Downtown Barrie, Ontario, is becoming much brighter with one mural completed and another on the way. Those involved believe this will encourage locals to take a greater interest in and pride in the city’s central business district.
In order to add some life to some empty canvases downtown, the Downtown Barrie Business Improvement Association (BIA) has collaborated with local artists on two initiatives.
“Art enables us to relate to and connect with one another. It creates community.
Additionally, it fosters a sense of connection with the environment and inspires people to claim public areas as their own. Therefore, Sarah Jensen, coordinator of communications and public realm for the downtown Barrie BIA, said, “We want to motivate people to explore and engage with their surroundings.
“The initiatives you’ve taken this year give back to the neighbourhood and aid in making our downtown more attractive and secure.
The first mural, which the BIA will formally unveil later this month, has strawberries carved out of several hearts and is by artist Bareket Kezwer. It is located on Maple Avenue.
The mural was made by Kezwer, Monica Loney, and their mentee.
“I was aware that starting the project downtown was the best choice. The painting is a gift to the health of the downtown neighbourhood, and strawberries are revered for their therapeutic benefits in many cultures, according to Jensen.
“The objective is to make shared landmarks and encourage visitors to explore downtown in order to help them connect with it. The first benefit of encouraging visitors to explore more of our downtown is that they will find new stores, restaurants, and other fantastic attractions.
Additionally, having extra eyes on the road makes it safer. It appears that people are concerned about the region, and in that case, people take ownership of it and want to care for it as well, she said.
The Clandestinos Art duo will produce the second mural. It will be at Shak’s World Community Center, which is on the other side of Maple Avenue.
Shalak Attack and Bruno Smoky, a husband and wife artistic team, have had their murals shown on walls throughout Canadian places including Kitchener, Montreal, Manitoulin Island, Toronto, and the present Barrie.
Shalak Attack told Global News, “We always try to make art that we’re proud of, that symbolises us, but also the people around us.”
By the end of November, the two intend to complete the mural.
According to Jensen, there are many more projects in the pipeline, including building a new community piano for downtown, and these two murals are only the beginning.
Because there are so many wonderful things about downtown, Jensen said, “we really want to draw attention to them. We thus hope that these murals will assist in doing so and encourage people to feel a sense of ownership and connection to downtown as well.”
The Downtown Barrie BIA is utilising art to assist the downtown area get better.
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