When Gregory Gislason heard about the contest to select an artist for a mural at the airport celebrating the Canada Winter Games, he jumped at the chance to tell the story of Prince George.
"I did some research [through the] library, Internet; talked to some elders; and just went around the community, then slapped [a mock-up] all together on my wall," he said.
It was an emotional time as Gislason developed a prototype of his entry for the Spirit of the Games project, making it ready to be judged by a panel made of representatives from the Games, the Prince George and District Community Arts Council and the Prince George Airport Authority.
"When I was doing the mock-up on my wall, I was panicking and worried about it looking good, losing and all that low self-esteem stuff, but I just hammered away at it, kept at my day job, worked at it at night and sometimes took a day off, he said. "It took me about a month to do the rendering on my drywall."
As it turned out, Gislason's entry, which features landmarks and icons of Prince George, won. It will be painted on the exterior arrivals wall of the airport and will be unveiled in September.
"For many athletes and spectators traveling to Prince George for the 2015 Games, the airport will be their first exposure to the City," said Mayor Shari Green, in a media release. "This mural will stand as a welcome to Prince George and northern B.C."
"We are thrilled and excited that Greg was the successful applicant for the Spirit of the Games mural," said Wendy Young, the executive director of the arts council. "His understanding of the Prince George community is very well depicted in his mural design submission. We look forward to the installation."
When Lisa Redpath, the arts council's project co-ordinator called Gislason to tell him he'd won, he said he kept his head together.
"I didn't jump up and down," he said. "I said to Lisa Redpath, 'no way, you're pulling my leg,' and she said, 'no.'
"How did I feel when I heard I won? I was actually sitting on a puffy cloud. This is my time and I'm going to go for it and give it my all."
The mural also gives Gislason the chance to become known locally as an artist. He moved here from Vancouver two years ago, where he was part of an artist group called "Guns and Hoses." His past work includes the IntraWest Hotel in Whistler, the floor of the Vancouver Aquarium and Rock City signage. In Prince George, he works as a residential and commercial painter. He also works on murals commissioned by private customers on the side.
Gislason said the airport mural is a chance to do something large-scale that everyone will look at. He hopes it will also lead to some recognition and the chance to do more commissioned murals in the future.
