Grandin Murals recognized for “respectful” work

The Grandin Murals were recognized with an Award of Merit in the Community category at the Edmonton Urban Design Awards. The work undertaken by lead artist Aaron Paquette, who invited Sylvie Nadeau, the original artist, to contribute to the re-envisioned artworks, was a response to the 1989 mural commissioned by Francophonie Jeunesse de l’Alberta to honour Bishop Vital Grandin. Many within the Aboriginal community felt that the mural’s imagery evoked the troubling history of the residential schools and their impact on Canadian history. Paquette and Nadeau each created two medicine drums that flank their murals and “speak” across the platform. The panels, illustrating two young men and two young women, symbolize balance and harmony, inviting conversation about, and work of, reconciliation. The jury for the awards said the reworked Grandin Murals “allowed a political dialogue to happen in a creative way” and “other projects should strive to be as respectful.” The 2015 Urban Design Awards recognized public art in Edmonton for its contributions to the city’s built culture.