Discover Laurier West's public art, where murals, history and culture come together to pay tribute to the iconic figures and communities that shape the Mile End.
By: AnnaClare Sung, The Main
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Murals and a square dedicated to a folk artist tell the story of Mile End, pay tribute to its iconic figures, and celebrate the communities that live there.
The public art selection on West Laurier Avenue consists of four works, each with its own history and meaning: two murals trace the neighborhood's past and look toward its future; a surreal piece celebrating childhood and community adorns a school wall; another pays tribute to one of Montreal's great literary figures; and a square honors the memory of a folk singer-songwriter. Together, these works attest to the people, the history, and the creativity that shape this part of Montreal.
In spring 2024, The Gates of Time appeared on the walls of two buildings facing each other on West Laurier Avenue: Lio Fratelli, a beauty salon, and Optical Center, an optical shop. Created by artists AnkhOne and Nicole Boyce, the two murals play with light, color, and symbols to explore themes of the past and the present.
Mile End's past is portrayed in sepia tones, evoking reflection and nostalgia. Gradually, colors become more present as the eye moves to the right: the past gives way to the present, then to the future. Vibrant colors, floral patterns and hands suggest a hopeful vision for the years to come in the neighborhood.
The schoolgirl with the pearl was created by Julien Malland, better known by his artist name Seth, a graduate of the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. His work mainly features simple subjects related to the world of childhood, and this mural is no exception.
Created in collaboration with the Belz community school, attended notably by many young girls from the Belz Hasidic community, the work depicts a young girl surrounded by large colorful books. This surreal piece helped revitalize the area by encouraging interactions between different Montreal communities, while instilling a sense of wonder and whimsy and affirming the school's place as an important institution in the neighborhood.
Created by painter Dominique Desbiens and illustrator Bruno Rouyère, Tribute to Mordecai Richler is, as its name indicates, a public work dedicated to the famous Montreal novelist, essayist and screenwriter. It was created on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of his death and what would have been his 85th birthday.
The mural features three depictions of Richler, the most prominent of which is a portrait drawn in bold black strokes. In the background there is also a faded reproduction of a newspaper clipping devoted to the writer.
Kate-McGarrigle Square, formerly called Place Laurier, was renamed in 2013 in tribute to the late folk singer-songwriter. In the 1960s, McGarrigle and her sister Anna made a name for themselves on Montreal's emerging folk scene as a duo of singer-songwriters and performers.
On the square there is a double chair designed by American artist Robert Wilson. It evokes two chairs brought together side by side so that the people who sit in it face one another, as in conversation — a tribute to the relationship between Kate and Anna.
The square also hosts a public piano, repainted each year by a different artist.
