Brantford Public Library unveils murals in children’s section

The Brantford Public Library (Main Branch) was pleased to unveil two beautiful new murals in their newly redeveloped children’s section in 2021. This gorgeous installation was a long time coming, with renovations in the children’s area beginning in January 2019 and the Call for Artists for the murals posted in January 2020. The artists, Betony Coons and Katie Flindall, were selected through a juried competition held in March 2020. The project suffered many delays as result of the ongoing pandemic.

In a statement provided by the artists, Coons and Flindall write:

"Our collaboration vision for the Brantford Library Children’s space is a visually engaging, colorful assemblage that intertwines the natural waterways, parks, wildlife and flora of Brantford with whimsical visuals that represent the library’s role in a child’s life-long journey of learning and exploration.

Our intent is to spark imagination and ignite questions about our big beautiful world while creating a magical and cozy space for children young and old to curl up with a good book. Like a canoe traveling down the river, our mural hopes to speak to the journey through stories at the library and the exploration of Brantford’s local landscape of trails, flora and native species."

The objective of the children’s area upgrade was to create an engaging and distinguishable space for children and caregivers. Through consultations with staff and library customers, tours of neighbouring city libraries and extensive research, a recurring element found to enhance the space was art. When they issued the Call for Artists, the library requested that the following themes be captured in the mural: Brantford’s nature, the many roles of a library and the start of a journey.

The end result is two beautiful pieces on two walls that perfectly enhance the idyllic space the library has created for children to read, learn and imagine.

Memberships at the Brantford Public Library are free for residents and include access to books, DVDs, videogames, eBooks, audiobooks, digital newspapers and magazines, movie and television show streaming, online learning and research tools, and more. Visit the Brantford Public Library website for more information.

For more information about the artists, please visit them online at the websites noted below:

Betony Coons, www.betonycoons.com
Katie Flindall, www.moonhouseart.com