Many neighbourhoods in Saint John are getting a facelift as murals pop up in an effort to revitalize parts of the city.
Community activist Barry Ogden is organizing the mural project. He hopes the paintings will not only brighten the communities, but also the lives of those who live there.
“Often we will take a site that’s really unsightly and put a mural there and it’s going from night to day and just the response of everybody in the neighbourhood,” says Ogden.
“There’s a couple owners who have said they’re going to clean up their buildings now, and we’ve found that when we do the murals, that people then start to clean up their properties.”
Walls aren’t the only objects getting a fresh coat of paint; many buildings, including the men’s shelter, are also being painted.
“They’re really proud in that and that’s the type of thing that gives people hope and confidence,” says Ogden.
Irving is supplying the paint for the project and anyone who wants to pick up a paint brush is welcome to contribute.
“I think it’s crucial to the communities. It’s a very easy, fairly inexpensive way to give any neighbourhood a facelift,” says artist Tyson Ardo. “It’s great to see people just so willing to participate in changing their community.”
Ogden says several artists from across the province have offered to assist in the project, and he will be taking many of them up on their offer because many more murals are planned for the city.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ashley Blackford
