity to support the creative initiative as planning work on Phase 2 of the Dominion Place development progresses.
"This project celebrates local arts and culture and will serve as colourful protective hoarding when construction resumes," said Mr. Markell.
"I think it's an excellent project," added Ron Chenier, President, Place Dominion Place Inc. "No one is as anxious as I am to undertake Phase 2 and while work continues on that front, this is an excellent way to beautify the corner."
The City is entering into an Encroachment Agreement with Dominion Place for the temporary construction hoarding that will surround the site and serve as the canvas for the mural project.
Work will begin on Thursday night as the outlines for the artwork is projected and traced onto the boards, which have been primed in a dark blue. The artists will be painting on-site on Friday and Saturday, and residents are encouraged to stop by the site and watch the project unfold.
"We invite everyone to come down and check it out. It creates positive energy for the artists," said Ms. Cotnam.
Along with Nancy Beaudette, Ms. Cotnam was a key figure in the 2001 Walldog Jam mural project in Cornwall, and she has recruited many of the same artists to assist with this upcoming project. More than a dozen artists will be arriving in Cornwall from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Niagara Falls, Toronto, Quebec and numerous other locations. They will be joined by local artists and entrepreneurs such as Tracy-Lynn Chisholm, Anne Wylemans, Chelsea Hope, Angela Youngs, Keitha Fisher, Jocelyn Nicholson and many more.
Art enthusiasts will have added reason to stop by the mural site as the first annual Pitt Street ArtFest will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday on Pitt Street between First and Second Streets.
"We're excited to be doing a project such as this, right in the heart of our city," added Ms. Cotnam.
Once construction of Dominion Place is complete, the mural boards will be removed and they could be re-used in some fashion.
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