Track to the Future Mural Festival - PHOTOS
The Track to the Future Mural Festival made July 2022 a remarkable month in St. Thomas. Artists transformed spaces around the city with large-scale murals, and residents & visitors walked, cycled & skateboarded on local streets & trails to check out the artwork. St. Thomas is becoming a genuine street art capital!
Our team at young & free press supported the festival as a sponsor, and we have been involved for the past few years in coordinating the ongoing Track to the Future mural project. The Festival required a special effort to organize all the details, though, and we are deeply grateful to the St. Thomas EDC and Railway City Tourism for making the event happen! Significant financial support was provided by the ‘My Main Street’ program. Local businesses and organizations stepped up to support the festival as well, including Doug Tarry Homes, Elgin St. Thomas Community Foundation, Hayhoe Homes, Alma College Square, St. Thomas Downtown Development Board, and the Donna Bushell Estate. Definitely a community effort …
Avelea Thorne and Andrew Gunn of young & free press took photos throughout the Track to the Future Mural Festival … find lots of shots below. There are finishing touches & enhancements still to come at some of the sites around the city, but for the most part, the murals are complete. Come & explore!
The beginning! Denial (at centre) took on the painting of this massive wall in downtown St. Thomas, flanked in the photo by assistant John Ducharme and our own Maddie King (Photo: Andrew Gunn, young & free press)
Mural in progress! Maddie King of young & free press met with Natasha Newby, Executive Director of the Elgin St. Thomas Community Foundation, to thank the Foundation for supporting the Track to the Future Mural Festival. Many donors and sponsors helped to boost the event (Photo: Andrew Gunn, young & free press)
The final shot! This spectacular mural by Denial features five vintage-style travel posters highlighting local sites & landmarks in St. Thomas, including the Elevated Park, City Hall, Elgin County Courthouse, Jumbo the Elephant Memorial, and Pinafore Park (Photo: Avelea Thorne, young & free press)
Toronto-based artist Blaze at work on the new ‘Greetings from St. Thomas’ mural in downtown St. Thomas (Photo: Andrew Gunn, young & free press)
Mural-in-progress! This is Windsor-based artist Derkz painting a gorgeous new mural on the west exterior wall of the Central United Church along the Whistlestop Trail in St. Thomas. One of the goals of the Track to the Future Mural Festival was to add several murals along the trail, providing a stunning gallery for everyone walking, cycling or skateboarding through the city (Photo: Avelea Thorne, young & free press)
Photo backdrops everywhere! Andrew Gunn & Emily Stage of young & free press highlight the stunning new mural titled “Nature’s House” by LALA located at the St. Thomas Curling Club along the Whistlestop Trail. Note the curling ‘house’ incorporated into the design (Photo: young & free press)
This remarkable mural by artist Andrew Lewis can be found behind Streamliners Espresso Bar close to the Horton Farmers’ Market in downtown St. Thomas (Photo: Avelea Thorne, young & free press)
Several individual donors & local businesses stepped up to support the Track to the Future Mural Festival. Doug Tarry (at left) & Suzie Dennis (second from right) of Doug Tarry Homes Ltd. joined Maddie King & Andrew Gunn of young & free press for this shot. We are very grateful to the team at Doug Tarry Homes for supporting the ongoing mural project in St. Thomas (Photo: young & free press)
Maddie King of young & free press stopped by to see Ottawa-based artist Emilie Darlington as she painted a new mural at The Inn, the emergency shelter for those experiencing homelessness in St. Thomas (Photo: Andrew Gunn, young & free press)
‘Garden of Hope’ by Emilie Darlington can be found at 10 Princess Ave in St. Thomas (Photo: Avelea Thorne, young & free press)
Mural-in-progress! Steph Boutari at work on her beautiful new mural at 367 Talbot Street in St. Thomas (Photo: Avelea Thorne, young & free press)
Before shot! Andrew Gunn & Maddie King of young & free press stand in front of one of the concrete piers at the St. Thomas Elevated Park, just before artist Denial started to work on a new mural. The pier is 85 feet tall and the park is located on the bridge above (Photo: young & free press)
Denial in the lift & at work on his incredible new mural-in-progress at the St. Thomas Elevated Park (Photo: Avelea Thorne, young & free press)
Denial finished this towering mural on Pier 9 of the St. Thomas Elevated Park on Wednesday, August 3rd. Emily Stage & Andrew Gunn of young & free press joined the artist to celebrate (Photo: young & free press)
