Vibrant Milton

Mural Routes Member(s): Omar Hopkinson

Artist(s): Omar 'OMS' Hopkinson (Lead Artist) and Andres Corréa (Artist Assistant)

Category: Creative Realism, Heritage, Lettering, Other, Post-graffiti, Style-writing

Completed: October 30, 2022

The Downtown Milton Business Improvement Area is dedicated to building a resilient and vibrant downtown community with welcoming spaces for everyone to enjoy. In 2022, we worked with Arts Milton, STEPS Public Art, a local property owner, business owners, residents and supporters to install a large new mural downtown. The project received funding from the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario)’s Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF). The mural was installed in the Spice o’ Life Parkette near the intersection of Main St. E. and Charles St. It was painted in the fall 2022 and took place in conjunction with Milton Culture Days presented by Arts Milton. The mural was unveiled in November 2022.

The public art mural aims to:

Promote and support local arts and culture
Beautify the outdoor environment and create a welcoming space for residents, visitors, customers and downtown employees
Create a downtown attraction and spur economic activity in the area
Bring artists, entrepreneurs, businesses, governments, young people and the general public together to create a legacy project in our downtown
The wall is the backdrop to the parkette and highly visible in Milton downtown. The project was undertaken undertook this project in response to significant wall repairs by the property owner as well as the deterioration and peeling over time of the previous painting (read more). This initiative aligns with public and stakeholder feedback and recommendations from Milton’s first Council-approved Culture Plan ‘Here to Stay’. Our mural working group was made up of local business owners, community partners, artists, residents and others who have collaborated to ensure that this privately-owned wall will continue to be used for artwork that is relevant, interesting and inspiring for our community as a whole. The working group identified these key themes to drive the mural design using vibrant, colourful imagery: the past and present of Milton, our downtown and diversity.

Contributors with this project are:
– Arts Milton
– Total Skin and Body (owner of the wall)
– Arts Milton
– Steps Public Art
– SAG Hair Design
– Bell
– Bergsma Paint Supply
– Budd’s Canabis Store
– Green Propeller Design
– Muse Studio and Market
– Julie Rock Photography
– Milton Historical Society
– Town of Milton
– Adam Van Koeverden (Member of Parliament)
– Government of Canada

For More Information: https://downtownmilton.com/main-charles-mural/