Latest downtown mural in good company

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This article was published 13/09/2019 (2426 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Toronto street artist Jerry Rugg donned his trademark bird mask as he posed for a photo in front of his freshly completed mural in downtown Brandon Thursday afternoon.

Rugg (a.k.a. birdO) was featured this past spring in an article in Nuvo magazine, which noted his mural assignments have taken him to locales in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia.

The 33-metre-long mural depicts a row of bison embedded with geometric cubes.

“If you were to see my body of work, it’s an identifiable element that I use,” Rugg explained of the cubes to a pair of passersby as they admired his artwork on the east side of the Community Futures building, facing the Kristopher Campbell Memorial Skate Plaza.

“Sometimes I don’t even sign my work, so someone’s familiar with it,” said Rugg, who thankfully removed his bird mask to chat briefly with The Sun before flying off somewhere.

The mask is part of the former model’s schtick.

Rugg (apparently not his real name, according to the magazine) said the bison in the mural represent family.

“I love skate parks, I love skate culture and I enjoyed the time I spent here watching that family,” which in the traditional sense is mother, father and children, said Rugg, who is originally from Saskatoon.

“But there’s also the notion of family or community when you gather around a place like this. It’s kind of my homage to just gathering, being together and a positive space for people to gather.”

Rugg’s exotic beasts have appeared on walls from Chicago to Shanghai — and now Brandon.

“Younger artists always want to paint really big,” Rugg said, “but you have to paint really ‘wow’ small to be able to paint big, so I’ve done it all and continue to do it all as the right opportunity dictates.”

Like his other works, the mural is untitled.

“I leave it to someone when I meet them,” he said.

“I believe in the power of intention, and I’d just like Brandon to know that I came and gave my greatest effort possible,” Rugg added, “and I hope that people enjoy it.”

His mural was one of 10 to be completed this year, including a star blanket by Winnipeg artists Kenneth Lavallee and Annie Beach that wraps around the Community Health and Housing Association building on Rosser Avenue.

The 10th mural is to be completed later this fall on a vacant building at 118 10th St. by Montreal artist Jason Botkin.

“It’s narrow frontage, but it actually has a lot of depth, so it’s a bit deceiving,” said Elisabeth Saftiuk, executive director of the Brandon Downtown Development Corp., who co-chairs the public art and murals committee with Carly Gasparini, executive director of the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corp.

Other members of the committee include the City of Brandon’s community development department, the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba and downtown property owners.

Saftiuk said the mural project has been fortunate to attract not only talented local artists, but those with reputations beyond Manitoba, such as Rugg.

“It was very cool,” she said, adding the committee is hoping to continue the mural project next year.

“We haven’t yet determined what our plans are for next year, but it’s certainly something we would like to continue into 2020,” she said.

“We feel that these murals have really helped to improve our downtown community and so we’re certainly hopeful that we are able to offer this program once again. It will be dependent on funding.”

The downtown mural project started in 2018 with two murals, one that was completed earlier this year.

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