By Staff
September 13th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington has twinning agreements with the City of Itabashi, Japan and the City of Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. To celebrate this unique relationship, the public art program commissioned two Ontario artists to create mural wraps installed on electrical boxes located in Spencer Smith Park.
Each of the two artists explains what they set out to achieve.
Ann-Marie Cheung
Harmony Across Horizons serves as a visual celebration of the unique bond between Burlington and Itabashi, promoting the values of peace, unity, and global understanding. The design encapsulates the essence of Itabashi’s meaning, “plank bridge,” while celebrating the beauty of cherry trees, swirling water energy, and employing a woodcut-like style. The mural’s focal point is a gracefully arched plank bridge, symbolizing the connection between Burlington and Itabashi.
This is mirrored on the back of the design, with a representation of the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge. The bridges serve as a visual metaphor for the cultural ties that unite the two cities.
Julia Prajza
My concept showcases the beautiful and harmonious relationship our two cities have formed through the representation of nature. The artwork includes illustrations of the Tulip ‘Apeldoorn,’ the Ontario trillium flower and other flora that is native to Ontario. Although you would never see these unique flowers blooming together, as they grow in different seasons in different conditions, here they are paired together organically as a symbolic representation of the friendship between Burlington and Apeldoorn.
This design is a continuation of my stained-glass series, where I deconstruct an element and put it together with various organic shapes, outlining it for contrast. This stylization brings visual interest, intrigue, and a modern-meets-traditional feel to my work.
The administration of the arts program is led by Jeremy Freiburger, an arts promoter based in Hamilton.
The Mayor, the City CAO and members of the Mundialization Committee are to travel to Japan later this year.
One could justify just the public art and not the travel to Japan given the tax increases the city has had to adjust to for the past two years – 2025 doesn’t look as if it going to be any better.
Related news story:
Six people to travel to Japan on the tax payers dime
Both of them are beautiful.
Now cancel the upcoming expensive trip to Japan for the mayor and five others. Wasteful spending in these times especially considering the huge tax increase coming yet again.
Cancelling the trip at this point would damage the City’s reputation.
I support the ideals of the Mundialization Committee and believe the City gets value from the relationships with both Apeldoorn and Itabashi. Reciprocal visits are part of building those relationships.
That said there is no reason why there should be so much money in the reserve fund for the Mundialization Committee.