On Saturday, July 7, Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market Board President Sheila Hamilton met with prominent local Restaurateur and Artist Michael Maxxis to discuss an exciting community art installment – a 6-storey mural in Old Strathcona by renowned Spanish artist Okuda San Miguel.
A crowd funding campaign launched by Michael Maxxis commenced on June 3 with a goal of fostering the artistic development of Edmonton. The Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market embraces and shares Michael’s ambitious vision for the community and is proud to pledge $5,000 toward the development of this landmark art piece.
Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market Board President Sheila Hamilton commented, “I think it’s great to work together as community members to support each other, promote each other and show people how great Old Strathcona is. We’re excited to be working with Michael to make Old Strathcona an even more vibrant area.”
Regarding the project development, Michael commented, “it’s a very exciting day for me and a bit surreal because 3 weeks ago, it didn’t seem like this would have been a possibility”. As of today, the project has secured the necessary funds for the mural with painting scheduled to start this month.
The mural was made possible through a combination of individual, corporate and government donations. In addition to the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, the donor list includes Aurora Cannabis, ICI Architecture, the Old Strathcona Business Association, the City of Edmonton and numerous restaurants within the city. Excess funds will be donated to the local art festival, Rust Magic Street Mural Festival.