A new graffiti wall in Powell River is ready for artists and other members of the community looking to express their creativity. Most people are aware of a similar spot at Willingdon Beach; now Townsite has its own.
JP Brosseau, co-owner of the Old Courthouse Inn, said the idea originally came to him with his guests in mind; he did not want an adjacent storage lot to be their view.
Brosseau said he approached the lot’s owner, Martin Sliwinski, who gave him permission to create a 150-foot wall made of plastic panels facing Walnut Street. The panels were donated by Rona Powell River and Agius Builders. According to Brosseau, other walls on the Arbutus Street and Marine Avenue sides will be in place soon.
“I went to [Powell River city council] and talked to them about my project,” said Brosseau. City council encouraged him to do all three walls, he said.
Walnut Street’s wall already has panels completed by well-known graffiti artists such as Luke Ramsey, Adam Cramb and Stefan Fogerty. Visual artists such as Ryan Thompson and Caitlin McDonagh have also recently created panels of their own.
“There are other artists in town that would be jumping on it to get involved, once they see a few other people doing it,” said McDonagh.
McDonagh said she thinks people will embrace the idea of the wall. “It doesn’t have to be established artists, it could be anybody,” she said, adding that it would be a great activity for families.
Brosseau said he hopes everyone will participate and his wall project results in community diversity and creative expression.
According to Brosseau, he has spoken to Inclusion Powell River and extended an invitation to its clients to come to the wall and paint.
Brosseau said he has also reached out to Powell River General Hospital to say its patients are welcome after getting an idea from watching a video online.
“Young people were using graffiti art to help older people with dementia and alzheimer’s to express themselves,” he said.
Brosseau said it is an art wall for the whole community, not just for graffiti artists.
“What I wanted to do is come up with a fun concept for people to do graffiti of all types,” he said. “By the end of this summer it’s going to be three beautiful, funky walls that will continuously grow and change, and next summer we can turn them over and do it all over again.”
