A new mural is in the works outside the Omineca Arts Centre — one that local artist Fernanda Salla hopes will inspire change throughout the city.
The mural is expected to be completed sometime in the next week. Salla is collaborating with local Indigenous artist Jennifer Annaïs Pighin to bring the project to life.
Salla told The Citizen that her goal is not only to beautify the city, but also to help spark a transformation in the downtown core.
“The concept was the wave, because we wanted to start a wave of transformation,” said Salla. “We know the issues here in town, especially downtown, and I come from São Paulo, which is a huge and violent city. I know the impact that art can have in places like that. There are a lot of studies and research showing how art affects the way people interact with their city and with public spaces. It’s a way for the art community to contribute to the transformation of the city.”
Salla and Omineca staff both hope the mural will inspire other businesses to beautify their storefronts, contributing to a safer and more vibrant downtown.
Salla has lived in Prince George for nine years and says the region’s natural beauty has been a major influence on her work.
“Since I arrived in the city, I’ve fallen in love with the nature around it,” she said. “I’m from a really huge city in Brazil, and we have a lot of graffiti and art everywhere. I was missing that here. Murals were something I always thought about when I looked at the big walls and buildings. I wondered if they could use some colour and some art.
“I know we have a lot of art initiatives in town — we have Omineca, which is an amazing place, and we have Two Rivers Gallery and Studio 2880. I just wish we could have more and more art outside buildings, not just inside.”
She said her art combines a range of styles, including her love of the northern landscape.
“Jennifer Annaïs Pighin is on the board here at Omineca. She’s an amazing Indigenous artist and she’s also painting the mural with me,” said Salla. “The concept was the rainbow, and then I painted the bear because I wanted it to have kind of a hip-hop, rap-bear vibe. I always paint bears in my artwork — I love the nature around here. We don’t have bears in Brazil, so I’m fascinated by them. I wanted to reflect the nature we see around Prince George and add a touch of music and art — so in the mural, the bear is painting too.”
The mural was made possible through a recent $5,000 art grant from the City of Prince George. The funds were partially used to pay the artists involved in its creation.
Sara Jones, a manager at Omineca, said the grant was instrumental in supporting local creators.
“With this grant, we’re able to pay the artists, which is amazing. Being able to use that grant money to pay artists what they’re worth is really important,” she said.
Jones echoed Salla’s hopes that the mural will inspire more public art downtown.
“I hope this mural brings incentive for other businesses downtown to consider adding murals or beautifying alleyways and other underused spaces,” she said. “Maybe other businesses will see that they can transform their spaces too through art. Hopefully, it’s the beginning of a movement — a wave we can start for other places.”
