Public Art Mural

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 (read more) 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 our downtown. We 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.

Meet the Artists

Omar (Oms) Hopkinson – Lead Artist

@omscreates

Omar (Oms) Hopkinson is an international artist, creator and artistic collaborator based out of Milton, Ontario. He was inspired to create and share his passion for art from a young age. As young adult, he obtained degrees from the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) and Toronto School of Art (TSA). Oms was inspired by Toronto’s urban culture and hip hop scene. He became widely recognized as a live painter, creating art at events and music festivals. Oms then broadened his scope and worked across other industries and organizations, including fashion, school boards, charities and community groups. He specializes in abstract, airbrush, realism, contemporary and artist mentoring. Today, Oms paints on a wide range of surfaces including walls, outdoor structures, canvas and more.

Andrés Correa – Assistant Artist

@andrescorreaart

Andrés Correa was born in Ontario to Colombian Canadian parents who encouraged his artistic inclinations at an early age. He studied at the Ontario College of Art (OCAD), the Toronto School of Art and the Art Students League of New York. He often used unconventional objects including old doors, frames and chairs to practice his painting techniques. As well as working out of his own studio, Andrés joined the underground scene at clubs and bars in Ontario and New York, where he painted while DJs were spinning. Today, Andrés is based out of Mississauga, Ontario and his work is internationally recognized. He continues to exhibit and do live paintings at private galas, charity events, food banks, hospitals and YMCAs in Canada and the United States. He uses a wide breadth of of styles in his work which allows him to stay fresh and build understanding.

Project Partners

Thank you to the following for supporting public art in our downtown:

Bell

History of Former Mural

The mural previously located in the Spice O’Life parkette on Main St. and Charles St. was an important part of the downtown Milton community for over two decades. The mural was commissioned in the 1990s by the Downtown Milton Business Improvement Area. The artist and art director was Sharose and was assisted by Pat Schryer, Denise Schryer, Walter Chamberlain, and Arthur Miner.

The inspiration for the mural came from a collection of colourful postcards printed by T.C. Livingston in the early 1990s to promote “Livingston Park” (see the large sign at Mill Pond in Milton). The mural depicted adults and children enjoying recreational activities at the pond including taking a walk, rowing and playing and socializing.

Unfortunately, time, weather and UV light caused the image and paint to deteriorate. Following extensive repairs to the wall by the property owner in 2022, the Downtown Milton Business Improvement Area commissioned a new mural to be installed in its place.