Local youth will be creating a mural on the north-facing wall of the future home of the Foundry Cariboo Chilcotin at 51 Fourth Ave. South with some mentorship from Tiffany Jorgensen of Cariboo Art Beat (eighth from left standing). (Monica Lamb-Yorski photo - Williams Lake Tribune)

Youth-led mural planned for exterior of Foundry Cariboo Chilcotin building

The project is open to all youth in the Cariboo Chilcotin

There is a ton of youthful excitement percolating over a new mural planned for Williams Lake.

As renovation plans get underway for the Foundry Cariboo Chilcotin, which will be housed in the former Canadian Mental Health Association building at 51 Fourth Avenue South, a mural created by youth is planned for the exterior north-facing wall.

READ MORE: Downtown Williams Lake site selected for future Foundry Cariboo Chilcotin

More than 30 youth attended a meeting about the mural on Thursday, July 22, and were asked to share ideas about what they would like to see.

Suggestions included graffiti art, northern lights, the moon, animals, bold colours, eye-catching, pop art, sea creatures, constellations, stencil art, Cariboo Chilcotin scenery and more.

Local artist Tiffany Jorgensen from Cariboo Art Beat is leading the project and asked the youth to send her their ideas by Sunday, July 25.

“I won’t be doing any of the painting, but I will take your ideas and map it out,” she told the youth.

Painting of the mural will start in the middle of August and go until Sept. 4.

Earlier in the week, Foundry project lead George Warr of the Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development Centre (CDC) and summer student Jadyn Caferra, who has been part of the youth advisory committee, appeared as a delegation to city council at the July 20 meeting.

Warr asked council to consider giving $5,000 in financial support toward the project and said once a finalized design was completed it would be shared with the city.

“It will be positive,” Warr said of the mural, noting the youth-led community engagement project is open to any youth in the Cariboo Chilcotin.

He said they have also reached out to Downtown Williams Lake and the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society for support and received some budget contributions from families and the CDC.

Caferra said the youth she’d met with at a previous meeting to the one on July 22, said they want the mural to catch people’s eyes.

“Anything that has to do with the Cariboo Chilcotin and draws you in,” she said.

Council received the presentation, but did not make any financial decision yet.


news@wltribune.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

Williams Lake Tribune