New Mural ‘Opus’ Completed at George Street East Stairwell

Monday, December 05, 2016 - 12:15 PM
George Street East Stairwell Mural

The City of St. John's is pleased to announce the completion of a new mural, titled ‘Opus’ on the George Street East Stairwell. This is the latest in a number of murals commissioned by the City over the years.

"These murals enliven and animate the neighbourhoods where they appear, offer interesting and relatively rare large-scale creation opportunities for artists, and have the added benefit of reducing unwanted graffiti," says Councillor Sandy Hickman, Council representative on the City's Arts and Culture Advisory Committee. "Public art is tremendously valuable and we're very proud of this new addition to the City."

The muralist is Sarah O'Rourke-Whelan, a 2016 graduate of the Bachelor of Fine Arts Visual Arts Program offered by Memorial University's Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook, and two-time recipient of the Tina Dolter Award for painting.

“Opus focuses on the geography and musical identity of the province,” said Sarah O’Rourke-Whelan in her Artist Statement. “It celebrates George Street and the Downtown area as bastions of local music.”

The mural includes a compass, with the outline of Newfoundland and Labrador in the centre, on a backdrop of sweeping waves and flocks of gulls. On either side are the hands of a violinist, clutching the bow and playing the violin. The flanks of the mural feature guitars, an accordion, and crashing waves.

The City of St. John's mural program has been generously supported by The Paint Shop/Benjamin Moore.
 
Media Contact:
Kelly Maguire
Media Relations
City of St. John's
709-576-8491
kmaguire@stjohns.ca