Mural brightens Wyandotte Street to kick off Street Help restoration fundraiser
'There's a lack of love for this area, this community'
Street Help is hoping to renovate the second floor of their space — and they're bringing attention to their needs in an unusual way.
A mural now spans the side of the Street Help building on Wyandotte Street in the hopes that people will want to chip in for the construction work — and to pay the artists involved in the project.
Jill Thompson, Art Attack organizer, saw Street Help needed artists to do a mural so she jumped in to help.
"I volunteered my services," said Thompson, who collaborates with Windsor artists to both find work for artists and improve high-crime areas. "I thought this was a perfect fit."
Five artists worked on the wall of colour.
The design, which will read 'Community Love' when finished, came from discussion on social media — Thompson said even if it's ironic, she likes it.
"There's a lack of love for this area, this community," said Thompson. "Some people have issues with the homeless people in this community."
Thompson said love and compassion — and a little bit of art — could go a long way in dealing with issues like homelessness.
"This mural isn't going to fix the upper level of the building, but it's going to raise attention to it," said Thompson. The Art Attack organization is also working with Street Help to organize other fundraising activities for the second level, where the organization hopes staff can live once construction is complete. The space is already zoned for residential use.
Mural vandalism not surprising
A new mural in another Windsor neighbourhood brightened Ottawa Street for a few weeks, before it was vandalized.
David Derkatz took months to plan the mural on the side of Mister Maid HQ and another month to actually paint it. Just two weeks after it was finished, someone essentially scribbled through the artwork.
"I was shocked," said Derkatz. "It's disheartening. You put a lot of effort and time into this, so to have someone ruin it overnight is super disheartening."
Windsor artist David Derkatz just finished this mural on Ottawa Street two weeks ago — but it's already been defaced by a mystery vandal.<br><br>Calling the incident "disheartening," he says this will set back the timeline on his other projects.<a href="https://twitter.com/CBCWindsor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBCWindsor</a> <a href="https://t.co/g7r1hRLpkx">pic.twitter.com/g7r1hRLpkx</a>
—@sanJmaruThe alley by Street Help is under 24 hour surveillance so Thompson said she "pities the fool" who thinks about vandalizing the 'Community Love' mural.
"It's disgusting," said Thompson about the Ottawa Street mural. "But I wasn't surprised."
Thompson said even though other murals in the city have also been vandalized it's still important to have this kind of art everywhere in the city.
"Art and colour, they help people," said Thompson. "When I walk down the street and I see this, it brightens my day."