A wall of belonging on Charles Street

If you walk down Charles Street in Kitchener, you’ll notice that it’s a lot more colourful than it used to be. The large wall beside Cameron Heights high school now features a huge mural, 150 feet long. The mural tells a story about belonging.

Before the painting began, Neruda Arts (who spearheaded the project), held a series of public consultations – at Cameron Heights, Kitchener Market and at Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier universities. They listened to people’s stories and used the stories to begin a brainstorming process for the mural.

The mural was created by a group of 150 artists, led by a small group of professional artists. Together the group spent a full 12 days creating the work.

The end result is a sweeping, epic story. It’s a place you can spend some time thinking. Isabel Cisterna, director at Neruda Arts, says that “the mural in itself is a thousand voices.” 

The mural’s story is about belonging. It’s about who we are and where we come from. It’s about our country and our place in the world. It’s about Canada’s 150^th year and the tension that exists as we celebrate a birthday and recognize that our past – and present - is complicated and messy.

It’s also about what people can do when they come together. It’s about home and what that means. “Home,” says Isabel, “is where your people are and where you find connection.” That’s something to think about.

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