Cambrian College, Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School Partner on New Mural

SUDBURY –  Call it a case of go big or go home! Cambrian College and Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School have unveiled a massive new mural.

The mural, called Northern Resurgence, is 16 metres in length and 2.4 metres in height.

Northern Resurgence is located in the cafeteria of Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School. It depicts the beauty and fragility of the northern wilderness, and the importance of revitalizing and conserving the landscape. Over the past 50 years, considerable work has been done to re-green the community, earning Sudbury international praise and awards in the process.

Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School has also undergone a dramatic transformation. Over the past four years, the school has been renovated, creating modern spaces for students and staff. The blank wall in the new cafeteria provided the perfect canvas to blend art, history and geography.

“Our first thought was to bring the outside in,” says Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School Principal Pamela Potvin. “Johanna Westby and her students from Cambrian College made our vision come to life with this amazing mural.” She adds: “In addition to brightening up the space, the mural tells a story and celebrates our region, the beauty of our natural landscape, and the re-greening efforts that have taken place over many years. This mural will connect our school community to the local landscape for generations to come.”

Northern Resurgence is the largest mural ever created by students and faculty in Cambrian’s School of Creative Arts and Design.

“We are so proud to present this mural, a project in partnership between Cambrian College’s School of Art and Design and Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School,” says Johanna Westby, a professor at Cambrian College who worked on Northern Resurgence.  “This project is a fantastic opportunity for our art and design students to experience working on large-scale public art, and to create something as a team which will benefit the community. We are so thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School to realize this mural, and we hope it will make a positive impact for years to come.”

Joining Westby in the creation of Northern Resurgence were nine students from Cambrian’s programs of Art and Design Fundamentals, Design and Visual Arts and Graphic Design. Together, they spent approximately 250 hours creating the mural.

“Working on the mural gave me a reason to hang out with awesome people during stressful times,” said Ivy Pellerin, first year student in Design and Visual Arts from Blind River. “We painted with laughs, jokes and great chats. It’s an amazing feeling to see it finished. It’s something to remember forever.”

Photo:

‘Northern Resurgence’ is the name of a huge new mural at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School in Sudbury. It was created by students and faculty in the School of Art and Design at Cambrian College.

Participating in the unveiling on Friday, May 20, 2022 were, back row, from left, Bill Best, President of Cambrian College; Lumen Jefferson, Cambrian Art Student; Asha Sokolowicz, Cambrian Art Student; Ivey Pellerin, Cambrian Art Student; Johanna Westby, Artist and Professor of Art and Design Fundamentals/Design and Visual Arts and Graphic Design Program at Cambrian College; Bob Clement, Chair of Rainbow District School Board; Brian Lobban, Dean of Business, IT, Media Art and Design; and Pamela Potvin, Principal of Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School; and, front row, from left, Perry Kessler, Cambrian Art Student; Linda Eccelstone, Librarian at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School; Mars Petryna, Cambrian Art Student; and Franco Mariotti, Scientist/Biologist/Environmental Activist. Also contributing to the mural were Cambrian Art Students Hannah Bellemore, Cassie Paquette and Phoenix Cooper.

Media contacts:

Nicole Charette
Senior Advisor
Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning
Rainbow District School Board
Phone: 705.674.3171, ext. 7217
[email protected]