This year's summer renewal work at Owen Sound District Secondary School (OSDSS) extended beyond building repair work and parking lot repaving. Anyone who passes by the school is strongly encouraged to take a closer look at the historic mural that has graced the facility's front exterior since 1960. In addition to restoring the 30 large tiles of porcelain on steel that comprise the wall painting, a small section has been updated to capture the culmination of the joining of the former West Hill Secondary School and Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute (OSCVI) communities two years ago at the current OSDSS.

Undertaking the restoration was muralist and public artist David Robinson. Coincidentally, this was his 100th mural project since his debut at age 17 enhancing the walls of the old OSCVI in 1976-77. The newly designed section entailed painting the recently minted OSDSS motto over the slogan that had long graced the facade at West Hill. "Sto Pro Veritate" has now changed to "Together We Are Strong" in honour of the two former schools merging together as one. In the scene, a figure of a teacher is conducting her lesson so as to teach the new motto to the class. Her arm extends out over the motto holding a piece of chalk. The teacher figure has been preserved in complete form in an effort to keep the original composition intact as a key feature of the mural. Appearing as a backdrop behind the new motto is an emblematic representation of the colours of the east and west-side schools, with OSCVI showing red, gold and black banners, and West Hill exhibiting the double blue. The exact hues of the former school colours are matched to honour the history of the schools, and the flowing banners of east and west merge as if a geographical joining is happening along the Pottawatomi River. The shoreline of the Owen Sound bay and harbour can be clearly seen as an outline border, depicting the water of Georgian Bay as a part of the overall design. The lettering of the new motto, which is consistent with the placement of the original slogan, has been kept to an uppercase bold Roman font, though in purple in accordance with the new school colours. The composition of the letters, font and motto was one of the biggest aesthetic and most challenging aspects of the job for the artist, who used extreme care in preserving the appearance in the way in which the artists had first intended.

The remainder of the restoration involved cleaning, sanding, leveling, and priming more than 100 small blemishes that had amassed over the years to create a freshly enhanced look throughout the mural's wide expanse. By matching colours and hues as closely as possible to the original, the artist was able to successfully recreate the appearance of the mural as though it had never been damaged.

The history and meaning of the mural's artwork are a fascinating study. As the story goes, the mural was created by artists Karl and Lauretta Rix, a couple who migrated from post-war East Germany to the Hamilton area. Each artist boasts an impressive exhibition record with write-ups and reviews stemming from their careers in Europe and Canada. When the pair was commissioned to create the mural for West Hill Secondary School in the sixties, several sketches were submitted to the Owen Sound Board of Education with a view to soliciting input and ideas from each board member. The creative discussions that ensued were reflected in the final design, which can best be described as a narrative that captures the process of learning while paying homage to a number of local landmarks. The varied symbols and drawings depict topics such as, Indigenous life in the Owen Sound area, the history and major industries of local

communities, forces of nature, transportation and communication, Canada's natural resources and main industries, contemporary history and social studies, and several other representations of school subjects, including the sciences and creative arts. A flame is used as a recurring feature throughout the mural to symbolize the lamp of learning.

Ultimately, the goal of the restoration was to celebrate the creation of a new school, while preserving a significant piece of community artwork well into the future. Both aspects have been honoured in a truly unique and remarkable way.

source: media release, BWDSB