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3 new murals in the DC: Requalification and urban art
The recent unveiling of three new murals has vamped up the District Central. The murals were completed this past fall by local artists as part of the territory signature action plan. The murals are a perfect fit for this project by the Société de développement commercial (SDC) District Central, which aims to revitalize a neighbourhood that is rather monochromatic due to its industrial past, while infusing it with art and colour.
Through this plan, the SDC intends to make the District Central a pleasant and attractive living space for both workers and residents alike. To implement these three mural projects, the SDC once again called on the strengths of various partners to ensure that each work reflects the vision of the District Central, all while leaving room for the artist's creativity! "Property owners, producers, the neighbourhood and artists came together to strike the right balance between each partner in our methodology, so that the murals would tell a representative story for the area," says Hélène Veilleux, Executive Director of the SDC.
Three works, three walls, three artists
Signed by artist Mono Sourcil, the mural at 333 Chabanel West celebrates diversity through the cohabitation of several characters against a backdrop of natural elements. The warmly coloured work (the yellow is reminiscent of the sunflower, the new symbol of the District Central!) blends perfectly with the building that serves as the canvas. It also benefits from a prime location, on a busy road used by various modes of urban transport: BIXI, pedestrians, buses and cars. At the same time, the owner wanted the mural to revitalize a place where workers and passers-by come to enjoy a bite to eat on sunny days: "There aren't many green spaces on Chabanel Street. So, I wanted to attract people by creating a little grassy oasis open to everyone," reveals Howard Szalavetz, President and CEO of Immeubles HS and member of the SDC Board of Directors. The redevelopment of this area is in line with District Central’s signature intervention plan. In the near future, a deck will be laid on the loading dock located on the other side of the space, opposite the mural, and stairs to access it will be built. Eventually, the relaxation oasis will span almost 2,500 square feet.
The second mural, created by Dino Art, is located at 105 Chabanel West, and is a blend of abstract and concrete art. According to the artist, the piece evokes a sense of escape, as the title “Évasion” suggests. An emblematic shoe, a symbol that is both current and timeless in the urban, universal and underground world of the District Central, symbolizes his community: "Quebecers, Haitians, Arabs, we can all connect around this timeless pair," illustrates the artist. For him, the butterfly is a key element of the mural, enthroned at the top and preparing to take flight. The blue insect emerges from the sunflower, a new symbol of the District Central, naturally integrating into the mural. The artist was thrilled by the SDC's Signature Intervention Plan, which is aligned with his own artistic approach: "I have a lot of friends with studios and businesses in the area. It's so vibrant, energetic, and innovative here, and that's really what I wanted to share through this piece," explains Dino Art. "I try to innovate with my art, and that's what I see in the District Central too."
To honour the seamstresses and immigrant workers who worked in the textile factories in the 1950s, contributing to the growth of the district, the third mural, Femmes d’acier (Women of Steel), appears in the chalet at Parc Saint-Simon-Apôtre. It is the result of a very specific creative process. The committee of the same name, Les Femmes d'acier (Women of Steel), which brings together a good number of women from the Club de l'âge d'or Jean Cabot, was approached to share their archival objects relating to their history with artists Nicole Boyce and LNK Art. Together, they participated in the work by creating a collage with these photographed elements. The result is a mural – an aesthetic reminiscent of the 1960s that combines sewing materials, evocative words such as "courage" and "expression" and a boat, highlighting the arrival of these women in the country.
A 5-year plan for the five sectors
The territory signature action plan, introduced by the SDC at the end of 2022 and realized through the sunflower field, the very first initiative of the project, in the summer of 2023, comprises three components: furniture, landscaping and signage. The murals are part of the latter, and the SDC has the broader aim of eventually creating a route that would link them together. “With the intervention plan signage, we want to create routes that residents and workers will want to take and visit, and whose history they will discover," concludes Hélène Veilleux. Over the next five years, the SDC plans to connect the territory’s five different sectors through other transitional fields, street furniture and signage.
A closer look at the three murals
The mural at 333 Chabanel West
- Initiator/project lead: SDC District Central
- Financial partners: Les Immeubles HS, the SDC District Central and the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough
- Producer: Yves Laroche Art Gallery
- Artist: Mono Sourcil
Évasion at 105 Chabanel West
- Initiator/project lead: SDC District Central
- Financial partners: Le Groupe LTJ, the SDC District Central and the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough
- Artist: DinoArt
Femmes d’acier (Women of Steel) on the chalet at Parc Saint-Simon-Apôtre
- Initiator: LES FEMMES D'ACIER
- Project lead: PCAC (Prévention du crime Ahuntsic-Cartierville)
- Collaborative and financial partners: PCAC, SDC District Central, the Club de l’âge d’or Jean Cabot, the Centre des femmes solidaires et engagées and the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough
- Artists: Nicole Boyce and LNK Art
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