A new mural painted by Morris resident Sarah Collard adorns the outer west wall of the Morris and District Museum, capturing the burdock and Scottish thistle characteristic of the local river banks.
What catches the eye among the vibrant green landscape is the steel truss bridge that spanned the Red River until 1967.
An original desire to fill an empty space of boarded-up windows meandered from a Morris School student art project of four individual pieces to realizing a larger, single mural would most benefit the space.
Inspiration came from Ida Hoffman’s oil painting housed at the Morris Baptist Church, which depicts the local river forks where the Morris River, formerly known as the Scratching River, meets the Red River. Hoffman’s painting is symbolic of water transformation during baptism.
“River water is part of all of us,” shared Lou Erickson, museum board member and part of the mural committee, at the mural celebration Saturday. Having the Red and Morris river forks on the mural is part of “our lifeblood historically and forevermore.”
“Steamboats and barges were prominent for trade along the Red River,” explained Leslie Poulin, another mural committee member. Ferries were used by settlers to cross the river until 1908 when a permanent structure was built.
“The pontoon bridge was the first of its kind,” Poulin shared, but it was plagued by problems and replaced by the steel truss bridge that stood for over 40 years. Fully opened in June 1921, the bridge was the only structure at the time that spanned the Red River between Morris and Emerson.
Dismantled to make way for the flood-proofing of Morris and a ring dyke around the town, the steel truss bridge came down in 1967 and the current Highway 23 bridge was erected in its place.
Collard spoke to the colourist style of painting used for the mural depicting the old bridge.
“I really wanted something to catch the smaller space,” she said, noting this mural is quite bit smaller than others she’s painted. “The unfinished approach and intensity of the paint colour looks nicer from farther away.”
The red sign within the mural was painted several years ago by a class at the Morris School.
The museum’s new mural is symbolic of the many community members that came together to bring this project to fruition, including local bird enthusiasts, photographer Julie Snarr who brought perspective to the mural, numerous committee members, and volunteers. Rivers separate land and people but a bridge will always bring unity to the community regardless of time or distance.
Over 40 people attended the mural unveiling and celebrated with dainties and tea inside.
There was also the opportunity to view student art originally intended to cover the four boarded-over windows. Several pieces of artwork have been made into postcards available for purchase at the museum.
The Morris and District Museum is celebrating 40 years of serving the community by holding a 50/50 draw to purchase an anniversary bench. Tickets can be purchased from board members or at the Christmas Craft Expo on Nov. 30.
You can check out some of Collard’s other murals online at sarahcollard.ca.
