"Great Blue Heron," hand-painted by local artist Emilie Darlington in downtown Port Elgin. Images supplied.
Hub Staff
Community art installations can now be seen in downtown Port Elgin and Southampton thanks to a collaborative community effort.
Mayor Luke Charbonneau said the Town is thrilled to bring more public art to the two communities. "These murals reflect a collaborative effort to tell our stories, honour our land, and create memorable experiences for residents and visitors alike," he said.
To date, three installations have been unveiled, "Great Blue Heron" on the side of Ristorante Rosina in Port Elgin and "Pollinator Paradise" in the alley at 613 Goderich Street, both by Port Elgin artist Emilie Darlington, and "The Land That Raised Us" installed on the Bell utility building at Highway 21 and Lansdowne Street in Southampton by Saugeen First Nation artists Emily Dewageshig and Taylor Cameron.
"Great Blue Heron" was hand painted and aimed to capture the spirit of Saugeen Shores' natural beauty. "Pollinator Paradise" is an 8' high by 16' wide digital mural and aims to celebrate the vital role of pollinators in our ecosystem.
"The Land That Raised Us is 12' high by 32' wide and aims to honour the ancestral territory of the Saugeen Ojibwe and invite reflection on our connections and shared responsibility to care for the land.
The community art installations are the result of a collaborative effort between the Town of Saugeen Shores, the Southampton BIA and the Downtown Port Elgin BIA with generous support from the building owners.
More installations are planned for the months ahead.
"The Land That Raised Us," a 12x32' mural created by Emily Kewageshig and Taylor Cameron installed in downtown Southampton.
"Pollinator Paradise," a digital installation by Emilie Darlington installed in downtown Port Elgin.
