INNISFAIL – The month-long Welcome Mural is completed.
Close to 40 volunteers gathered on a steamy hot early evening on Aug. 18 to have a group photo taken by the south wall of The Coffee Cottage where the Welcome Mural was painstakingly created for the community; a public art creation of love, compassion and understanding for every citizen of any background and heritage to stand tall and proud of who there are.
The mural at 5112 - 49th Ave. was the inspiration of the Innisfail Welcoming & Inclusive Committee that was able to secure a provincial multiculturalism grant to fund the project.
Karen Scarlett, a former Innisfailian and current Calgary artist, spearheaded the mural. More than 60 volunteers contributed.
There are also more than 60 languages exclaiming welcome on the new mural, which also honours the history of the century-old building, a former creamery. The official title for the mural is now “Welcome to the Innisfail Creamery”.
“I’ve been crying most of the day,” said an emotional Scarlett following the photo shoot. “I made so many amazing friends through this. I've been embraced by the community. I feel like I came home.
“My grandma was an artist when she retired from the farm and she pushed people to make art all the time,” added Scarlett, whose ancestors were early Innisfail pioneers. “And I just feel like grandma and grandpa and my dad are thrilled.”
As are scores and scores of locals who either volunteered for the project, or were just every day Innisfailians watching the progress of the Welcome Mural over the past month.
One group lending a helping artistic hand were members of the Innisfail Art Club. On Aug. 18 five members came to the mural to not only acknowledge their own contributions but for the many others – artists and non-artists - who freely gave their time, effort and love to the project.
“The energy and the positive vibes from this project every day has just been fantastic. People are excited. They're looking for other projects. And for the art club to be part of that has been a privilege,” said art club member Iris White. “It also has in my own art inspired me to get busy and get creating.”
The group of ladies also agreed the project is critically important to promote more public art for the town as it has been proven to be a vital addition to scores of other communities.
“I think public art gives the message to all people with creativity of it's a value within our community, that the children that live here know their creativity is important, and the art club knows it beautifies our town. It inspires. It welcomes,” said art club member Ruth Llewellyn-Handford. “This is a strong message that this town is creative and values it.”
The Town of Innisfail has long looked at establishing a public art policy for the community and the Albertan has been told that administration is expected to present ideas to council this coming fall.
Artist Wilma Watson said public art projects such as the Welcome Mural also help with the economic development of the community.
“There is a reason to come here. There’s a reason to come and look at art, and so this brings people to our town,” said Watson. “We have lots of people that travel through Innisfail but nobody ever stops.
“And I think this now gives them a reason to stop,” she added. “There's beautiful things to look at. There's art in the community.”
