Cim MacDonald has given many aspects of the Chemainus mural project a new lease on life after 25 years as the curator.
B次元官网网址淗er curator job involved repairing murals as needed with touch-up and sealing after each annual inspection tour,B次元官网网址� noted Tom Andrews, the current president of the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society. B次元官网网址淪he also did partial and full restoration of murals when required based on age from 10 to 20 years if the original artist was not available.
B次元官网网址淲hen Cim started as curator, there were 40 murals and statues. Today, there are 71 so her scope of work increased dramatically over 25 years.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚t was an interesting job over the years,B次元官网网址� MacDonald conceded.
The time has also passed very quickly and B次元官网网址渋t doesnB次元官网网址檛 seem like it,B次元官网网址� she added of the 25 years doing the task.
B次元官网网址淪andy Clark was still around. She was the one who got me into it in a way, between her and Linda Tucker.B次元官网网址�
Clark did three of the murals around town and one of the sculptures. She died in 2010.
MacDonald has also been an active artist, painting 10 murals as well as doing her curator job, including: The Telephone Company (1992); Passing the Torch (2006); two Emily Carr paintings on the Long House (2010); Compass, Keeper of Secrets and Sacred Cedar (2016); Kew Gardens Flagpole (2017); Mount Brenton Golf Course (2021) and Service Above Self on the Rotary bunker (2022).
B次元官网网址淪he was also a great ambassador taking the time to talk to everyone who stopped by to ask questions while she was working,B次元官网网址� Andrews pointed out. B次元官网网址淪he cared about the murals and did an amazing job keeping them maintained, colourful and looking like the way they were originally painted.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 really enjoyed talking to the visitors,B次元官网网址� said MacDonald. B次元官网网址淭he earlier days there were lots more tourists around. Most of the time IB次元官网网址檇 been working after hours, too.B次元官网网址�
The initial murals were painted on the surface of buildings with large crowds watching.
B次元官网网址淭hey just want to be able to communicate with somebody, the artist,B次元官网网址� MacDonald indicated.
Since the murals are now done on plywood, frequently at the artistsB次元官网网址� own homes or studios, that doesnB次元官网网址檛 happen anymore. B次元官网网址淵ou miss that part of the connection,B次元官网网址� conceded MacDonald.
However, with her golf course mural in 2021 she spent some time doing touch-ups after it was installed and kind of revived that element somewhat.
Travel was one of the unique perks that once went with the territory.
B次元官网网址淭hey used to have mural conferences around the world,B次元官网网址� MacDonald said.
As a result, she made trips to such places as Tasmania and Scotland, and the last one before COVID was in Newfoundland.
There were some interesting developments that led to a heavier workload for MacDonald, not the least of which was the time when a car crashed into the side of the Chemainus Coastal Credit Union building and damaged the Logging With Oxen mural.
B次元官网网址淭hat was a big job for her,B次元官网网址� said Andrews. B次元官网网址淭here was nothing to paint over. She had to do it from scratch.B次元官网网址�
But in typical MacDonald fashion she did a phenomenal job and you canB次元官网网址檛 even tell the difference from the original, Andrews noted.
That was typical of the extremes MacDonaldB次元官网网址檚 job would sometimes entail.
B次元官网网址淪ome years there wasnB次元官网网址檛 much to do and other years it was almost too much,B次元官网网址� she laughed.
MacDonald is obviously going to miss the job, but other factors have made it more difficult.
B次元官网网址淲ith this climate change, IB次元官网网址檓 happy,B次元官网网址� she indicated. B次元官网网址淚 ended up with heat stroke a couple of times trying to work.B次元官网网址�
Fortunately, MacDonald did not wind up suffering any injuries despite being in some precarious positions and heights to do the job.
B次元官网网址淲hen I started, nobody trained me as such,B次元官网网址� she summed up. B次元官网网址淚 learned a lot by doing some of the stuff.
B次元官网网址淚 had a pretty good time with the whole thing.B次元官网网址�
Current and former Festival of Murals Society board members held a luncheon at Thai Pinto in Chemainus last Wednesday as a send-off for MacDonald.
Tricia Oldfield has taken over the position.
don.bodger@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
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