On Saturday, Oct. 28, I attended the Neruda Arts Canada 150 mural reveal, which was an event organized to celebrate the completion of a 150-foot mural made by individuals from a variety of backgrounds, to celebrate the cultural diversity that Canada has to offer.
I later had the privilege of sitting down over homemade hot chocolate with Isabel Cisterna, the founder of Neruda Arts and the artistic director of the mural.
The mural is presented on Charles Street, between Cedar and Cameron, and is hugely impressive in both scale and intricacy.
The day of the reveal was cold and wet, but we were told that this was actually a good sign, as water is cherished in many indigenous cultures.
The event started with an introduction from a First Nation Elder, who spoke about the importance of community in producing an artistic piece like this. While she spoke, her assistant circulated the crowd with burning sage and sweet grass, and performed a ritual called smudging.
We were instructed to use the smoke to wash ourselves, and by doing so, we were cleaning our bodies of negative energy. Cisterna explained the importance of doing this collectively:
“It takes us away from the everyday, and it focuses on the importance of traditions and rituals.”
Upon sitting down with Isabel, she described some of the immense details of the mural. The open arms of the mural embody the diversity of the earth, that runs from East to West.
“It’s a really great way to get in involved in the community and to enjoy yourself, because the festival has great music and is free; we love to keep it accessible for everybody.”
In the heart of these open arms is a First Nation bird dancer, which reminds us that we live on land that is sacred to the First Nations.
As the mural progresses into the fingers, the contrast between day and night is shown, with boats of immigrants coming to the land.
“It doesn’t matter when you came, we are all immigrants to this land that is our hostess,” Cisterna said.
The diversity of the Earth can be seen in the corners of the mural; there are the Northern Lights, a bear, fire, stone and the mountains.
“It’s very rich from one corner to the other, and the land embracing us alludes to the idea that we all have to work together towards reconciliation.”
Isabel and I discussed the importance of art in the local community, and how students at Wilfrid Laurier University can get involved.
“There’s lots of really great arts organizations that virtually go unknown because of lack of support, and volunteering would be a great investment that would grow and grow,” Cisterna said.
“If the students gave some time to those organizations, they could directly affect the future of this arts community.”
Neruda Arts annual Kultrún Festival will be taking place next summer, and looks to recruit between 60 and 100 volunteers.
“It’s a really great way to get in involved in the community and to enjoy yourself, because the festival has great music and is free; we love to keep it accessible for everybody.”
The event finished with a performance from Patagonian Emilia Diaz, who transformed the rainy air into a summery salsa party. I watched two young girls practicing their salsa moves, all while a curious hawk watched from a nearby lamppost.