Many hands came together to create one larger work. The Canada 150 Mosaic project is linking 150 communities across Canada through a train of art. The event was held with the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery and the City of Yorkton.
In Yorkton, the final design will depict the past and future of agriculture, with a horse and a tractor at each end, with the Yorkton Film Festival’s Golden Sheaf Award placed between them. Like all mosaics in the project, they will be placed on a stylized train car.
“When that mural is complete, it will connect to 150 other murals from coast to coast all across Canada making one gigantic mural of a train,” explained Phil Alain, producer of the Canada 150 Mosaic.
To do this, artists were given a bit of direction on what colour to use in order to fit the mural and create the overall design. For example, a group would be told to make their tile mostly blue, in order to have tiles that fit with the sky. They were otherwise given free reign to paint whatever they wanted.
“When people paint their individual tiles we will have the voice of the community coming through as far as significant things that other people like to experience within their own community.”
Communities were selected based on their enthusiasm for the project, Alain explained, and Yorkton reached out and wanted to be in the project.
“Yorkton stepped up to the plate and said we really want to be in the Canada 150 Mosaic.”
The first day of the event captured the full age range of people in Yorkton, from young Grade 1 students to the town’s senior citizens. Alain says that they were honoured to have Sonja Pawliw painting a tile for them, as her garden was recognized as a Canada 150 garden experience.
“It was an honour to have her here, especially as she is one of the top 150 horticulturists in Canada this year.”
All of the workshops were booked solid for the creation of the mosaic itself, and Alain was happy to see the enthusiasm for the project in town.
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