A new community-produced mural was recently installed at the Guelph Farmers Market, to remind visitors of the city’s recovery efforts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Image courtesy Art Not Shame
A new community-produced mural was recently installed at the Guelph Farmers Market, to remind visitors of the city’s recovery efforts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mural is the result of Art in a Just Recovery, an arts project which took place over several weeks in the winter. More than 100 participants came together to create a digital version of the mural, in collaboration with social artist Melanie Schambach and 14 other artists specializing in multiple arts mediums. It is designed to explore community care in the context of Guelph’s ongoing pandemic recovery.
With the help of local organizations including Art Not Shame, the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition, and 10C, the finished mural was printed in a large-scale format, installed at the market, and unveiled at a community event in June. More than 100 people attended the event, to celebrate with music, art, food, and a panel discussion about the mural process.
“The unveiling event was a beautiful way for the Art in a Just Recovery participants and their families and friends to come together and celebrate the layers of stories within the mural,” says Maeve Hind, the program’s director and a local interdisciplinary artist. “It was a wonderful experience to be one of the organizers for the event and we cannot wait for everyone in the Guelph community to see it for themselves.”
