Robert Fisher
Staff Reporter
BANCROFT – Debbie Christie, chair of A Place for the Arts (APFTA) in Bancroft was effusive in her praise for the 70 artists who worked to refurbish a large mural at the south entrance to the downtown.
Volunteers reinstalled the mural a week or two ago and the official unveiling took place Saturday afternoon. A large crowd attended the event including artists who worked on the project as well as the deputy mayor of Bancroft.
The mural, first installed about a decade ago, was significantly degraded from weather exposure. Facing south, it received heavy sunlight and the plywood panels were not treated to prevent moisture damage. The mural told the story of the history and founding of Bancroft and was painted by local artist Arne Roosman. Comprised of 11 panels, the mural is approximately 44 feet long and eight feet high.
The panels were taken down from the wall and placed inside APFTA for the duration of the work, most of which took place in July and August. Panels were cleaned and scraped of loose paint. Area artists; not all from just Bancroft, were invited via an open call to paint a scene on the refurbished mural. Where the original painting could be restored, artists did so. In places where the original was too degraded, new designs incorporating nature and open spaces replaced the original work. The finished result is a mix of old and new, of history and present and a look to the future.
An eighty-year age gap; the youngest artist was five and the oldest 85, made the work truly intergenerational. Some artists painted just one segment, others multiple. The design in the newly-painted portions is meant to evoke the look of stained glass, with black lines between segments representing the leading of stained glass. The centrepiece of the new work is a large dragonfly.
Burke Chamberlin owns the building which houses APFTA and on which the mural hangs. He knew the mural needed work. He is also a friend of Roosman. He spoke with Roosman about the mural and what could be done, “whether repair could be slap a coat of paint on it, whether it could be put up a whole new wall and everything in between.” Chamberlin acted as a liaison between the gallery and Roosman.
Initially, Chamberlin was not pleased with the work, however, his position has changed. “We have a great picture and a great piece of artwork. I hope it lasts for a long, long time.” He appreciates the work and creativity of the 70 artists who took part in the project.
Roosman agreed to let the gallery take on the restoration work, with some conditions. He felt the work would simply restore the original. When he heard about the redesign, he was disappointed that his original work would not be preserved. Roosman was not able to be at the public unveiling Saturday.
Contacted by phone, Roosman; said he was shown some of the concept of the project and some of the early work and had the impression that his mural was being completely painted over. He was unhappy that his work might be gone forever. When explained that some of the original mural was beyond repair and told artists restored the parts they could, his feeling changed somewhat. When he heard that as much of his original work was preserved as possible, he said, “Hopefully it is. I’m excited because I hope it is.” He was hopeful the finished mural will meet with his approval when he does get the chance to see it.
“We needed to protect what was there,” Christie said, about the project. “It was hard to salvage pieces of the work but we wanted to salvage what we could.” Local artist Gayle Crosmaz developed the stained glass motif. Artists were free to paint whatever they liked in the panels. The paint is weather-resistant outdoor house paint which is protected with several coats of urethane. The backs and edges of the panels have also been primed to protect them from the elements.
Deputy Mayor Wayne Wiggins said the project is a, “true example of community involvement and volunteerism.” Wiggins is proud the mural will be a prominent sight for people coming into the town from the south as they cross the bridge over the York River.
A documentary film about the project is currently in editing. The film will be screened, Crosmaz hopes, in late autumn or early winter at the Bancroft Village Playhouse.
Six-year-old Renn Bendall and his sister, 10-year-old Annaleigha Fuller painted scenes side-by-side on the mural. Annaleigha said she likes a lot of fantasy stories and that was the inspiration for her painting. “I like a lot of fantasy stories,” she said, “so I thought I would make a fantasy-themed painting,” of a fairy valley. Her painting is next to one done by her aunt, who is an artist, and Annaleigha wants to follow in her aunt’s footsteps to become artist, too.
Renn loves lizards and salamanders and painted a lizard under a log. While he also likes painting, for him it’s just a hobby.
Ann Coghlan painted four segments of the body of a dragonfly, each representing a different theme. A river cascade, moon at night and serene lake scene represent, she said, “the type of scenery you see,” driving through the region. The last panel is a firefighter in a wildland setting and is, “a tribute to the firefighters this summer because of all the wildfires across Canada.” She also painted another panel in a different area of the mural with a bear peeking around a corner.
robert@thevalleygazette.ca
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