In an attempt to beautify trails in the city, a new mural by Guelph artist Seth now adorns the trail along the Speed River near downtown.
Championing the beautification of the trails is the Guelph Hiking Trail Club. The club was involved with the Guelph Trail Master Plan, said John Fisher, president of GHTC. Part of the plan involved placemaking, a design principle involving a community's health, happiness, and well-being.
“Our club was the initiator and the entryway providing the project management for this striking new public art installation,” said Fisher.
The installation is called Civic Dreamscape, created by internationally-acclaimned artist Gregory Gallant, who goes by Seth and he was contacted by Fisher to be the artist for the mural.
The funding for the art installation came from the federal government, a grant called the Canada Community Revitalization Fund.
The proposal for the mural was approved by the Matrix Non-Profit Housing Corporation, an affordable housing building at the corner of Woolwich Street and Eramosa Road where the mural is located on a rear wall beside the trail.
“We have worked at some length, and repetitively, to try and keep the back of this building looking reasonably good but it was constantly impacted by graffiti,” said Jason Douglas, member of the board of directors for Matrix.
Fisher put up a sign where the mural would be and left his information for people to contact him if they had any objections to covering up the existing graffiti.
"Everybody wanted this project to succeed, our commitments to each other were based on a handshake, and an acceptance that we're going to do what it takes to do it," said Fisher.
“It's an old cliche that art is a language of its own,” said Seth. He said people should interpret the mural however they wish.
“It has something to do with civic life,” he said. “To me having this work put up is another piece, for myself, of being part of Guelph civic life.”
Seth came to Guelph 20 years ago, he said he initially didn’t feel a great connection to the city.
“Over time the city has been very welcoming to me and each year that goes by I feel closer and closer to Guelph,” said Seth.
Although the installation is at the back of a parking garage it is evocative as a space, he said.
“I was delighted that Seth could see the potential of this site,” said Fisher.
“When I came over and looked at the space, I got a feeling of the space, how it should operate,” said Seth.
“The city tends to have its problems. And a lot of times trails are moving through areas that are the back of someplace or next to a railroad and so it can be a little rough,” said Seth.
The backdrop for the mural is good for the city since it beautifies a part of the downtown area, he said.
