The newly installed murals of two Allen Sapp paintings now adorn the wall of the cinema in downtown North Battleford. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Celebrating the arts

New murals of Allen Sapp paintings brighten up downtown

May 15, 2022 | 4:19 PM

Those driving through downtown North Battleford will notice the murals of acclaimed artist Allen Sapp’s paintings are now much more vivid and alive.

The iconic historical images of Making a Crazy Blanket (1974) and More Kids Are Coming (1981) now adorn the cinema walls on 11th Avenue at 100th Street with help from community supporters.

The street murals were created from digital files printed onto vinyl. The actual paintings are housed at the Allen Sapp Gallery – The Gonor Collection.

“It beautifies our downtown and reflects our community’s culture,” said Leah Garven, curator and manager of Galleries for the City of North Battleford, of the project. “This is another landmark that reflects the culture of our community. It reminds of us how much we have to be proud of coming from the Battlefords region.”

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Garven said many tourists have stopped into the gallery, remarking on the beauty of the murals at the entrance to the city.

The last time the murals were installed was in 2010, so it was important to replace them since they were showing signs of wear.

“I’m so excited to come to work everyday when I see these gorgeous murals, and coming out of (the COVID situation) I think it’s been extremely welcome,” Garven said.

The Allen Sapp Gallery – The Gonor Collection and the City of North Battleford expressed their gratitude to the Magic Lantern Theatre — Capitol Theatre for supporting the project “by allowing the murals to be replaced and remain a focal point in our community,” the city said in its release.

The city added that the new murals complement the work of the Downtown North Battleford Business Improvement District (BID) in “championing a thriving downtown business core through public art and beautification projects.”

Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs (BATC) Community Development Corporation financed the mural replacement project.

BATC CDC general manager, Tracy Benson, said the project fit in well with their program as it “reminds our youth about our humble beginnings, providing contrast from our elderly carrying the history from the past to the present, and our youth carrying the history forward to our future.”

Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) and BATC Senator Jenny Spyglass helped select the images and chose the scene of youth playing hockey as one of the pictures for the project.

“It was important to have playfulness in our lives, especially during these difficult times,” she stated. “We need to have images of kids at play to remind ourselves of the good times.”

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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW