According to Edgar Degas, art is not what you see but what you make others see. Visitors to the south side of Stratford’s downtown core now have something very different to look up at.
A new mural now adorns the side of the Sutton Real Estate offices at 151 Downie St., showing off some of the city’s renowned natural beauty while also giving a nod to its theatrical prowess. It came as a result of the city’s public art plan and the project was overseen by the Stratford BIA.
Jamie Pritchard, the general manager of the BIA, said they worked through the process to identify potential locations first before being able to apply for funding via grants.
“Our plan and experience guides us through all of what we need to use as a framework for the grant applications,” he said. “The artist is chosen from a call for artists by a jury made up of downtown businesses, staff, and board members. Themes and ideas were discussed by the jury to help get a starting point or vision, and we then collaborated with the artist to solidify that vision.”
The artist that was selected – Bareket Kezwer of Toronto – worked with the guidelines given to her, and Pritchard said he and the rest of the jury were fans of her portfolio. From a distance, the mural appears slightly pixelated, and that lends itself to conversation.
“Murals are put up to beautify the space, attract people to come and enjoy, and to stimulate conversation,” Pritchard said. “We want to acknowledge that this project was funded by My Main Street, FedDev Ontario and the Canadian Urban Institute. And we want to give Gary Van Bakel of Sutton Realty a shout out for the canvas.”
Kezwer said that the inspiration for the mural comes from the idea that love is all around us and the transformative power of choosing to embrace that perspective.
“The pixelated hearts celebrate the abundant love that exists in our world, urging us to live with a greater awareness of this richness,” she said. “Each pixel represents an individual’s contribution, emphasizing that our collective community is made up of many distinct, yet interconnected individuals.”
The hearts, she said, also offer a nod to the fact that the downtown core is the heart of the community and symbolizes the central part this area plays in the social and cultural life of the city.
“The mural weaves together themes of empowerment through individual action, the importance of nurturing relationships, and the inspiration to actively participate in community life,” she said. “The BIA shared their visions and some images that encapsulated the essence of what they hoped to see represented in the mural. Inspired by their ideas, I began the design phase, meticulously researching Stratford’s unique attributes to ensure the mural would resonate deeply with the local community.”
To that end, Kezwer highlighted the city’s lush pollinator gardens, the iconic swans of the Avon River, and its ties to the world-famous Shakespearean Festival Theatre.
“These elements were not only emblematic of Stratford but also spoke to the broader themes of interconnection, nature, culture, and community that I wanted to weave into the artwork,” she added.
Pritchard also credited Maaike Roosendaal of Brilliant Images Film and Photography for documenting the project; Dulux Paints, Jennifer Birmingham for artists’ accommodations, and artists Kezwer and her local assistant, artist Liz Emirzian.
An official unveiling of the mural is set for Wednesday, Oct. 23, between 1-2 p.m.
