Clayworx Canada 150 Mural

In the summer of 2016, volunteers at Clayworx (formerly known as the London Clay Art Centre) successfully ascertained federal and provincial funds to create a 900 square foot mosaic to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017. Ceramic artists Susan Day and Beth Turnbull Morrish designed the mural, and facilitated participatory tile-making workshops with community organizations. Day and Turnbull Morrish also installed the mosaic on Clayworx’s East facing exterior wall, just off of Elizabeth Street. Over an eight-month period, the artists made, glazed, and fired thousands of clay tiles. They were helped by over 80 clay artists and approximately 650 volunteers. Now that is some serious community involvement. When the mosaic was completed, it contained an estimated 18,000 pieces of tile.

The main image is made up of 17 human figures, each almost 7 feet tall, each made by a different community partner group. The figures stand in front of a map of Canada, made up of blue and green tiles – blue impressed with names of bodies of water, and green impressed with place or indigenous plant names. 2400 black letter tiles make up the border, spelling out the names of all the Indigenous nations of Canada and all the countries of the world. Over 400 individuals made tiles to encompass the turtle shell design which represents the original name of the land, Turtle Island. Only 200 of these were included due to space limitations, nevertheless, they are all beautiful. Additionally, hundreds of pieces of pottery were donated by Clayworx members and glazed red for the sinage section.

The great thing about this mural, is that it is not only stunning as an art object, it is also educational. It is in a sense a map of a map – charting a future course based on new understandings of our past.

Image sourced from the Tourism London website: https://www.londontourism.ca/murals