We’ve visited several towns that have attempted to revitalize their downtowns and attract tourists with mural projects. Chemainus may have been the first one try it and it’s certainly one of the most successful. In 1982 fearing that their town would die with the impending closure of a large sawmill, the mayor and business owners formed a committee to promote tourism. Along with sprucing up the downtown streets with flowers and benches, five murals depicting historic events were painted on building exteriors. The project has grown to 44 murals and 11 sculptures. The murals, which were created by professional artists, are beautiful and well worth the side trip to town.
The cute, touristy downtown area is compact and it’s easy to view the murals by following the yellow footprints on the sidewalks. Backtracking is necessary to see them all. The sidewalks and curb cuts are in good condition. All of the shops and restaurants have accessible entrances.
A couple of easy to miss signs point to RV parking on Victoria Street. Since we didn’t see the signs we parked in a lot near Waterwheel Park. These lots are large enough for smaller RVs.
Murals 48.92226, -123.71566
The city the Library System's headquarters was in, Pine Bluff, tried Murals...but the problem in the south is the harsh conditions, and many of them started to deteriorate, and the funds were not there to keep them going. Great idea in climates that people can tolerate and which are "mural friendly".
ReplyDeleteIt really does make a difference. We're amazed at the condition of painted houses here in the PNW compared to painted houses where we lived in Pennsylvania. Very little of the flaking and peeling that happens in a climate that gets both very hot and very cold.
DeleteOutstanding murals!
ReplyDelete