The newest murals and sculptures were basking in the sunlight during Saturday’s Mural Unveiling Festival, the first for the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society since 2018.
“It was a great turnout, about 100 came out for the tour,” noted Tom Andrews, the society president.
The tour focused on the most recent additions since the pandemic when tours couldn’t be conducted to give the public insights into each one.
Some dignitaries were even in attendance, including current North Cowichan Mayor Al Siebring and former mayor Graham Bruce, who supported the mural program when it first started in 1982.
And some of the mural artists themselves were there, including: Maynard Johnny Jr., Angela Carlson and Cim MacDonald.
Johnny’s Rebirth mural was only completed last week and hangs on the wall behind the Willow Antique Mall next to Sandy Clark’s Arrival of the Reindeer in Horseshoe Bay mural.
Carlson painted the Chemainus Fire Department 100th anniversary mural at her home studio and then had it mounted on the wall behind the post office.
MacDonald painted two recent murals, one commemorating the Rotary club on the side of the Rotary bunker on Chemainus Road and another at the Mount Brenton Golf Course on the Canteen on the Green wall.
Diane Ducet, the widow of Glen Spicer, was there to unveil the revised Stefan bronze statue in Heritage Square.
The tour wound up at the Chemainus Public Market with some tunes on the piano mural In Tune With Nature and refreshments were served at the outdoor patio.
“Thanks to all who came out for the tour and heard about the stories behind the stories,” Andrews said.
