New murals in downtown Dartmouth celebrate gender diversity

There are two new murals in downtown Dartmouth, located at the intersection of King and Queen Streets. The six-storey tall artworks are suitably named "The Queen" and "The Flower King" and were designed by Margot Durling, Creative Director at Fathom Studio.

"For the murals to be on such a scale and so prominent, I could not be prouder. It is high time that we start to rethink these gender norms," says Durling.

Durling worked with the owners of the building, Bruno Builders, team members at Fathom Studio, and local artist Darren Pyper, aka Ghettosocks, to bring the mural to life.

It was officially launched in the community on Sunday with a "Pre-Pride Popsicle Party" in collaboration with the MacPhee Centre for Learning. More than 75 people of all ages came out to celebrate the murals, which are now the largest in Dartmouth.

"The murals are inviting a conversation. They’re inviting people to reconsider what gender is, what sexuality is. I’ve heard most from families, that they’re giving them a point of conversation to say, 'oh mommy, I look like that one,'" says Durling.

Principal Architect at Fathom Studio, Iliah Lorenz-Luca is a proud member of the local queer community. She worked with Durling on the project and says she jumped at the opportunity to apply her knowledge to enhance the mural's impact.

"It’s the reason why I got into architecture to begin with. The city really shapes the way the people behave in a lot of ways and we can play a leading role in creating a warm and beautiful space on the streetscape and inside buildings," says Lorenz-Luca.

Durling, who has won numerous awards for other local artworks celebrating gender diversity including the downtown Dartmouth word murals and a 2SLGBTQIA+ sculpture near the Halifax Common called "Chosen Family."

They say art is a powerful way to reach people in the community.

"We are particularly needing accessibility and safety in the queer community in Dartmouth right now.

We don’t have much of a community here so this is going to bring our spirits up and help communicate that it’s normal to have a different gender expression," says Durling.

The mural's prominent location at King and Queen was an important part of the project and factored into the design as well.

Durling says the intersection of King and Queen Streets also reminded them of everyday playing cards. They wanted to encourage people to re-imagine the way we see everyday representations of gender.

"So the queen is overlooking downtown. She represents the trans women and drag queens that have had an impact on our community. She’s our downtown core matriarch who is keeping us safe and proud and keeping our chins up. The King overlooks Dartmouth’s lakes and greenspaces," says Durling.