Students paint mural on Save-A-Lot wall

Pedestrians cannot help but stop and stare as they walk by the Save-A-Lot wall, opposite the National Insurance Services building in Kingstown.{{more}}

The Contemporary Young Artists’ Movement (CYAM) has been working diligently for over a month on a mural that will merge the tourism sites of the country, to portray a much larger meaning.

Art lecturer at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College Vonnie Roudette stated that it was all about national culture and pride.

“We want to encourage people to connect with their natural heritage, to get to know better the diversity of natural sites that there are on the island,” Roudette said.

“For the visitors not just to appreciate the art work as a reflection of the abilities that the young people have creatively, but also to entice them into visiting the sites as well”.

When SEARCHLIGHT visited the site on Wednesday, many passersby stopped to take quick photos or voice their appreciation of the small, but impactful progress on the walls.

One individual, who was seeing the mural for the first time, was particularly pleased that young persons had decided to showcase their talent in such a positive way.

“I was just passing by and I saw it. I thought that was so good. We have talent. We have skills. Man, that is really good,” he said.

Roudette noted that although feedback from the public has been really good, some persons do not understand the process that goes into a great mural, as they expect that it should have already been completed.

“It’s not reflective of quality art to be instant. Really good things take a lot of time,” Roudette said.

“We’re also hoping that that aspect can educate the public…but especially now the colour part is going in, everyone is responding really well”.

In addition, she explained that the students have been doing their final exams and so they were not working on the project continuously. However, with that out of the way, they are pushing for the mural to be completed as early as next week.

Like the merging of the sites, the young artists hope that they can bring persons together as well.

“Ultimately for us, it’s just reaching as many people as possible…it sort of brings everyone together, whatever background or class or whatever they are from. Everybody seems to respond to creativity and beauty,” said the art lecturer.

Roudette revealed that hopefully, more of the Save-A-Lot wall will be filled in, as time goes by.

“We want to create a series which will represent a journey through our heritage and environmental and community culture of the island”.(BK)