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NEWS: Agincourt Community Mural Project Report
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“Agincourt's Journey
Through Time”
By Rob Matejka, Kristin
Taylor, Andy Tsang, and Jeff Wong,
Summer 2002
Agincourt Mall: 2350 Kennedy Road. On the side of the Bank of Montreal
building, Toronto, ON
Utilizing suggestions from the community and historical information...more |
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Background
Agincourt: A Community History was created in an effort to respond
to the changing appearance and demographics of Scarborough.
Approximately 50 residents of Agincourt were interviewed about the
history of the community. The project culminated in a traveling
exhibition of stories, photographs, artifacts, and audio footage
that reflected the rich history and cultural diversity of the
community. From the onset, the Scarborough Historical Museum and the
Multicultural History Society of Ontario wanted to keep the momentum
of the project going, and to create a permanent legacy. Mural Routes
and Scarborough Arts Council saw an opportunity to build on the
project, and worked with youth artists to create a mural that
accurately portrayed the history and cultural diversity of
Agincourt.
Process
A number of sites were looked at and photographed in the Agincourt
area of Scarborough and owners of the walls were approached.
Ultimately it was decided that Agincourt Mall, at 2350 Kennedy Road,
would be an ideal site for a mural. The mall is located at the
corner of Kennedy Road and Sheppard Avenue. The wall that was
selected is the south facing exterior wall of the Bank of Montreal
building. There is a lot of pedestrian traffic in this area of the
mall, and the mural is visible to drivers heading north on Kennedy
Road. The owners and management of Agincourt Mall were extremely
supportive of the project, providing, onsite assistance, storage
space for supplies and sponsorship to cover the costs of art
supplies.
Mural Routes and Scarborough Arts Council put out a call for an
Artist Mentor. The call was posted on the Internet and sent out
through the Mural Routes network to local graffiti and mural
artists. After interviewing a number of candidates, Rob Matejka was
selected for the position. Rob has had several years of experience
working on Graffiti Transformation Projects and works with the
Toronto District Catholic School Board, teaching art to children of
all ages. Once Rob was hired, a call was sent out to youth artists.
Several applications for the positions were received.
The youth artists, Kristin Taylor and Andy Tsang, were selected
based on their artistic talents, abilities, and interest in
professional development. They were compensated for their work
through funds from the HRDC Summer Placement Program.
Once the mentor and students were hired, they began to research the
Agincourt community, using materials provided by the Scarborough
Historical Museum, the archives and the library. The artists also
hosted an orientation at Agincourt Mall, asking local residents to
provide ideas for the mural, historical information and memories.
Some residents of Agincourt still remember all the small local
stores, the construction of the 401and a time when much of the land
was devoted to farming. The community, like all others has gone
through dramatic change with the spread of urban sprawl. Based on
historical resources and community input, the youth artists
discovered that one of the most distinctive features of the
Agincourt community today is its multiculturalism and diversity.
Utilizing the suggestions of the community and historical
information, the three artists worked to envision and create the
concept for the mural. Each of the artists created their own designs
for the mural followed by a critique from Mural Routes project
coordinators. Each artist’s design possessed unique artistic
qualities and characteristics. However, there was one common thread
– each of the artists represented a path in their designs.
Collaborating to make a final design, they created a maquette that
features a path, which begins in rural Agincourt, continues through
the present and extends into the future, depicted by a mass of fibre
optic cables. The mural combines several elements that represent the
rich cultural diversity of the area.
Once the design was finalized, it was submitted to the project
coordinators of Mural Routes, the Agincourt mall management team and
the Bank of Montreal for critiques. The design was approved and work
began on transferring the design to the wall. This procedure
included training in aspects of outdoor mural painting including:
working with scaffolding, priming, calking, mixing paint and
learning new painting techniques necessary for painting a
large-scale 10’ by 85’ mural.
The mural took slightly longer to complete than expected due to the
hot and rainy weather conditions that occurred over the summer.
Thus, the mentor and the youth artists agreed that it was necessary
to hire an additional student artist to assist with the project. At
this point, Mural Routes hired local high school art student, Jeff
Wong to work on the mural.
Outcome
Supported by the City of Toronto, Economic Development Banner and
Mural Program, the Graffiti Transformation Project and Human
Resources Development Canada, the community mural was completed on
August 31, 2002. The two-month project was an excellent opportunity
and learning experience for the youth artists. Mentor, Rob Matejka,
very much enjoyed working on the Agincourt mural. He guided Andy and
Kristin through the process of creating a mural, including: working
with members of the community, developing artistic visions and
designs and collaborating with other artists. The youths also
received training in production techniques, painterly techniques,
equipment knowledge, materials knowledge, health and safety.
The mural, titled Agincourt’s Journey through Time is an artistic
depiction of one of Scarborough’s must ethnically diverse and
historically rich communities.
Comments from the artists:
“I learned something new everyday, whether in enlarging the initial
design, mixing colours, or painting on a large brick wall. I have
enjoyed this project a lot, and am really pleased with how it has
turned out.” ~Kristin Taylor
Comments from the mentor:
“The training process happened as we went along. From beginning to
end as we were ready for different phases of the project and as new
challenges presented themselves, we learned how to best approach the
specific challenge and/or step we were about to take. Every project
of this nature presents expected and site specific lessons to be
learned.
“The Agincourt Mall management was supportive, helpful and
cooperative. Other than getting us started the first day with the
power-washing, they kept a good distance. We knew they were
available if we needed them, somebody would come by from time to
time, but overall, they trusted us to do our job and didn't crowd
our space.
“Interaction with the community was 99% positive. Young and old,
from all walks of life - almost everyone had something positive to
say. They would stop by and chat about art, ask about the process,
read into the mural, sympathize with us for working in the heat,
take pictures; one lady even brought us donuts.
“One improvement for future mural projects would be to increase the
opportunity for youth artists to display their talents. Each mural
project could easily use four artists. One of my site specific
challenges for this project was the summer heat and the size of the
mural. I suppose things would not have turned out as effectively if
we didn’t have Jeff Wong added to the project.” ~Rob Matejka
Conclusion
The project was very successful, meeting the initial goal of the
project – to provide opportunities for youth to learn more about
mural painting, broadening artistic knowledge and skills, while
providing valuable work experience. The Agincourt community has
received its introduction to murals with the conversion of a very
public space into a work of art. The project provided an opportunity
to build connections between youths and the broader community, and
was a valuable experience to all of the artists involved in the
project.
Mural Routes believes that summer mural projects are important to
young students in helping them to develop knowledge and experience,
thereby enhancing their opportunities in the future. We strongly
encourage that these types of projects continue in the future, to
bring artistic talents closer to the different local communities by
creating and promoting public art murals.
Completion of the mural ‘Agincourt’s Journey Through Time’ was
celebrated with a plaque-unveiling event on Saturday, November 30,
2002.
For more information, contact Jackie Santos at Mural Routes Inc. at
416-698-7995
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