A colourful new mural has appeared on Port Alberni’s waterfront.
The Dock+ building on Harbour Road serves as the backdrop for a food and ocean-themed mural, painted in a partnership between the Port Alberni Port Authority (PAPA) and the Community Arts Council of the Alberni Valley.
Local artist Josée Baillargeon collaborated with Carmela Ferro, PAPA’s Manager of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations, to come up with the design for the mural. It features a collection of food, including fruits, vegetables and mushrooms, as well as some sea life. A giant octopus takes up most of the mural.
“Carmela did the initial design, then I used Procreate to tidy it up and add the final elements,” Baillargeon explained.
“The initial design was very busy,” Ferro laughed.
One of Baillargeon’s ideas was to incorporate the octopus tentacles throughout the mural, ending with one tentacle wrapped around the doorknob of the entrance to The Dock+ commercial kitchen. Ferro explained that people sometimes get lost on their way to the kitchen, so this painting acts as a sort of wayfinding sign.
The Community Arts Council also put out a call to young artists, and a few of them responded. Jacqueline Walker, Helio Schmor, Julia Oscarson and Julia’s eight-year-old Araya were selected to help paint the mural, mentored by Baillargeon. After an initial sketching day, where the outline of the mural was painted in white, artists finished painting the mural over the weekend of May 24-25.
Ultimately, the project was a collaborative one, said Baillargeon.
“It was a project where everyone brought their own ideas,” she said. “We were able to make things happen together.”
Baillargeon, who teaches pottery for the City of Port Alberni, said that arts council administrator Angela Skaley was the one who first reached out to her about the mural project.
“I love painting and I thought it sounded like a fun project,” said Baillargeon. “Everyone driving by this weekend was cheering us on. It’s great to get that positive energy from everybody.”
For Ferro, it was her first time painting a mural. It was a “true learning experience,” she said, and she hopes it’s the beginning of even more murals in Port Alberni.
“We’re ready to bring the colour to the Alberni Valley,” she said.
