A local artist has helped transform a 20-foot by nine-foot construction trailer into a colourful mural that portrays Canada’s landscape from coast to coast in honour of seniors at an Airdrie retirement home.
The artwork is one of several beautification projects happening at Luxstone Senior Living. According to Jennifer Harbour, the community relations coordinator at Luxstone Senior Living, the project was born of a desire to enhance the grounds while also celebrating Airdrie’s seniors during Seniors Week, which ran from June 7 to 13.
“[I wanted] to show the seniors in our community how much they’re cared for and thought of, and it has brightened up our courtyard beyond belief,” she said regarding the art project.
This past spring, Harbour reached out to a few local artists to gauge their interest in participating in a creative project that would enhance the courtyard. She said local painter Veronica Funk “embraced and loved” the idea.
The Airdrie-based artist, whose work has been exhibited across North America, said participating in the beautification project was a no-brainer after her completion of The Grandmothers – a project that consisted of painting 52 portraits of elderly women in 2020.
“When Jennifer had sent out the email, I thought I need to do something for our local seniors [after] learning about all the hardships that all these women had gone through before us,” she said. “I wanted to do something especially [because] many seniors weren’t having guests anymore.
“I thought it was just a really incredible idea … our elders were being affected even more than most through the pandemic.”
She said the old construction trailer at the retirement home was in rough shape prior to its makeover, and was an eyesore on the otherwise beautiful property grounds.
“It’s not very attractive to look out and see an old rusty trailer,” Funk said, adding she quickly began work on a design that would encapsulate the diversity of Airdrie’s seniors – many of whom hail from across Canada.
According to Funk, the mural includes a little bit of everything when it comes to the Canadian landscape – mountains, a lighthouse, fields, and prairies. She added artists and community members heeded the call to help paint the construction trailer and bring her concept of a coast-to-coast landscape painting to life.
Funk said residents of all ages contributed to the project – including a space along the bottom of the trailer, where children could help paint a provincial flower for each province and territory in Canada.
“It was really neat how different groups came together to make this happen for local seniors – it was really amazing,” she said. “Especially at this time, because seniors were disproportionately affected during COVID-19, it was so nice to see groups of people from the community of all ages come together and do this for them.”
The artist added the city needs more beautification projects like this to help bring residents hope during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People need beauty and especially during this very difficult year-and-a-half that we’ve had,” she said. “People need something to give them a sense of hope for the future and just lighten up their environment.
“We just need beautiful things to look at. It just makes us feel better.”
Funk said the mural has been well received by the community and further beautification projects are taking place at Luxstone Senior Living in the near future, including the addition of horseshoe pits and landscaping.
Carmen Cundy, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @carmenrcundy
