New mural shines bright in downtown Barrie

Clandestinos Art, a local artistic duo, created a new mural at 59 Maple Avenue in downtown Barrie. (Provided/ Downtown Barrie BIA)

Another touch of beauty and inspiration has been added to Barrie's downtown through the local duo Clandestinos Art.

Spearheaded by the Downtown Barrie BIA, the piece of art is located on the side of Shak's World Community Centre at 59 Maple Avenue, facing Kempenfelt Bay.

Bruno Smoky and Shalak Attack make up the Barrie duo who create art locally and internationally.

The new mural titled Home visualizes the narrative of a "colourful and diverse place to live in harmony with our surrounding nature."

It was inspired by talking with several community members, including Shak, her staff, and the Barrie Native Friendship Center.

The couple described the meaning of the mural in their own words.

"The maple tree stands at the heart of the mural; the sun shines light through its branches, illuminating the strength of the community and highlighting the maple tree as a historical symbol for the First Nations of the area.

The little girl blows the seeds of the flower, making a wish and a whimsical blast of snowflakes representing winter. Spring, summer and fall are also present, telling of the cycles of nature and time.

The man looking to the right is a nod to Shak's World and the activities going on inside. He's a sports player wearing a jersey and also a balance to the feminine and masculine energies of the piece. The bees are working away gathering pollen, an important symbol for Barrie as a Bee City, which encourages pollinator conservation in the area.

The Eagle and Condor are a nod to an ancient Prophecy that represents the indigenous peoples of the Americas reunited in connection to the Earth, which signals a time of reconciliation, reunification, and healing of the land and its peoples.

In the heart of the Condor is the Andes, the backbone that unites both South and North America, which turns into the Rocky Mountains. It also represents migration and the diverse people here on this land.

The tobacco flower is also present, a listening activator of all creation; it listens to prayers and is a gift, as shared by members of the Barrie Native Friendship Centre. Water is also an important symbol for Barrie and the surrounding area represented on the left side of the panel. We hope that through this colourful and harmonious composition, we can represent the diversity and character of this amazing city and brighten up the downtown area."

The mural also highlights the work being done at Shak's World, which welcomes those aged between seven to 17, offering drop-in programming such as art, dance, cooking, yoga, chess and basketball training.