‘A sense of beauty for the neighbourhood:’ SCYAP completes mural project at 19th St. Salvation Army

Saskatoon’s 19th Street got a bit of a face-lift this past September.

The Salvation Army building, located on the 300 block of Avenue C South, revamped the south-facing wall of its facility with a little help from Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming (SCYAP).

The organization was contracted out in late February, for a completion date in June. Due to the pandemic, the local artists weren’t able to get things rolling until September.

“I really think it does bring a sense of beauty for the neighbourhood, and a landmark,” Tammy Krueckl, SCYAP project manager told 650 CKOM Friday.

“It’s sort of this cohesive look on 19th Street. I think it’s just really spectacular, and it’s going to make their building a landmark, for sure.”

The cohesive look that Krueckl is referring to includes the new development on the south side of the location. With the Banks apartment suites just across the street, the colours of the new mural have been well received, according to Krueckl.

“We’ve had great feedback from everybody whos driving by, honking, to people walking on the streets, to the residents of the Salvation Army and of course, the staff,” she said.

The mural has a focus on Salvation Army’s three main colours— red, yellow and blue. Within the mural, nods to Salvation Army’s founders, William and Catherine Booth, its Christmas fundraising bells, hands giving food and a cross for faith are all displayed proudly.

Krueckl said a total of six people had their fingerprints on the mural, including a designer and five painters. Two of the five painters were stationed on a scissor lift, working on the higher ends of the project.

SCYAP has been operating since 2001 in the city, specializing in working with vulnerable youth that has barriers to employment, according to Krueckl.

“One of our work-readiness projects uses art as the tool to engage people, and then also give them skills that they can (take) and do in other places,” she explained, pointing to an opportunity for the young artists to build their portfolios, and making a bit of money in the process.

“To be able to engage young people and give them the opportunity to put their little stamp on Saskatoon— they’re pretty proud of what they accomplished too.”

The projects manager also spoke of what projects such as this do for those holding the paintbrush.

“They go from being able to draw really great things on small scraps of paper to being able to create full-size murals with this. It’s quite an accomplishment. Probably coming in, thinking they could never do something like that— then building this self-esteem,” Krueckl explained.

She said this project is SCYAP’s only large mural of the summer, but its been working on a couple of other pieces as the fall continues, one of which is to be displayed in downtown Saskatoon.