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Meet the artist of the new mural at CNC

The mural beside the stairs at the entrance of the Prince George campus is one of seven pieces that highlights the diverse peoples and vast region the college serves
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Lee-Anne Chisholm, an artist from Quesnel, created the Four Seasons mural along the stairs at the entrance of the College of New Caledonia's Prince George campus.

Rushing up the stairs at the College of New Caledonia is no longer an option with the beauty of the new art installation taking your breath away.

The mural beside the stairs at the entrance of the Prince George campus is one of seven pieces that highlights the diverse peoples and vast region the college serves, celebrating the four seasons, connection to the land and a strong sense of community.

Artist Lee-Anne Chisholm, an artist from Quesnel, created the piece to represent important aspects of Indigenous culture within the four seasons experienced in Northern BC.

This isn’t Chisholm’s first huge art installation so she knew being stable as she painted was important during its creation.

“There was also the issue of a lot of traffic along the stairs,” Chisholm said. “So we created a scaffolding where I could be in my own space that was safe and the people coming up the stairs could have that as well.”

To start off the design there was a lot to process, she added.

There were meetings with elders who shared their history of the region and aspects of nature that were meaningful to them.

“It was a really wonderful experience to create an artwork that honours people, honours relationships and I was really grateful to be part of that,” Chisholm said. “Listening to the stories the elders shared brought me back to my childhood, growing up in Quesnel and having similar experiences with berries, spending time with family and what the different seasons bring.”

When coming up with the concept for her artwork her focus became clear after speaking with the elders.

“What really jumped out at me was the colours described of the harvest,” Chisholm said. “A big part of the inspiration for the piece was one of welcoming at the entrance of the college. Something with movement and flow to it and the way the seasons connect with each other. So it’s simple and about the beauty of nature.”

Chisholm hopes that people coming into the college, knowing that most will be in a rush, will pause, take a breath, enjoy the beauty of the piece and go on with their day.

Chisholm and sculptor fabricator Aaron Harder, who also has a piece at CNC, are married and said they are honoured to each have their own piece in the art installation that is part of a cohesive project.