Cameron Heights + Mill Courtland Community Centre +
St Marie φ Walker + City of Kitchener + Love My Hood
_______________________________
“WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER”
“WE ACKNOWLEDGE EACH OTHER”
How do we create spaces that underscore the importance of community connection and collaboration?
I am so excited to share that the Cameron Heights Art Dept (CHCI) worked with the Mill Courtland Community Centre (MCNA) and acclaimed artist’s St Marie φ Walker to create two large public art installations!
The two murals manufactured by the City of Kitchener’s sign shop were installed June 2022; one at Cameron Heights facing out over the sports field towards the second mural installed at Mill Courtland Community Centre in Kitchener, Ontario.
These two murals face each other just 1km apart, creating a metaphorical bridge across that distance. A bridge that I like to imagine is made of the same shimmering bright colours rendered in the murals.
The process for creating these public art installations began by collecting personal feedback through workshops with the CHCI and MCNA communities - intent on discussing the importance of reflection, community and how we are connected.
I’m fascinated with how the project seeks to redefine public spaces by restructuring our relationship with street signs. Over the silhouetted photos of youth from the community in the murals is the superimposed text: “WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER” and “WE ACKNOWLEDGE EACH OTHER’ in large white semi-opaque block letters. The words fragmented line to line encouraging viewers to slow down, decode the words and process their visceral meaning.
This multi-group-collaborative public art project was made possible with the generous support of the Love My Hood matching grant through the City of Kitchener, in contact with neighborhood liaison Laura McBride.
It was truly a massive collaborative effort and belongs to the community and everyone involved!
📸 Conan Stark, June 2022
