The downtown Business Improvement Association (BIA) and Homebase Studios are poised to make a colourful change in the downtown core with a mural project that has the ability to shine new vibrance on the community.

The Fields building downtown is going to be the epicenter of a downtown beautification project this summer.

“When I first drove through Squamish, I immediately say this wall as a point for the opportunity for creative dialogue,” said Stan Matwychuk of the recently opened Second Avenue business Homebase Studios.

On Thursday (July 1), Matwychuk was out front of the Squamish Fields store to promote awareness of an upcoming mural project he said he hopes will bring the community together for the downtown area.

Matwychuk believes by transforming greyspaces into vibrant places “we can create a proud community identity.”

The large white wall at the Fields location adjacent to the Royal Bank downtown is the site where Matwychuk and aspiring youth artists are going to be facilitating a project of creative proportions.

“These kids showed much creative initiative and I thought it would be a great way to show the kids how a project like this is put together and the community how the project could unite the downtown area identity through colour,” said Matwychuk.

Over the course of the next few weeks in July, he will be on site with young artists to transform the south facing wall of Fields into a creative interpretation of the appropriate theme “fields.”

Furthermore, on weekends the community may take part in colouring in the panels of design with the aid of his youth artists who found him through the classes offered at Homebase Studios on Second Avenue.

Matwychuk had somewhat of a challenge to get the project moving forward from the word go.

“However, community foresight has prevailed,” he said. “The project would not have been possible without the help of the BIA.”

Home Hardware also came forward to donate the paint supplies to offset project costs.

Upon hearing news of this, Matwychuk said he “had no doubt that a brand like Home Hardware would see the value in investing in the beautification in the downtown area.”

Matwychuk is inviting locals to voice their interest.

“If you are an aspiring youth artist and would like more information on the project please go to www.homebasestudios.ca for more information or call the studio line at 604 898-2525.”

Homebase Studios is a creative design centre and consulting business dedicated to collaboration in new facets for art exhibition, event management, creative and cultural consulting, curatorship, and artist promotion, according to their promotional material.

“We value our time for the purpose to educate, inform, and inspire for the arts.”