The crisp bluster of a tempered October season wasn’t enough to keep local artists and regional dignitaries from welcoming in Midland’s newest artistic addition.
At the Southern Georgian Bay Chamber of Commerce building, also housing the Downtown BIA, the painted side of Midland’s northern downtown core was unveiled during an announcement on Friday.
“This is part of a larger project called ‘Downtown Midland Comes to Life: Arts and Ambiance’,” said BIA operations manager Katarina Knezevic. “It's supported by the ‘My Main Street’ community activator initiative and really the whole purpose is for the enhancement of downtown to make it more vibrant, to make it more enjoyable for everybody.”
On the side of the building at 208 King Street, bricks and their crevices were painted by Wasaga Beach artist Shandelle Page McCurdie to depict a near-pixelated view of Midland’s waters on Georgian Bay, while iconic regional aspects such as the tall white pines and Canadian geese joined semi-realistic watercraft and native plants to showcase the forefront of the piece.
“Considering the surface texture that I endured, I think everything went really smoothly,” said McCurdie.
After receiving mid-summer confirmation for the piece, McCurdie referred to a laminated template for the overall design but kept the painting’s final product lax to allow for creative liberties and the challenges of painting in the outdoors.
No official name was given for the mural, as McCurdie said it would have to be a joint decision by herself and the BIA. However, she offered a suitable unofficial title she felt could apply.
“I want to say ‘A Natural Direction’, because the nature and the landscape of Midland is what created the direction of this whole mural, of the design itself.
“We knew that we wanted to take in a lot of local elements, but also Canada geese were a very big part of the design choices,” McCurdie added. “I think that they tend to have a pretty good sense of direction.”
The ‘Downtown Midland Comes to Life: Arts and Ambiance’ project also included other visual and aural elements around town, including the colourfully painted bollards in the parking areas, placemaking patios, and light displays with additional mounted speakers.
Thanks were given to other artists in attendance: bollard covers - Hilary Slater, Greg McCullough, Frieda Abroziak; banners - Frieda Abroziak, Tyler Franz, Heather Kertzer, Courtney Guthrie; and pop-up mural - Alex Kostecka-Silva.
My Main Street is operated by the Canadian Urban Institute and funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, with the Community Activator providing support for community projects designed to draw visitors and increase local vibrancy.
Further information on the mural and project are located on the Downtown Comes to Life page of the Downtown Midland BIA website.
