Uptown Rutland Business Association (URBA) has began its efforts to beautify the town with street art.

The starter wall on the side of the URBA building is being completed by Montreal artist Jeremy Shantz. 鈥淭his piece was inspired by the collaboration of working on it with an awesome friend and all the wonderful people in this great place that I will be coming back to every year and the creativity I learned from being in Rutland,鈥� said Shantz.

The starter wall is URBA鈥檚 way to showcase a sneak preview of what is planned for other locations in Rutland.

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鈥淒epending on funding we want to have murals throughout Rutland, some of the locations we are planning to add street art in the upcoming months are Lions Park on Gray Road, Christman Plumbing, Save More Pawn and Thrift Shop, Valley First Credit Union and Christ Church,鈥漵aid URBA spokesperson Laurel D鈥橝ndrea.

URBA will pay for the beautification project with some of their funds and they have applied for grants from COF, Valley First, Canada Arts Council and the City of 琉璃神社 Community Arts Program has donated $10,000 towards the initiative.

鈥淚n the next couple of weeks students from Rutland Secondary School and Studio 9 students will collaborate with the URBA board members will be going around the community and asking people to describe Rutland in one positive work , this will be done throughout the business improvement area,鈥� said D鈥橝ndrea.

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鈥淭he mural you see here is a kick-off of what will come in the summer, when we hold our street art festival,鈥� said project manager David Doody.

From August 12 to August 24, the street art project will take place with the street art festival planned for Aug. 17.

Here鈥檚 a sneak peak of the first art piece being completed.

laryn.gilmour@blackpress.ca
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