A series of ten murals depicting Elk Point history has been a local landmark for almost forty years, but four decades of weather exposure have taken a toll on the paintings.
The original artist, Billie Mulholland, is preparing to start the process of restoring and rejuvenating the murals.
Mulholland suggested the idea of a mural in 1986 as a way to celebrate 80 years of Elk Point’s settlement the following year. Her original concept was a lot smaller and simpler than what the project ultimately proved to be.
“I had read an article about Chemainus, BC and the beautiful murals that are painted all over town on buildings,” Mulholland said. “So I thought, well, we’ve got some buildings in town.
“I put together a sketch of three Indigenous chiefs who I thought were important and I took it to the town and I said, ‘would you like this painted on something?’”
The town liked the idea and turned it over to the Elk Point Historical Society. From there the concept grew.
The Historical Society suggested a work that would portray 80 years of history. So rather than one mural on the side of a building, the project became a series of 10 freestanding murals. The paintings are arrayed in a graceful arc in the Elk Point Centennial Park behind the Elk Point Municipal Library.
Mulholland painted the images on large sheets of Crezon board. There are five three-panel and five two-panel paintings for a total of ten murals comprising 25 painted panels.
Mulholland and the Historical Society collaborated to select the events that would be depicted. Mulholland worked from historical photographs, but added a touch of her own.
“Each image on the mural, especially the early panels from the early years, was taken from actual old photographs from regional history books and photographs people brought in,” she said.
“But [for] the actual faces on people, I used contemporary people because in a lot of those old photographs, as you probably know, the faces are kind of indistinct.
“I already knew that when people feel that they’re involved with something at any level, their enthusiasm for supporting it is much greater.”
Mulholland says there were some creative differences that caused some tension between her and the society—especially over “updating” the historical figures with the faces of living people—but she acknowledges the final project ended up better because of the wider input.
She and her husband John Tilton had moved away from Elk Point, returning three years ago after 20 years in Edmonton.
Since coming home, they saw that the murals had deteriorated. But they didn’t take a close look until visiting judges from Communities in Bloom asked for a guided tour of the paintings last month.
“So I’m over there with my walker thing and we’re going along and nose to nose to the mural. And I’m looking at it and thinking, oh my Lord, this thing is in really bad shape,” Mulholland said.
“And interestingly enough, the two people from Communities in Bloom were great history buffs, so they took a huge interest in the mural. And right then and there, as we’re going over it, they’re coming up with ideas.
“By the time we finished the tour of the mural I was determined that it had to be restored this winter, otherwise it would be too late,” she said. “And then I realized that nobody else would know how to do it but us, because we were the ones that put it together.”
It will be a big job, but nothing like the year-and-a-half it took to create the paintings in the first place. The panels will have to be removed from their frames and cleaned; and then the faded and flaking paint will have to be smoothed out and painted over.
Mulholland said it’s the background paint that has suffered the most over the years; the detail, including the people’s faces, will probably only need touching up.
She said the Town of Elk Point has offered to help remove the paintings, and the Elk Point Historical Society and Friends of the Library organizations have expressed interest in helping with the overall project. The restoration will need a building for storage and work space over the winter, as well as some money for materials.
But the process should be relatively inexpensive, Mulholland says, especially when compared to the scope of the original work. “We don’t have to buy new boards. We’ll have to buy some paint, but not even as much as we started with,” she said.
When the paint work is done, each of the 10 individual murals will need a new frame built before the whole installation is returned to the park.
A formal fundraising campaign hasn’t been announced, but some local people have already pledged some financial support.
“So far we’ve had quite a good response,” Mulholland said.
