Together ApART – Collaborating separately on a community mural

Ottawa, ON: MASC is thrilled to announce the creation of a community-created mural in partnership with the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre. The mural is displayed on the fence south of the Ottawa Community Housing office at 731 Chapel Street. 

MASC artist Claudia Salguero took a unique approach by inviting 32 Sandy Hill residents to worked separately, yet collaboratively to create this mural: 

Each participant received a copy of their segment of the mural outline, paints and brushes and a canvas on which to work. Guided by a video Claudia created to outline the process, each participant brought their own creative vision to their piece of the mural ‘puzzle’. 

The pieces were then collected, and Claudia used her years of mural creation experience to connect the canvases into one beautiful piece. The canvas was photographed, and the image was printed and installed permanently in the community.

“We wanted to connect community members who are looking for ways to maintain connectivity during the pandemic. We’ve been working with MASC for years, offering the Awesome Arts program where residents of all ages examine issues of importance in our community through the arts. These projects are powerful tools to engage community members and share their pride.”

Gerald Dragon, Community Development Worker, Sandy Hill Community Health Centre

“This is such an important project for me. Community engaged artists like me saw our work suddenly frozen in mid-March but, there is always a way and this mural is the proof. Community murals are not just about embellishing walls. The most important purpose of them is to engage the community, to create connections and to offer isolated members of our community a space to feel they belong. Community mural by community mural, Ottawa is looking more vibrant and our communities are healthier and more united.”

Claudia Salguero, MASC artist

“I thought about the other artists at work and tried to imagine what the final mural might look like. There was a mystery about it. I put that aside as I worked on my section, just creating what I wanted to. I was so excited for the big reveal!”

Sabrina Mathews, Sandy Hill resident and mural participant

This project was funded by the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre, Action Sandy Hill, and was supported by Ottawa Community Housing.