NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA 2020 ONTARIO WINTER GAMES
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A local artist has been chosen to create a lasting impression mural for the 2020 Ontario Winter Games.
The Games Organizing Committee (GOC) put out a call to artists earlier this year and nine artists from throughout the province answered the call to create an 8’ X 12’ mural that encapsulates the theme, ‘Inspired: The Road to Gold.’
A four-member jury weighed the submissions and, ultimately, gave the highest overall score to Orillia artist Craig Mainprize.
“Craig’s unique style, bold colours and simplistic designs captured the imagination of the panel,” said Jacqueline Soczka, who serves as the City’s Manager of Culture and also is a member of the Games Organizing Committee.
“His design made it easy for the panel members to see themselves, the athletes and their comments in the piece,” said Soczka, noting the submissions featured “versatility and flexibility.”
Games participants are being asked to share the people, places and moments that helped shape their athletic pursuits. This information will be provided to Mainprize to inform his work and be used to create a simple, yet powerful image that showcases the inspiration behind the athletes.
GOC Chair Jed Levene is thrilled that Mainprize, who recently received the Emerging Artist Award at the Orillia Regional Arts Awards, was commissioned for this project.
“An important part of hosting these Games is the lasting impact it has on our community,” said Levene. “It is exciting to have a local artist create a piece that will resonate with athletes and our community today, tomorrow and in years to come.”
The mural will be unveiled on the big screen at the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 27 and find a permanent home inside the new Orillia Recreation Centre.
About the process:
A four-member jury, composed of members from the Art in Public Places Committee and the General Manager of the Games adjudicated the process.
Submissions were reviewed based on these criteria:
- Demonstrated experience
- Overall technique and artistic style
- Ability to meet timelines
Submissions were narrowed down to two artists who were then challenged to develop a concept drawing that exemplified how they would visually interpret/conceptualize the following statement sentiment: “I remember what it felt like to win....”
The City of Orillia is proud to once again host the Ontario Winter Games. The OWG is a multi-sport event featuring 27 sports over four days of competition taking place on February 27 to March 1, 2020. 3500 athletes, coaches and officials and dignitaries, plus thousands of spectators will descend upon the Orillia area to cheer on the province’s young athletes, ages 12 to 18.
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