Brentwood celebrates new mural
Pair of artists, 30 children created artwork to reflect site’s history
Brentwood’s community spirit is on prominent display in a new mural in the northwest neighbourhood.
The mural painted by two artists and a group of 30 children was officially unveiled Sunday at 1520 Northmount Dr.
Lee Hunt, one of the organizers of the project, said the art replaces a community mural at Charleswood Drive and Northmount Drive that was vandalized beyond repair in December.
“I’m delighted — just delighted,” she said Sunday of the finished product.
The colourful tribute to the neighbourhood was sketched by artists Daniel J. Kirk and Katie Green, and completed by youth in three shifts of 10.
“We first came in and laid out a sort of overall simple framework, and then worked with kids on material management, brush maintenance, just simple introductions to mural painting,” Kirk said.
Hunt said one thing the community wanted to ensure the mural included was a reflection of the site’s history.
“One of the very first people who lived in this neighbourhood was a lady named Pauline and her husband,” she said. “They had a farm right here. This tennis court was their garden; the library was their farmstead. And they had a very faithful dog named Penny. If you look at the left side of the mural, we’ve got the barn to symbolize Pauline, and we’ve got the collie dog to symbolize Penny. And we explained that history to all of our young artists.”
The mural also depicts a view of Nose Hill and local flowers and animals.
Rehanna Paul, 11, and her brother, Xavier, 7, helped paint the mural. “It was really fun,” said Rehanna. “I was really happy to be a part of this.”
“I’m so proud that my kids were able to be a part of the community,” their mother, Chantal Paul, said.
The mural was created through a $10,000 Soul of the City Neighbour Grant, a collaborative initiative of the Calgary Foundation, Calgary Economic Development and the RBC Foundation.