Photo by Glenn Booker
Images shows a mural with 4 famous Black Canadians, including Portia White, Oscar Peterson, Dr. Eugenia Duodu and Andre De Grasse.
Artist(s): Phillip Saunders

Afro-Centric Art Installation

Completed: September 2021

A mural dedicated to inspiring Black Canadians has been completed at the Davidson Centre track and field shed. It’s dynamic, colourful, and celebrates Black Canadian heritage, history and continued contributions.

Who’s on the mural?
Portia White: A contralto known for becoming the first black Canadian concert singer to achieve international acclaim.
Oscar Peterson: Eight time Grammy award winning legendary jazz pianist.
Dr. Eugenia Duodu: CEO of Visions of Science network for learning, who is committed to empowering low income communities through the STEM program.
Andre De Grasse: Canadian sprinter, 7-time Olympic medalist and now gold medalist in the 200 m.

Why do we need an Afrocentric mural?
We all want a community where residents and visitors feel safe, respected, and comfortable in being themselves and expressing all aspects of their identifies. We want a community where each and every person feels accepted, connected, free of barriers and has a real sense of belonging. So if we all want this inclusive community, why are there comments against the creation of a mural that will depict one segment of our community – Black and Racialized communities?

Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that an inclusive community is not experienced by all people who live in or visit our community. But we are not alone in this. Racism is an issue that is happening across Ontario, Canada and the world.

Changing society and eliminating racism from our culture and our systems is uncomfortable messy work but if we push through the discomfort the change we are all seeking can happen.

For more information on this mural visit:
https://www.kincardine.ca/en/living-here/inclusion-diversity-equity-and-access.aspx

This video explains the process artist Philip Saunders used to create the Afro-Centric Art Installation at the Davidson Centre in Kincardine Ontario. The mural shows 4 famous Black Canadians, including Portia White, Oscar Peterson, Dr. Eugenia Duodu and Andre De Grasse. The video also shows a time-lapse of the creation of the mural.

Where to Find This Mural

Location: Davidson Centre, 601 Durham St, Kincardine, ON N2Z 1L7 Get Directions

Accessibility: The ground around the mural is at the same level as the parking lot, so there are no stairs or inclines to navigate to the area. But the area around the mural is not paved, it is a sand/gravel type ground cover.