The concept of Michelle Loughery's mural design that was presented to City Council (photo courtesy of Michelle Loughery and the City of Vernon)

By Liam Verster

Downtown mural

New Vernon mural represents inclusivity and renewal while also honouring community leader

Oct 11, 2021 | 9:00 AM

A new mural planned for downtown Vernon will represent hope for the future while honouring a former community leader.

The art piece, designed by local artist and muralist Michelle Loughery, will go on the side of the radio station building at 2800 31st Street. The project, which will feature sunflowers, butterflies and bright colours, is being run by Loughery and the North Okanagan Artists Alternative Gallery Vertigo, which will be in charge of maintenance and funding for the art installment.

It will be done in honour of the late city councillor Dalvir Nahal who died of cancer on Sept. 5.

“I had a pivotal conversation several times with her, and what she stood for and what she was trying to bring to this community and what she did bring to this community has been, for me, very life altering in what her passion was,” said Loughery in a conversation with Vernon Matters.

“So in painting this mural, it just represents to me how much work it is to have this light, and her light will shine in this community forever.”

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Loughery has been the lead artist on Vernon’s historic murals, and this latest one will also be part of her bigger sunflower project.

“We have a mural downtown that has sunflowers already on it based on internment and how my family had social issues and justice issues, and then the sunflower seemed to grow in projects of inclusion,” said Loughery.

“A sunflower, to me, represents so many things because it’s beautiful: it seeds, it grows strong and it always faces the sun. So to me it’s the symbol of humanity, which matches, I think, Dalvir’s soul.”

She also notes the butterflies will be a representation of renewal

Along with increasing the vibrancy of downtown Vernon, the mural will be part of a global ‘selfie mural’ movement.

“We have one in Vernon, if you go to the Indian motorcycle (mural), but this is one that I guess is promoting healing and working together. So (the message of) the selfie wall on Vertigo of sunflowers and inclusion is ‘Come down, visit our downtown, and let’s think about working together,'” said Loughery

“That’s kind of what the image is all about and that’s what Dalvir, what she did in life, just tried to bring people together.”

The mural itself, which doesn’t have an estimated time frame as yet, will be painted by Loughery and a team of senior and youth artist volunteers. She told Vernon Matters that a lot of senior artists have been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this will be an opportunity to bring them together for a big project.

The mural will be done in phases, with the background and flowers painted this fall, and then the butterflies done in the spring.

As the city is not involved in the project, the entire funding of the mural is coming from the gallery, Loughery and the artists .

“Right now I’ve got paint that I’m donating, people are reaching out with donated paint, so it’s being funded by the artists.”

She added that any businesses or individuals who wish to donate paint for the mural are welcome to contact her through Gallery Vertigo to make a contribution.