Local murals and artists provide a full day of fun
Over the years and with a great deal of effort from local artists and volunteers, our community has become a hub of great art. From the Gwen Fox Gallery to spaces like the Gaynor Family Regional Library, and the many murals that have been given a home throughout the community, there’s a lot to see for art lovers who visit Selkirk. Last week those art enthusiasts were a group of grade eight students who came all the way from École Charleswood School in Winnipeg.
“I come to Selkirk with my family all the time, and with my kids. We’ve seen a lot of the murals and I knew of some of the mural artists and I thought it’d be a great way to show kids art that’s not just going to a regular art gallery,” said Mary Ferguson, grade 8 art teacher at École Charleswood School.
The students got a full tour of Selkirk’s art scene. They started with the new mural on the back of the Dufresne building in the morning, next they split in half in order to check out the Gwen Fox Gallery and take a walking tour of downtown Selkirk. Once both groups had their turns, they got back together to bus out to some of the murals outside the downtown area like the Secret Path Mural. Finally, they ended the day at the Gaynor Family Regional Library where they saw some of the art by local artists that the library showcases as well as the Centennial Mural and the Manidoonsag Imaa Mikinaako-Minisiing/Sacred Spirits of Turtle Island mural which artist Charlie Johnston came to chat with students about.
Marilyn Williams, secretary for Red River North Tourism said that it took a lot of coordination and a lot of people working together to host the students in the community for the full school day but that the impact of bringing these kids into our community is great.
“One of the restaurants got some mileage out of this event. The library got some mileage out of this event. The Gwen Fox Gallery certainly got some mileage. The artists who worked on these murals got some mileage out of this. The stories the murals tell got mileage. There’s some really significant stories attached to some of those murals that we have in town that speak to far more than our own community, but they are reflective of our community and those are such important messages,” said Williams.
Williams also acknowledged the hard work done by the Interlake Art Board which coordinated the creation of many of these murals.
Ferguson believes that it’s important for students to see art like this out in our communities.
“[The students] make art, they don’t think about where it’s going to go, where it’s going to be, and the impact it can have on our community or how it can be a celebratory piece of community and culture. Public art is so important for just telling the stories of the people where people live and sending messages to the community. It shows the impact that art can have. It’s beyond just doing assignments. You can work hard and reach all sorts of people,” said Ferguson.
Though the day that the students came was quite cold and blustery Ferguson said that the reception from the students was good and that she saw them connect with what they were seeing. She said that this shows the students how art isn’t always just a solitary activity but that it takes a lot of artists to make murals like these.
Ferguson hopes that her students took away some inspiration and motivation from this experience.
If you would like to keep up with our artist community, one way to do that is to check out Red River North Tourism’s social media. There you’ll find out when the downtown walking mural tours will be starting again this summer season and you can also make sure to get your ticket to the Garden and Art Tour which takes place every summer.
Williams also encourages other school groups that might be interested in exploring Selkirk’s artistic landscape to contact them.
