Outdoor mural celebrates diversity, inclusion and belonging at Pembroke Campus

Posted on Wednesday, May 18th, 2022

For four days, employees and students at the Pembroke Waterfront Campus watched as the new mural came to life. What started with a community painting day ended with a vibrant display of colour and powerful imagery that brings attention to Algonquin College’s commitment to celebrating diversion and inclusion at all of its campuses.

Initiated by the College’s Inclusion and Diversity Circle, the project intentionally introduced street art style murals to the Ottawa, Pembroke and Perth campuses in an attempt to tackle visual representation as a barrier to belonging in the College community. The artists, Jimmy Baptiste, Allan Andre and Kalkidan Assefa, provided a dream team of artists who used paint brushes and spray paint to showcase their talent in creating a centrepiece for the campus.

By using street art, the mural is deeply rooted in Black and Latinx culture and creates a welcoming message that is not restricted by colonial perceptions of art. The art is rooted in social equity and tackles visual representation by helping to create a more welcoming place for people from all cultures and races. It also weaves in Indigenous storytelling through the inclusion of animals and a Wampum belt.

The murals that have now been completed at the three campuses are all connected. Where one mural ends, the next one begins, sharing a common message that was inspired by the Algonquin College community. Choosing the murals’ different elements came from consultations involving the artists listening to various stakeholders, including college employees and students.

What makes the mural incredibly personal is that it involved so many hands. At each campus, community painting days were held, allowing novice painters to contribute to the mural by painting small sections of the artwork. At the Pembroke Campus, more than 40 employees, students and community members participated, adding colour to what has become a signature piece of artwork for both the College and the city of Pembroke.

The mural is located in a covered picnic table area on the north side of the campus, easily seen from the Kiwanis Walkway, which provides a recreational space for walkers and bikers along the shores of the Ottawa River. The walkway attracts thousands of people annually who get their exercise and can now enjoy some beautiful art as they pass by the College.

As the project progressed, many people stopped by to admire the work that was being done by the artists and to learn more about the mural. The artists were very accommodating, even modest, as they graciously accepted the compliments that were delivered to them by an appreciative audience.

The mural is a conversation starter and sends an important message to the entire community while reinforcing Algonquin College’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The mural has done exactly what it was intended to do. It loudly states, “We all belong.”


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