Tucked away on Wellington Street West, a vibrant peafowl fans its feathers across the side of a barbershop, a splash of colour that serves as a point of pride for area residents. Since its completion last year, “The Proudest Plumage” has drawn visitors, sparked conversations and helped community members see themselves reflected in the public space around them.
The mural is the result of the City of Ottawa’s Paint It Up! initiative, a youth engagement program now entering its 16th year. Through the program, artists collaborate with local youth and community groups to create murals across the city, with goals of beautification, vandalism reduction and providing a positive, skill-building experience for young people.
Over the past five months, residents and organizations in Kitchissippi Ward have seen those goals come to life. “The Proudest Plumage,” at 1195 Wellington St. W., was created by local artist Kalkidan Assefa, (known as DRPN Soul) in partnership with the Wellington West BIA and community organization Jaku Konbit.
An Ottawa-based non-profit organization, Jaku Konbit supports individuals and families of African and Caribbean descent. Gelila Geremew, who oversees the mentorship program, says the mural provided an invaluable experience, not only for the youth who participated, but for the broader African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) communities.
“It was incredibly affirming, community members were really proud. It was all over our social media, people were going there visiting, they really feel seen and connected to the space,” Geremew said.
She said Jaku Konbit too had a great experience and is encouraging other community-based organizations to apply and see themselves and their work reflected in the broader city space.
“Public art becomes a way to reclaim space and to tell stories that are often overlooked. Seeing culture, joy, and identity reflected in the public really sends a powerful message to these communities and it’s that they’re valued and integral to the city’s programs,” Geremew said.
While “The Proudest Plumage” wasn’t the first Paint It Up! mural to find a home in the ward, Coun. Jeff Leiper hopes it won’t be the last.
“I have lost track of the number of Paint It Up! projects that I’ve seen in the ward over the course of the 12 years or so that I’ve been city councillor,” he said. “It’s a lot.”
Public art becomes a way to reclaim space and to tell stories that are often overlooked. Seeing culture, joy, and identity reflected in the public really sends a powerful message to these communities and it’s that they’re valued and integral to the city’s programs.
Gelila Geremew, Jaku Konbit non-profit organization
While councillors approve funding for the program as part of the city’s budget, Leiper notes they are not involved in selecting individual murals or artists. But he’s always excited to see the murals.
“It’s a source of sometimes whimsy, sometimes challenge and sometimes just delight at the beautification of the ward,” he said. “People love it.”
Beyond aesthetics, Leiper says public art plays a meaningful role in residents’ lives.
“The arts are a critical part of people’s quality of life and how they experience their city,” he said. “We need to give people a reason to want to live in the city.”
Lepier says arts funding, festivals and public art are part of a broader ecosystem that supports artists and cultural workers and demonstrates Ottawa is a place for artists to thrive.
The program also carries practical benefits. Murals have been shown to deter graffiti, an issue that can be costly for business owners.
“Our experience is that it works,” Leiper says. “What the community will tell you is that taggers are unlikely to tag murals.”
Aron Slipacoff, executive director of the Wellington West BIA, says there are other benefits for business owners, too.
“The Proudest Plumage,” on the side of Hairfellas barbershop, now serves as an identifiable landmark for the business itself. Slipacoff says many business owners in the community are interested in one day having murals on their own buildings.
“Businesses like the idea of being a landmark place in the neighbourhood that people say, ‘oh, that’s where that mural is,’” he says. “Murals and other placemaking activities, they definitely beautify a neighbourhood and they give a neighbourhood some character.”
Businesses like the idea of being a landmark place in the neighbourhood that people say, ‘oh, that’s where that mural is.
Aron Slipacoff, executive director, Wellington West BIA
Slipacoff describes Wellington West as a particularly vibrant corridor, one that benefits from public art reflecting its energy.
“You’d be hard pressed to find a place as interesting as Wellington West,” he said, calling the area “really colourful and vibrant and … unique.”
He says “The Proudest Plumage” aligns with that identity, adding to a sense of place that benefits both businesses and the wider community.
While BIAs are no longer eligible to apply directly for Paint It Up! funding, Slipacoff says they continue to play a supportive role by connecting community groups and artists with willing property owners. Collaboration, he says, remains essential to seeing projects through from concept to completion.
Geremew says that for participants, particularly youth, the process offers more than an opportunity to paint a wall. From planning and design to execution and community engagement, mural projects teach transferable skills and expose young artists to creative processes.
Slipacoff describes the program as mutually beneficial, supporting youth development while strengthening neighbourhoods and local businesses.
“It’s a real win-win-win,” he said. “It helps the youth, it helps the businesses and it helps the community.”
As the City of Ottawa opens applications for another year of Paint It Up!, murals like “The Proudest Plumage” serve as reminders of the program’s reach. More than decorative additions, these works reflect community identity, foster inclusion and transform shared spaces into sites of pride, connection and storytelling.