By Chloé Fedio
On a breezy summer afternoon, Jimmy Baptiste dips a paintbrush into a bright yellow can of paint and begins to fill the outline of an ear of corn sketched on a wall in the heart of the ByWard Market.
“Don’t worry if there’s drips,” he coaches a volunteer, who stands by ready to take over the task.
The former plain brick wall on the corner of William and George streets has been transformed into a new vibrant mural depicting the flora, fauna and peoples of the traditional Lowertown community. It includes squash, beans and corn, known as the “three sisters” which were cultivated for centuries by First Nations communities in the region.
The Lowertown Community Association (LCA) began working on the project in the fall of 2020, securing a grant from Marchés d’Ottawa Markets and partnering with the local arts organization MASC to make the mural a reality.
Baptiste, a graphic artist and muralist, was selected to design a lively image based on feedback from the community, explained Kendra Hughes and Fiona Barbaro Sant, who led the mural project as co-chairs of the LCA’s Arts and Culture Committee.
During consultations, residents emphasized that they wanted to see the energy, vibrancy and colours of the ByWard Market reflected in the mural, as well as a nod to its heritage as a farmer’s market, Hughes said.
Not only were community members part of developing the concept for the mural, they were also involved in bringing it to life, explained Barbaro Sant.
“It was really important for the community to be engaged in the project throughout, and we accomplished this by inviting them to meet with the artist, Jimmy Baptiste, and talk to him about what the ByWard Market means to them. Later, residents were invited to paint the mural with him,” she said.
Baptiste got to work before volunteers arrived: he primed the wall, traced the initial design with a projection of the image and then blocked out the colours in the main shapes.
“It’s like building a cake with layers,” he said.
Once a rough image was set on the wall, volunteers took turns painting in some of the shapes, such as leaves, flowers and vegetables.
“My objective is really to get them to fill in the empty spaces, a little bit like a paint-by-numbers concept,” Baptiste said. “Often, if I see someone a bit more talented or dedicated, I’ll give them more of a task – get them to build layers and three-dimensional shapes.”
Baptiste offered directions and tips to volunteers, as soft reggae music played in the background.
“Are you discovering that you have knees?” he asked one of the volunteers, who was crouched down low painting a bright pink flower in the left corner of the mural.
After help from the community, Baptiste traded in his brushes for cans of spray paint with precise tips on the end, adding dynamic lines and extra details to connect all the elements of the mural.
“We’re so excited to finally see it come to fruition – to have something so vibrant and so colourful in his area of Lowertown,” Hughes said.
So, what’s next for the LCA Arts and Culture Committee?
“We’ve received a lot of positive feedback about the mural already and see that there’s an appetite for more, so we’re exploring ways to bring more public art to the neighbourhood,” Hughes said. “We’re always looking to connect with other residents and organizations who are passionate about the arts – who want to share ideas and take action.”
To connect with the committee to participate in future projects or to share ideas, contact: lcaartsandculture@gmail.com or follow the committee on Instagram: @lowertownart