New mural wraps entire building to celebrate Nordic culture
Winnipeg's newest mural is a bright display celebrating Nordic and Scandinavian culture.
The new mural is painted on the Scandinavian Cultural Centre of Winnipeg, a place keeping heritage from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Finland alive in the city.
"It brings these five cultures together to play, to learn, to everything to celebrate our culture," said Sonja Lundstrom, the president of the Swedish Cultural Association.
"Our ancestors that were such heroic adventurers, the real spirit of the Viking, came here for adventure and created what's here and the rich culture we celebrate here at the centre."
Lundstrom said Manitoba 150 was a major reason for the mural as well as it being the Scandinavian Cultural Centre's 60th anniversary.
"We wanted a visual display, so people knew what this building was about," she said. "You go through other parts of the city and see many other cultures represented. We want our culture's images here in this city. Plus, I think my relatives are saying, 'you get out there and do something.' I heard them. They are up there in Valhalla telling me what to do."
The mural features bright colours to symbolize the 24-hours of sunlight experienced in Nordic and Scandinavian nations, along with visual homages to each country's unique history.
"The mural unfolds and evolves into its detail. That is where you see the multicultural aspects to it. It's how each culture represents itself and expresses its culture," said Charlie Johnston, the artist who painted it.
The mural took Johnston about a month to complete. He said battling the summer heat was worth the chance to paint the centre.
"One of my favourite canvases to do is a full building piece with wrap-around corner effects. It's an opportunity to do so much more than a simple piece that's contained to one part of a building. It's an opportunity to use the art to transform the architecture," said Johnston.
The Scandinavian Cultural Centre, located at 764 Erin Street, hopes the mural brings the community together and draws people to enjoy the artwork.
-With files from CTV’s Michael D’Alimonte
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.