The City of Prince Albert unveiled a new collaborative mural on the Prince Albert Public Library’s west outside wall on Oct. 7.
The mural is called Connections in Focus: A Mural of Pride. City of Prince Albert Arts and Culture Coordinator Tia Furstenberg said they wanted to create something that showcased the City’s beauty and connection to the land, while also emphasizing connections that unite local residents.
“One of the goals of this project was to visualize what pride in Prince Albert looks like,” Furstenberg said in a press release. “The final mural accomplishes this and radiates positivity—you can’t help but smile when you look at it.”
The mural was created by local artists Alex Powalinsky and Lisa Halsall. The duo used photographs submitted by local photographers Shannon Parenteau, Michelle Horncastle, and Edie Charles to create a collage for the final design.
“Alex and Lisa have been such a pleasure to work with,” Furstenberg said. “(They) did a fantastic job leading the project and bringing it to life.”
Powalinsky and Halsall operate All My Relations Creative Connections in Prince Albert. In a press release, the duo said people have come together in the Prince Albert area for generations to connect, share, and create. They wanted to recognize that history with this project.
“Our mural stands as a testament to this history, encouraging us to reflect on our joint strengths, acknowledge the importance of relationships, and reimagine how we see ourselves, our community, and our future,” they said.
“Through this piece, we celebrate pride in who we are today, who we’ve always been, and the future we’re shaping together.”
Quilting was the primary inspiration for the mural’s design. In a Facebook post, the duo wrote that patterns, colours, and shapes used in quilts help show viewers the values and lifestyle of the people who make them. They liked that idea, and used it as a springboard for the mural.
“Triangles, as a powerful symbol of structural strength, feature prominently,” the wrote. “They signify the support and stability that social equity brings to a community. The mural also integrates the four triangles of the City of Prince Albert’s flag, representing the foundational pillars of the local economy: fur, fish, farming, and forestry. We invite viewers to reflect on their social and cultural bonds within this framework.”
The mural was created with support from the City of Prince Albert’s Municipal Cultural Action Plan, Sask Culture, and the Sask Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture, and Recreation.
The mural unveiling was one of more than 30 free events spread out over 11 locations during Culture Days – Heartbeat of the North, which ran from Sept. 30 to Oct. 12.
