(Graphic courtesy/Melfort Arts Council)

By Ben Tompkins

Art in the Park

Melfort Arts Council creating legacy murals in honour of late Melfort woman

May 24, 2023 | 5:17 PM

The Melfort Arts Council (MAC) alongside Melfort Youth Evolution (MYE) is creating a legacy memorial mural, in honour of a late Melfort resident.

Shannon Elder passed away last March and is set to have a permanent mosaic mural, named Shannon’s Mural.

The six-foot high, 20-foot long mosaic will then be the cornerstone of ‘Art in the Park’.

Not only will the ‘Art in the Park’ area feature Shannon’s Mural, but it will also showcase six additional and slightly smaller murals.

Those will only be temporary, however, as they will be constantly changing, which will provide opportunities for residents to showcase their skills and feel a sense of community pride.

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“Shannon was a friend of mine and she came on as a board member when the Melfort Arts Council started rebuilding,” said MAC chair, Joanne Bolen. “She had always said that she wanted a common place for artists to come and work with each other, especially to youth and the ones that didn’t have access to art otherwise.”

In the past year since Elder passed, donations were made in her memory to the MAC, with MYE determining the best way to use the funds and memorialize her wishes.

The mosaic will use joyous images from her own artwork, and up to 400 children and youth will participate in workshops to create the other mosaics used in the mural.

Meanwhile, the other six mural walls use the global phenomenon “The Walls Project” as its inspiration.

“It’s amazing that these youth will have the opportunity to help with this project,” added Kathryn Carswell, adult ally for Melfort Youth Evolution and youth coordinator at NEOSS. “Hopefully, it will also be something that tomorrow’s youth can also enjoy and the entire community can get involved with.”

Guidelines for the content, paints, timelines, liability, and other pertinent matters have been made available, while contracts will be created with all artists using the mural walls.

The project also has the potential to expand and involve other community groups.

The MAC’s vision includes the addition of bench seating and raised garden beds where local residents can cultivate flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

“She (Shannon) just wanted everybody to smile and get along,” explained Bolen. “We are all excited to get this up and going and just show that there’s room for expressive art in Melfort and room for the youth to show their expressiveness. It will just add to the city… Shannon Elder’s legacy and spirit will endure through this project.”

All the walls will be securely mounted on screw piles and both parties are targeting June 2024 for a grand opening.

The mosaic and murals will be under the MAC’s insurance, while the committee will provide maintenance.

The project location will be on a vacant lot owned by Terry O’Flanagan at 207 Broadway Ave. N.

And while the project did not need approval, as it’s private property, it was run by city council, which they were appreciative of.

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