Collingwood Mends its Murals

Collingwood, ON – After enhancing the downtown for a decade, Collingwood’s murals are getting some TLC. The Collingwood Arts and Culture Advisory Committee has spearheaded the restoration project and artist Ruth Hurdle is working with the Town to repair, clean and restore the murals this month. Penny Skelton, Vice Chair of the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee stated, “These murals are the Town of Collingwood's first Public Art Project and the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee recognizes and understands the need for ongoing maintenance to restore the murals to their original condition. We are the stewards of Collingwood's public art and as such will ensure their continued enjoyment by residents and visitors alike for many years to come.”

There are five murals in the downtown, collectively called the Millennium Murals, the result of a project conceived and carried out by the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts mural committee from 1998 to 2001, to beautify Collingwood and showcase the area’s culture and heritage. The Arts and Culture Advisory Committee consulted with Mural Routes, a Toronto non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of wall art as a public art form. "It is a great testament to the Town of Collingwood that they are taking serious steps to maintain the legacy created by the Millennium Murals. The original investment of creativity is enhanced by the restoration project. This sets an excellent standard for all communities that use mural art as a form of public expression," says Karin Eaton, Executive Director Mural Routes

Ruth Hurdle, an artist from Perkinsfield, Ontario was selected for her experience in creating and restoring public and private murals both indoors and outdoors. She recently completed the restoration of four murals for the Town of Midland as well as creating the first new mural there in 2008. Hurdle began Monday on the mural titled Busy Wagons by John Hood located at Hurontario and Second Streets. The mural represents the activity and colour of Collingwood’s main street as it might have been in the early 1900’s. Ruth will also restore Ski Train, by Richard Gill, mounted in April 2001 at 86 Hurontario Street and Heading Dockside by Beverley Smith at 28 Huron Street, installed in September 2000. Ski Train consists of individually hand sculpted clay that was glazed and kiln-fired and depicts the 1950’s “ski train” arriving at Craigleith Station and carrying passengers bound for the ski hills. Heading Dockside is a whimsical rendering of workers heading to the shipyard. The Arts and Culture Advisory Committee is also planning repairs to the mural titled, Our Community, located on the south wall of the Eddie Bush Arena.

For photos on the progress of the mural restoration, please visit www.collingwood.ca