New Indigenous mural on display in downtown Fredericton
There is a new mural on display in the heart of Fredericton’s downtown core.
Located on the side of the public library in Officers' Square, the piece done by Tobique First Nation artist Emma Hassenchal-Perley is her second line of work to be prominently featured in the city centre.
“It was really exciting,” admits Hassenchal-Perley on seeing her latest piece being unveiled. “I have to say, I wasn't really anticipating the crowd or anything. I don't really know what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised.”
The crowd of about 100 people was filled with friends and family, including Hassenchal-Perley’s grandparents, and members of the Fredericton community. She was first commissioned to do the mural a year-and-a-half ago by Indigenous led organization Beyond Behavioural Intervention. The organization provides family and youth services within their communities.
For the past month-and-a-half, she has worked on the mural off-and-on when time permitted between her work schedules.
A crowd of about 100 people gathered in Fredericton's Officer’s Square on July 4, 2024 for the grand unveiling of a new mural. (Avery MacRae/CTV Atlantic)
“It's about gathering in the summer time and being in those spaces, growing up in Neqotuk,” says the artist on the piece. “I love the spot that it’s in and like I said, I spend a lot of time on this street, so that’s meant a lot to me that the public library took it on.”
She says the mural depicts the way that love radiates from the centre out, and she hopes that message is present in every event that happens in the area in the years to come.
For Elder Imelda Opolahsomuwehs, getting to see Indigenous artwork by Indigenous artists on their traditional territory is a long time coming.
“For the city to say, 'hey, we need some Wolastoqiyik content, we need some stories, and the mural especially,' you know, you can't help but get emotional,” Opolahsomuwhes says. “We've just been waiting.”
Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers echoes the elder’s sentiment, saying the art expresses the traditional culture and traditions of the area’s First Nations peoples. She adds having their art represented within the city serves as a reminder as to who the original inhabitants of this land were.
“The Indigenous Wolastoqiyik culture is a very vibrant culture,” Rogers says. “So it's important that that be reflected in our public art that's throughout the city.”
“I think it opens up a great conversation to anyone that comes by the area,” says Andrew LeBlanc, media relations manager with Beyond Behaviour Intervention. “You know, the revitalization of Officers' Square, having it on the public library, it's going to be seen by hundreds of thousands of people in the span of a year and is really going to speak to them.”
He credits the artist for her final product, noting she was chosen as the organization felt she best represented Wolastoqiyik artists.
LeBlanc adds the piece is the perfect way of highlighting both Fredericton’s booming art scene and the important contributions of its Indigenous population.
For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6952666.1720184870!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'It was pretty intense:' Driver rear-ended by 14-year-old recounts fiery collision on Hwy. 401
John Tzannis says he is lucky he wasn’t more seriously injured after a 14-year-old driver rear-ended him on Highway 401 in Mississauga, sending his work van spinning into a concrete barrier early Friday morning.
Eight-year-old boy pulled from water covered in blood after bite at Montreal beach
Eight-year-old Alex Mandl had a Montreal vacation he will not soon forget when he was bitten by something swimming below the inflatable Aquazilla at Montreal's Jean Dore Beach.
Earth's core has slowed so much it's moving backward, scientists confirm. Here's what it could mean
Deep inside Earth is a solid metal ball that rotates independently of our spinning planet, like a top whirling around inside a bigger top, shrouded in mystery.
Hungary's Orban meets Putin for talks in Moscow in a rare visit by a European leader
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Moscow on Friday for a rare meeting by a European leader with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed peace proposals for Ukraine, which triggered condemnation from Kyiv and some European leaders and officials.
Spina bifida patient says Montreal hospital staff twice offered MAID unprompted
On two separate occasions and without prompting, Tracy Polewczuk says she was informed that she would be eligible for medical assistance in dying (MAID) even though she didn't ask for it.
Kendrick Lamar drops 'Not Like Us' video
Kendrick Lamar turned the visual of his Drake diss track into a family affair. The song is part of what has become a very public feud between Lamar and Drake.
Democrats start moving to Harris as Biden digs in
Amid the ongoing fallout from U.S. President Joe Biden’s debate performance, talk in many top Democratic circles has already moved to who Kamala Harris’ running mate would be.
Large pile of lobster dumped on the side of Hwy. 17 in northern Ontario
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after a pile of dead lobster was found on the shoulder of Highway 17 this week in northern Ontario.
Rail cars carrying hazardous material derail and catch fire in North Dakota
Rail cars carrying hazardous material derailed and burst into flames Friday in a remote area of North Dakota, but officials said no one was hurt and the threat to those living nearby appeared to be minimal.