The above mural at the Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre is the result of many contributors. The home's student volunteers designed and painted the background, and the artwork on display was created when University of Toronto students came into the home and worked with residents to make art.
Construction offers opportunity for an artwork display
Monday February 4, 2008 -- Camille Jensen
Renovations at the Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre provided a unique opportunity for a new artwork display.

Under construction to build a fourth floor onto the Etiobroke long-term care home, the renovations have blocked the view of the home’s favourite winter garden. 

With construction expecting to continue for many months, residents and staff have been forced to look out into a walled off courtyard.  

Unhappy with the drab scenery, volunteers at the home found a unique way to create a new gardenscape for the residents.

Painting a mural along the main hall of the home, youth volunteers turned a big, blank wall into an art display that featured work from residents and University of Toronto (U of T) students who had earlier volunteered at the home.

Walpole says with the help from U of T students the residents had created a lot of beautiful artwork when they participated in a painting program. 

The program brought volunteers from the U of T into the home to paint pictures alongside the residents using pastels, chalk and watercolours.

A resident, who recently passed away, an active artist herself, was also featured on the wall.

Walpole says the mural had a big effect on the residents.

“This one thing these students did, has impacted the lives of our residents unbelievably,” she says.  “I’ve had calls, e-mails and residents telling me how beautiful it is to walk down this hallway now.”

Walpole also praised the student volunteers for their effort at learning and incorporating Ukrainian culture. 

The students, who are not Ukrainian, learned the significance of sunflowers and adopted them into the mural.

“The dedication, commitment and the respect of someone else’s culture was amazing,” she adds.

Sister Germaine Bohdan, a resident at the home, says the new artwork really changes the walkway.

Bohdan had participated in the earlier art program and was especially pleased to see her art built into the new project. 

Walking the passageway daily, Bohdan finds the replacement to her winter garden a thoughtful alternative.