Building art
Kitchener neighbours come together to beautify vacant structures
KITCHENER — Vacant and boarded up brick buildings in the Kitchener neighbourhood of Central Frederick have been transformed into art pieces by residents frustrated with the drab and deteriorating structures.
When Laura McBride moved into a home on Samuel Street in the city’s downtown six years ago, she thought the empty, two-storey buildings at the corner of Samuel and Brubacher streets would be developed.
“I realized after talking to neighbours that there wasn’t going to be…any kind of change,” she said.
The professional artist started to brainstorm, but knew if she wanted to do anything to the buildings she’d need to contact the owners.
“I (went) knocking door-to-door because I knew that someone was mowing the lawn,” she said.
Eventually she found property caretaker John Cunningham, who has lived across the street from buildings since 1978.
He cuts the grass and keeps the property clean for the owners who live stateside.
Cunningham said he loved the idea of beautifying the buildings and even wanted to participate.
Together they gathered about 20 neighbourhood residents to join the effort.
Some helped paint the nine panels. The panels were sized to fit quite exactly in each of the boarded up windows. Others helped fundraise for supplies. They even received a micro-grant from the Central Frederick neighbourhood association.
“All the artists used the same colours,” said McBride, adding only five colours were used. The colours were selected to match those that already existed on the buildings’ exteriors.
They started painting panels of wood in late spring and finished in September.
Each of the buildings’ windows now depicts a different image; one with a red bird, one with a moon and stars, and another with dragonflies.
So far the response from residents has been mostly positive, said Cunningham.
“It gives you a tiny smile every time you see it,” he said.
“It lights you up a little bit and most of the neighbours are the same.”
For neighbour Susan Thomson who didn’t participate in the project, the artwork makes a minimal difference.
“We would like to see something happen (with the buildings) but we’ve lived here so long, we’re used to it,” said Thomson, who has lived in the neighbourhood for 33 years.