Mission —A familiar corridor along Lougheed Highway heading west from downtown will soon be transformed with original contemporary art thanks to an upcoming student mural project facilitated by the City of Mission, UFV’s School of Creative Arts, and the Mission Downtown Business Association.
“For a long time, we have been looking for a suitable artwork to serve as our community’s gateway,” said Mayor Paul Horn. “It’s even more exciting because this piece was created by emerging local artists.”
The painters are students enrolled in Chris Friesen’s Community Arts Practice course this summer through UFV’s School of Creative Arts. As part of the course, students worked in teams to research and develop mural concepts based on criteria described by the City’s Review Panel. This panel was made up of local artists, arts administrators, event organizers, community members, and downtown business owners.
“Art tells the story of what a community’s values are,” said Friesen. “I set up this course as an opportunity for students to prepare for real public art calls. Students have the chance to collaborate and present their concepts to stakeholders based on a community’s specific requirements. The winning design did a great job of balancing all the concerns presented by the Review Panel and the constraints of the space.”
It was no easy task for the Review Panel to select the final concept from the four proposed designs, but in the end the chosen design presented a calm and contemporary vista of Mission’s four seasons. The scene includes mountain views, trees, water, and agriculture and will be brought to life with a colour palette inspired by the tones found in Mission’s natural and built landscapes.
“Art has the power to lead the way to a thriving, vibrant, and unique community,” said Miriam Bozman, Executive Director of the Mission Downtown Business Association. “I think that’s what Mission is and I’m thrilled to be a part of helping to build that more and more in our downtown area through projects like this one.”
The students will start painting, weather permitting, on Friday June 17 and continue each Friday for eight weeks.
To ensure a safe working space, lane closures will take place on Lougheed Highway during the day.
Progress photos and updates will be shared on the City’s social media channels as the project comes to life.
This is not the first time Friesen’s course has worked in Mission, with previous projects taking place in partnership with Mission Public Schools.
