our collingwood (2022 mural)

the our collingwood diversity mural is a project conceived by John cardillo jr and created by artists john cardillo jr, Kaiden collver, & emma thornewell. the mural features portraits of 43 members of the collingwood community - young and old, recent arrivals and longtime residents, representatives of different racial, religious and cultural backgrounds and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

project lead:
john cardillo jr

primary photographer:
kaiden collver

creative team:
john cardillo jr, kaiden collver, & emma thornewell

project support provided by:
lea pankhurst & dean collver

made in collaboration with: the collingwood youth centre, the unity collective, & the town of collingwood

sponsored by: the Sheffield park black history & cultural museum, living water resorts, collingwood olive oil co., bakertilly, the rioux baker team, Sutherland insurance, envision tatham, & tatham engineering

located at:
side of Fathom boards
470 First St, Collingwood, ON
L9Y 1B8

ctv news coverage of the our collingwood mural.
interviews with john cardillo jr & lea pankhurst

"The Unity Collective strongly believes that celebrating diversity, both visible and invisible, builds a stronger and more inclusive community that is capable of doing great things. the mural is an important reflection on the multitude of stories that make up the substance of Collingwood, and conveys a message of hope, resilience, unity and community.”

- statement from the unity collective of collingwood

“With the unveiling of a mural featuring 43 members of the community, Simcoe.com felt it was important to tell the story of Collingwood's growing diversity.”

- ian adams, simcoe.com

  • december 2020 - project origins

    the town of collingwood invited john cardillo jr and emma thornewell to join the newly established unity collective. along with kaiden collver, they presented a proposal to create a public display to promote togetherness and diversity - the our collingwood mural is born.

  • april 2021 to march 2022 - project creation

    the team began an open call for community members to take part in this project. over a four months peroid, the portraits were taken at the collingwood youth centre.

    during this time, the search began to find a suitable home for the mural - 470 First St. Fathom Boards and its landlord enthusiastically offered the space to the project free of charge .

    fundraising was also an important piece of the puzzle, finding passionate community partners was vital for the success of this project.

  • april 27, 2022 - public unveiling

    john cardillo jr speaks at the public unveiling about the year-and-a-half long journey to bring the mural to life. much of the work went unseen but without these three passionate young artists this project would not exist.

    photo by nathan bedard

“I hope it will inspire discussions about representation and inclusion. I hope it evokes curiosity and a desire to learn about those of different backgrounds, cultures and experiences. I'm glad to be included in this project. I think it will have a positive impact on the community.”

- Jillian Morris, Collingwood’s poet laureate &
a band member of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory

taken in April 2022;
470 First St, Collingwood, ON L9Y 1B8

“inspired by the early work of french photographer and street artist jr, our goal was to showcase the diverse community that makes up Collingwood. though this project was conceived by Kaiden, Emma, and i, it would not have been possible without amazing community support. we will forever be thankful to all those who trusted us with their portraits and gave their time to this project.

i am grateful to have worked alongside Lea Pankhurst, Anisha Bensdira, Marcia Alderson, Bam528, the Wilson sisters, the Town of Collingwood, the Unity Collective, and so many others on this year-and-a-half long creative journey. together we have created something that is bigger than any of us as the Our Collingwood mural will remain a fixture of downtown Collingwood for the next 3-5 years. it is a statement of love, togetherness, and community. the goal of this project is not to put names to each face, it is to put faces to one name - Collingwood.”

- John cardillo jr, project lead

publicity:

https://www.collingwoodtoday.ca/local-news/our-collingwood-mural-displays-portraits-of-the-community-5308594

https://www.simcoe.com/news-story/10614476-showcasing-diversity-mural-reveals-the-many-faces-of-collingwood/

https://www.collingwoodtoday.ca/local-news/new-our-collingwood-mural-on-first-street-to-highlight-towns-diversity-5285624

https://www.bayshorebroadcasting.ca/2022/04/28/our-collingwood-mural-official-unveiled/

for more information.

jj.r.cardillo@gmail.com