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
Murals and a square dedicated to a folk artist tell the history of Mile End, pay tribute to its iconic figures, and celebrate the communities that live there.
The selection of public art on Laurier Avenue West consists of four works, each with its own story and meaning: two murals trace the neighborhood's past and look to its future; a surreal piece celebrating childhood and community dresses the wall of a school; 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 bear witness to the people, the history, and the creativity that shape this part of Montreal.
At the corner of Saint-Urbain and Laurier West
In spring 2024, The Gates of Time appeared on the walls of two buildings located opposite each other on Laurier Avenue West: Lio Fratelli, a beauty salon, and Optical Center, an optical shop. Made possible through financial support, this public art project brings together two murals created by the artists AnkhOne and Nicole Boyce, who play with light, color and symbols to explore themes of the past and the present.
The past of Mile End is represented in sepia tones, evoking reflection and nostalgia. Gradually, the 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 motifs and hands evoke a hopeful vision for the years to come in the neighbourhood.
270 Laurier Avenue West
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. In collaboration with the organization MU, 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 neighbourhood.
19 Laurier Ave. West
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 by the organization MU.
The mural features three depictions of Richler, the most visible of which is a portrait drawn with broad black strokes. In the background there also appears a faded reproduction of a newspaper clipping devoted to the writer.
The Kate-McGarrigle Square, formerly called Place Laurier, was renamed in 2013 in honour of the late folk singer-songwriter. In the 1960s, McGarrigle and her sister Anna became known on Montreal's emerging folk scene as a duo of singer-songwriters and performers.
The square features a double chair designed by American artist Robert Wilson. It evokes two chairs joined side by side, so that the people who sit in it face each other, as if in conversation, a tribute to the relationship between Kate and Anna.
The square also houses a public piano, repainted each year by a different artist.
