Steph Dunn’s mural, embracing the theme of ‘Orillia’s Sporting Spirit,’ will be on display in Gill Street Community Complex later this spring
Orillia painter Steph Dunn loves to invoke movement and flow in her colourful paintings.
When the City of Orillia put out a call to artists for a mural both inside and outside the newly reopened Gill Street Community Complex, Dunn created a watercolour maquette with athletes of various stripes.
Her sample painting features a hockey player and a goalie, a figure skater, a lacrosse player, a swimmer, a rowing scull, and pickleball art in vibrant colours and a flowing design.
“I’m really happy with it. I tried to capture most of the recreational sports we have in Orillia and the two lakes that we have that are a big part of the community,” said Dunn, an art teacher at Orillia Secondary School.
The theme given with the call to artists was Orillia’s Sporting Spirit.
“These murals will celebrate Orillia’s sporting spirit by showcasing the city’s vibrant recreation culture, strong sense of community pride, and the arena’s role as a hub for athletes, families, and spectators,” read the call to artists.
“This project offers artists the opportunity to create bold, high-visibility public artwork that captures themes of movement, energy, teamwork, and Orillia’s long-standing dedication to sport and recreation.”
Dunn was notified a couple of weeks ago by Allie Bradford, Orillia’s culture co-ordinator, that she had been chosen for the indoor mural. Another artist has been chosen for the outdoor mural. The selection was made by a jury and there were approximately 50 entries, said Dunn.
“I feel very honoured that my piece was chosen,” she said.
Dunn will be provided an aluminum canvas of approximately 4.5 by 8.5 feet on which she will paint the scene.
“I’ll be able to paint it from my home studio and transfer it over there,” she said. “I like to use colour in my big and large-scale acrylics, and this is going to be painted in acrylics and will really jazz up the entrance. It’s the first thing you’ll see when you walk in.”
The mother of two has been an art teacher for 18 years. She’s been living in Orillia since 2008. She taught in various areas of Simcoe County before getting a full-time job in 2023 at Orillia Secondary School, where she started a mural club. She studied visual art at York University and took a mural-painting course.
“It helped me learn how to break up a big space, how you make it interesting and how do you include everything, so I have a knack for doing murals,” she said.
Dunn is well known in the Orillia arts scene. She is a member of Streets Alive Productions and holds the title of winner of the first Festival of Banners. Her mural is on display outside the Orillia Opera House in the summer. She also had art pieces in Streets Alive’s Guitars on Parade, 60 Sails, and Maple Masterpieces, and last summer, she had a painted guitar piece for the 65th Mariposa Folk Festival.
Dunn also painted a large letter M outside the Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH) and there is a painting of Gordon Lightfoot and Stephen Leacock on her M. She is also on the board of directors for OMAH.
Dunn had a solo art show last November in Oro-Medonte with about 50 pieces of art.
Her painting, Ripple Effect, was chosen by a jury for the 2025 Tradition Transformed exhibit at OMAH. That painting is on display at Cathy Boyd Fine Art in Midland until the end of February.
“I love being part of the Orillia arts community. It’s very important to me,” Dunn said.
An unveiling of the murals at the Gill Street Community Complex will be held in early April, the details of which will be announced in the near future.