Canada Day in Riverdale is always a ‘big deal’ for the community, and this year one of the main events will be the ‘unveiling’ of two outdoor murals. Two artists were commissioned by the Riverdale Community League to paint murals on the west and south walls of Riverdale House, just east of Riverdale Hall.  The artists are Pedro Rodriguez de los Santos and Karen Blanchet.

 

Pedro’s mural was created after a community engagement process whereby he gathered stories and drawings from children and adults at events held over the past six months at Riverdale school and hall. Pedro incorporated some of these drawings into his colorful, playful mural. For her mural, Karen Blanchet conducted historical research, including conversations with local historian Alan Shute, author of “Riverdale: From Fraser Flats to Edmonton Oasis.” The result is a dynamic mural which depicts events and people from Riverdale’s past.

 

The process the artists used is unique. Rather than painting the murals directly on the wall, the artists painted their murals on thick fabric. This weekend, the completed murals were adhered directly to the walls of Riverdale House and finished with varnish. This mural project was made possible with support from:

 

Edmontonians are invited to celebrate the completion of the murals at 3 pm at Riverdale House on July 1, 2011!