Dunrae Gardens Elementary School unveils mural

The staff and students of Dunrae Gardens Elementary School in Town of Mount Royal officially unveiled  a beautiful new mural on the west façade of their building at a ceremony on   November 27, with special guests on hand.

 Last June, a vernissage event successfully raised close to $8,000 for the creation of the mural. The combined effort was thanks to Dunrae Art Plastiques teacher Michael Venditti, Principals Cynthia Canale and  Despina Michakis (presently on sabbatical),  the Dunrae staff, the Dunrae Gardens Family Association., sponsor Decarie Motors, special donations from Montreal artists Teetz, mural artist WhatIsAdam and finally the parents and community who helped support and donated to the cause.

The idea came when the tree that covered the west facade wall fell because of  last April's ice storm. Since that moment, prices were negotiated, plans were made and ideas were collected to create several drafts of the mural.

The mural attempts to illustrate the ideas behind STEAM  (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics)  education. It touches on the floral aesthetics of the Town of Mont Royal and brings a timeless, creative style to an otherwise bland building. 

Montrealer and EMSB graduate  Adam Vieira, who goes by the moniker Whatisadam, worked with the staff, students and parents on the project. He is noted for creating   large-scale murals in Canada, the United States and Britain. With the help of a mechanical lift, spray paint and stencils, the piece took several days to complete.

About the English Montreal School Board

With a youth and adult sector population of more than 35,000 students, the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) is the largest English public school board in Quebec. Established on July 1, 1998, when the province created new boards along linguistic lines, the EMSB network consists of 73 schools and centres. For more details, visit the EMSB website at www.emsb.qc.ca.