Richmond Hill, Ont., recently celebrated the work of 13 local artists, who created mural paintings throughout the community for the city’s 150th anniversary (RH150). Photo courtesy City of Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, Ont., recently celebrated the work of 13 local artists, who created mural paintings throughout the community for the city’s 150th anniversary (RH150).
The goal of the projects—most of which were featured on Bell boxes and storage bunkers—was to capture the sense of social connectivity and community pride. The largest mural was painted by Chris Perez over a two-week period and is featured on an outside wall at the Richmond Green Sports Centre. Other selected artists included Joaquin Varela, Phoebe Lau, Sheryln Hu, Monica Pramanick, Sarah Alinia Ziazi, Natasha Pelley-Smith, Jing Fu, Ruth Toy, Eduardo Diaz Ocampo, Gloria Hope, Robin Hesse, and Ghazaleh Rastgar.
To help fund the murals, the city received more than $26,000 from the Community Historical Anniversaries Programming component of the federal government’s Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program, administered by the Department of Canadian Heritage. The funds have also supported the delivery of various other RH150 activities throughout the year.
“I take great pride in witnessing the exceptional talent and creativity of our local artists on full display through these remarkable murals,” says Majid Jowhari, member of Parliament for Richmond Hill. “These works of art not only celebrate the rich history of our city, but also stand as a testament to the unity and cultural diversity that defines our vibrant community. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our government for the generous funding provided, through the Department of Canadian Heritage, which has made this project possible. The RH150 murals will undoubtedly continue to inspire and connect our community for generations to come.”
