Photo: Carley Shearon & Andrew Gunn of Andrew Gunn Consulting and young & free press stand next to the new ‘Art Wall’ in downtown St. Thomas.
New Wall Installed for Emerging Artists in St. Thomas!
With the exciting growth in mural art in St. Thomas in recent years, there is substantial interest from emerging artists and students in this globally significant art-form. Throughout 2026, our team at Andrew Gunn Consulting and young & free press will be introducing a series of new initiatives designed to support and expand opportunities for artists in the community.
First up, we have worked in collaboration with the Parks and Recreation Department at the City to install a new wall specifically for artists who would like to practice mural and graffiti painting! The wall, which is eight feet tall and twenty feet long, has been built next to the Railway City Skate Park downtown. This is one of a series of new enhancements that will make the area increasingly active and welcoming for members of the community, including local youth. Funding support for the new wall has been provided by individual donors and Doug Tarry Homes Limited.
“We have been thrilled to work closely with the St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation and Railway City Tourism over the years to add spectacular outdoor artwork in St. Thomas,” comments Andrew Gunn, President of Andrew Gunn Consulting. “Simultaneously, our team has coordinated the ongoing ‘Students Build Cities’ program with Thames Valley District School Board and the STEAM Centre. Over the past eighteen months, we have engaged local students in the process of renewing the Parks and Recreation Master Plan for the City. Some of the ideas that the students shared, including wanting opportunities to learn mural and graffiti art, prompted the idea of installing a wall specifically for this purpose. In our travels, we have visited sites where open walls for artwork have been introduced brilliantly, including the Leake Street Arches in London, UK, and Graffiti Street in Ghent, Belgium. We look forward to seeing lots of aspiring mural artists painting the wall in St. Thomas! Our team is very grateful to staff members at the Parks and Recreation Department in the City for helping to make this project happen. We are immensely thankful as well to the supporters of this project, including private individual donors and Doug Tarry Homes Limited. This is a truly exciting next step for the arts in St. Thomas.”
The official opening for the wall is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, 2026 with art students from Parkside Collegiate Institute coming to learn painting techniques. Stay tuned for more announcements this year aimed at boosting arts and culture in St. Thomas!
For more information, please contact
Andrew Gunn
President, Andrew Gunn Consulting / young & free press
c. 519.709.5227
