Another mural will be painted in Cloverdale.
Surrey City Council passed a corporate report recommending the project at their regular meeting April 25.
The Parks, Recreation & Culture Department had recommended city council “authorize the Cloverdale Mural Project group and owners of 5696 – 176 Street to proceed with the implementation of the ‘Aspire to Inspire’ mural,” the report said. The report was filed on behalf of Laurie Cavan, GM for Parks and Rec.
The report said the Cloverdale Mural Project wanted to paint a mural on the north face of the back of the building—the same building that “Sunshine Circle” was painted on in October, 2021.
“Sunshine Circle” adorns the alley-side wall of the Mates Uniforms building at 5696 176th Street. (The piece was designed by Tweedy grad Lucy Fournier and co-painted by members of the community.)
“The Cloverdale Mural Project team is comprised of a group of Cloverdale residents that are passionate about murals and public art,” the report said.
Along with “Sunshine Circle”, the Cloverdale Mural Project also arranged for artist July Pohl to paint a mural called “Cloverdale” on the back of the CUPE 402 office, also on 176th. Pohl’s artwork has a rural theme, with a chalk-style outline drawing of a horse, barn, and field behind colourful pink flowers, with “Cloverdale” in big letters at the front.
The report said the Cloverdale Mural Project volunteers are responsible for project coordination, fundraising, grant writing, community engagement, and maintenance.
SEE ALSO: Mural project proposed for Cloverdale
The proposed mural “Aspire to Inspire” was designed by an artist calling himself WRDSMTH.
“WRDSMTH is a published author, screenwriter, former advertising copywriter, and international mural artist,” the corporate report noted. “Born and raised in the Midwest, he relocated to Los Angeles and began a public art practice that blends his roots as a writer with the aesthetics of stencilling and wheat pasting.”
The report also said the artist began mural work in 2013 and now lives in the U.K. This mural will be WRDSMTH’s first artwork in Canada.
Maria Koehn, one of the coordinators with the Cloverdale Mural Project, said WRDSMTH is scheduled to be in Cloverdale to paint the artwork May 8.
“My goal was to have a new wall done in time for May Long weekend,” Koehn said in an email to the Cloverdale Reporter.
According to the city’s corporate report, “Aspire to Inspire” will have an image of a typewriter accompanied by text that will be painted in a typewriter-style font.
The Cloverdale Mural Project chose the design because it blended “historic and character imagery with contemporary artistic approaches,” the report said. “This mural’s text ‘Aspire to inspire and the universe will take note,’ was selected for this location due to it’s upbeat and inspirational message that resonates with the aspirational and growing nature of Cloverdale and Surrey.”
“Aspire to Inspire” was previously painted in the Arts District Co-Op in Los Angeles in March, 2016.
The mural will measure about 15 feet tall by about 17 feet wide. The cost of the project is expected to be around $6,000.
“The organization meets the criteria for a Community Enhancement Grant up to $3,000 in support of this project and it is anticipated that they will apply upon successful completion of the project,” the report added.
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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