A 3rd urban mural to celebrate Sutton’s artistic and community vitality
It was in a warm atmosphere, despite the cold, that the new urban mural "Cosmic Fruits" created by artist Léa Mercante in collaboration with members of the Club FADOQ Les Deux Monts Sutton & Abercorn was inaugurated on November 16. The work, which now adorns the outside wall of Alban Houle & fils, symbolizes this vibrant location, as do the colors of the fruits and vegetables that fill its stalls.
Lovely speeches were made at the inauguration, paying tribute to the beauty of the work and the remarkable contribution of the artist and participants to the beautification of our community. The Town thanks Mayor Robert Benoît, Councillors Marie-José Auclair (District 2), Carole Lebel (District 4), Elyse Boulanger (District 6) and Frédéric Boucher (District 5) for their presence. Yanik Houle and Alban Houle, owners of the building that hosted the mural, were also on hand for the ceremony. The Town administration was represented by Élizabeth Deit, Director of Recreation, Community Life and Culture, Marie-Claude Plasse, Cultural Officer and Project Coordinator, and Isabelle Capmas, Communications Advisor.
This third artistic and community initiative is part of a desire to brighten up the municipality while highlighting citizen expression. Under the direction of Léa Mercante, participants from the FADOQ club contributed to every stage of the creation, from choosing the theme of the work to applying the colors. Together, they gave life to a fresco of vibrant colors that reflects this place steeped in history, rooted in the daily lives of those who frequent it.
The artist, Léa Mercante, describes the work as follows:
“Like seeds full of promise, this place germinates exchanges, nourishes human links and grows much more than vegetables, it cultivates mutual aid, transmission and a taste for the local. The mural, with its oval shapes and bright colors, whispers the language of seeds – the language of life in the making, of blossoming and generosity. Each oval symbolizes the community. The seeds represent individuals who are part of a larger movement, that of a community that, despite its differences, grows together, rooted in connection and life.”
Mr. Daniel Murphy, President of Club FADOQ les Deux Monts and project participant, describes the project as follows:
“Following the invitation, several members of the FADOQ Les Deux Monts club, accompanied by artist Léa Mercante, took part in the creation of the urban mural. Initially, their contribution took the form of ideas, memories and images linked to our community and the people who make it up. Then, with brush in hand, they contributed to the concrete realization of the work, in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The mural takes on its full meaning when we discover the choice of location and the story it tells. Like the elders who embody local history and memory, the mural is a living, dynamic presence. The work highlights inclusion, exchange, transmission and intergenerational ties, while underscoring the continuity and diversity of the relationships forged within the community.”
The work “Cosmic Fruits”, both colorful and symbolic, can be seen at 6 rue Western and invites passers-by to stop for a moment and admire the collective work and the beauty of urban art.
Creation process
Members of the FADOQ Les Deux Monts club were invited to take part in an initial meeting to learn about the history of urban art and its potential as a communication tool. Next, they met with artist Léa Mercante, who generously presented her artistic approach and works for the participants to draw inspiration from. Finally, the artist and participants discussed the subjects to be depicted in the urban mural.
Léa Mercante drew on these exchanges to create three visual proposals, which were submitted to the participants as well as to the wall’s owner, who made the final choice. On a Friday evening in mid-October, the artist traced the outlines of the shapes in the mural using a projector and a lead pencil.
The next day, the artist began painting, and the participants joined her in applying the first coat of color.
A second coat of paint was applied a week later, again by the artist and the participants.
Thanks
The mural “Cosmic Fruits” is part of a series of initiatives aimed at revitalizing the downtown area and promoting art accessible to all. The project was made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Alban Houle & Fils business, which offered its wall as a canvas for expression, and the support of the Town of Sutton through the Cultural Policy and its action plan, adopted in December 2024.
The Recreation, Community Life and Culture Department would like to warmly thank the collaborators of this project: the Governing Board of FADOQ les Deux Monts Sutton & Abercorn, the artist Léa Mercante, the owner of the building Yanik Houle, as well as the project participants: Marie Ferdais, Nathalie Fortier, Claude F. Gagnon, Diane Groleau, Sharon Gozzo, François Lévesque, Dominique Maheux, Gilles Mainville, Monique Martin and Daniel Murphy.
The cultural mediation project LE MUR │ THE WALL
This urban mural is part of the LE MUR I THE WALL cultural mediation project, initiated in 2023 by the Recreation, Community Life and Culture Department and supported by the Ministère de la culture et des communications. The aim is to beautify our municipality, as well as giving Sutton residents a unique experience of collective artistic creation in the company of a professional artist.
