Youth and seniors are in a Creative Fusion that brought artists together to explore Prince George history as the common theme.
Lynda Anderson, volunteer project coordinator, an artist who is also a nurse, said the mural project was federally funded through the New Horizons for Seniors program. The program helps ensure seniors can benefit from and contribute to the quality of life in their communities through active living and participation in social activities.
There are 17 murals hung on the outside of the buildings at the Studio 2880 complex at 2880-15th Avenue, home of the Prince George and District Community Arts Council that applied for the project grant and received $12,500.
There will be three more murals hung in the spring, she added.
The panels are four by eight feet, and between two and five people worked on each mural.
"Art is the universal language and it speaks to all of us, said Anderson. "We thought if we combined two particular age groups - youth and seniors - and we brought everybody together and asked what they wanted to do they would come up with their art pieces themselves and they did."
Combining the two age groups on a project that explored the history of Prince George made for some interesting ideas, Anderson said, who has conducted many community development projects through her job as a nurse as well as a volunteer.
"Our oldest artist is in her 80s and our youngest is 16," said Anderson. "They ended up working together and out of this whole project came some wonderful working relationships and a better understanding of each other and their age groups. For me it was a community development project as much as an art project and they all did a fantastic job."
To encourage more community involvement youth from Future Cents, operating out of the Youth Around Prince (YAP) program that assists at-risk youth, came out to prime all the panels to be painted by the artists. The youth also primed a staircase on the side of one of the two buildings at Studio 2880 which is the future site of a work of art, said Anderson.
Students from School District 57's TAPs program (Transitional Alternative Program) were also involved as part of their credit for graduation. PGSS art students will take the winter to create an eight by eight foot art project that will be hung at Studio 2880 in the spring.
The unveiling of the Creative Fusion mural project is tonight at 6 p.m. at 2880-15th Avenue, where hot chocolate and coffee will be served. Everyone is welcome to attend.
