A pair of public murals are expected to bring a dose of colour to south Muskoka.
On Wednesday, the Town of Bracebridge’s planning and development committee will consider a new mural to be installed in the lobby of the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre. A second mural is being considered for the exterior of the building located at 205 Muskoka Rd. South in Gravenhurst (at the corner of Hotchkiss and Muskoka Road South).
The murals are an initiative of the District of Muskoka’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism) advisory group. They will be created by Toronto artist Jim Bravo with collaborator Stephanie Schofield of Muskoka Arts and Crafts.
The MLCC mural will be commissioned by the District Municipality of Muskoka and donated to the Town of Bracebridge. The cost has not been finalized.
In 2023, the IDEA advisory group embarked upon commissioning IDEA-themed community murals to promote inclusion, celebrate diversity, and combat hate.
Although the final design of the mural has yet to be solidified, the mural will incorporate waterfalls and the central IDEA philosophy of fostering and developing growth and diversity in the region.
According to a staff report, Bravo is a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) artist who majored in drawing and painting at OCAD University. Since completing his studies, Bravo has worked on over 30 public murals and many private large-scale commissions.
Collaborator Stephanie Schofield is a local artist who studied visual and creative arts at Sheridan College and has a deep passion for art, most times using the natural beauty of Muskoka as her inspiration.
The Bracebridge mural concept was originally designed for the exterior wall of a privately owned downtown Bracebridge building. This location subsequently fell through, and a viable location was been identified in a recessed wall area in the lobby of the MLCC.
The mural designs are not yet in their final form and will undergo content revisions under the oversight and direction of IDEA advisory group to ensure their vision for the community murals is captured.
The MLCC mural will be painted on-site and completed prior to the public opening of the new facility in August 2024. It will take up to two weeks to create. The location of the Gravenhurst mural has yet to be confirmed by council.
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peggy tupper says
Tax dollars should never ever be spent on “art”. It is unnecessary. Tax dollars are supposed to be for infrastructure such as roads, bridges, sewers, water mains etc.
It does not matter the background of the artist, the mural will be offensive to me. I suggest a diagram showing the watermains in Bracebridge.