Community Art

Canada 150 Mosaic Mural

Between 2015 and 2018, internationally recognized artist Lewis Lavoie and his Mural Mosaic team based out of Sturgeon County, Alberta created Canada 150 murals.  Their goal was to create a mural involving all provinces and territories, which would include over 80,000 paintings and 150 individual murals. When united, they would form one gigantic mosaic mural.  The mural, if ever connected, would be over 365 metres wide (4 football fields) x 2.5 metres high (8 feet).

In April 2017, over a three day period, the Town of LaSalle invited the community to paint a tile for Canada's 150 Mosaic Mural project.  There were about 450 people of all ages registered to paint a tile; over 500 tiles were painted.

The completed mural is permanently displayed at the Vollmer Culture and Recreation Complex. It was officially unveiled on July 1, 2017 at LaSalle's Canada Day celebration.

LaSalle partnered with the Bell Box Murals Project to paint eight Bell Utility Boxes within the Town in July 2017.  You will find the location of each Bell Box Mural on this map (PDF). These beautiful designs celebrate art, our unique community and its history.

Meet the Artists

Judy Chappus

In 1984, Judy earned her honours in Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Windsor. In 1986, she received her Masters of Fine Arts Degree from the University of California. She's worked as a professional artist for over 30 years. Her work is in collections throughout Canada and the United States, but Essex County remains and will always be her home and her muse.

The inspiration for Judy's Milkweed and Monarch mural stems from her childhood. Growing up in LaSalle on a small farm, she recalls playing in the marshes, digging cray fish out of mud holes, and building teepees with pokeweed covered in tall prairie grasses. During these excursions, she grew to cherish the connection and importance of the unique bio systems in the area. This mural is located on Malden Rd. at Martin Lane.

Christine Dexter

Christine is a local artist from Lakeshore. From the ages of 9 to 13, she took painting lessons with a local artist named Tim Dixon. Since she was 14 years old, Christine has designed and completed over 175 business and residential murals throughout Essex County.  She has been painting murals for over 19 years and still loves the challenge and thrill of new projects. 

Located on Divine St. near Maple Ave., Christine's mural of Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and his ship "Le Griffon" represent his adventure in navigating the Great Lakes and rivers.  Le Griffon, which La Salle built in his quest to find the Northwest Passage to China and Japan, sunk on its maiden voyage in 1679.

David Creed

David was raised in Harrow and Kingsville, Ontario. Growing up in a rural, industrial, and technological atmosphere was a major influence in his artwork. He is devoted to entertaining the eyes of others and sharing his story along the way. David's paintings and murals are created through a process of forming patterns and geometric shapes, mixed with a melting pot of colours to deceive the eye.

This Bell Box Mural is a commemorative piece to the Canadian/LaSalle based band The Tea Party. A colourful piece including all members of the band and a list of some of their most successful albums over the years are showcased. You will find David's mural located at Divine St. between Superior St. and Bouffard Rd.

Briana Athena Benore

Briana is a visual artist who specializes in painting with acrylics and oil. After studying for her Bachelor in Fine Arts at the University of Windsor, Briana chose to establish herself in the Southwestern Ontario and Southeastern Michigan regions. While working on her degree, Briana also displays her work in varied styles of public exhibitions.

Located on Front Rd. at Senator St., Briana's mural is in memory of Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.  The Town is named after this famous French explorer best known for leading an expedition down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers.

Paul Muegge

As a proud resident from LaSalle, Paul loves the trail and park systems that the Town has to offer. Much of his artwork is inspired by nature, often using local landmarks as a subject matter. Paul's specialty is working with spray paint.

If you stay on the water late enough, mother nature may reward you with one of the most incredible sunsets you might ever see. This was the inspiration for Paul's Rhythm of Nature (front) mural.

The Night Hawk (back) was inspired by the rich habitat and bird species that LaSalle and Essex County have to offer. The region attracts droves of birdwatchers to the area each year, and birds of prey are aplenty. 

You will find this mural located along the trail at Mayfair Ave. and Laurier Dr.

Melissa Piva

Melissa Piva is a professional artist from Amherstburg, Ontario. She started painting murals in 2000, but now works mostly on canvas art. Her preferred medium is acrylic, and she displays work in a number of local galleries. Melissa is a mother of three, and a supporter of all things creative and all things local. 

Located on Delmar St., her mural depicts all things LaSalle. From the display of the LaSalle Strawberry Festival fireworks, the ship "Le Griffon", pedestrians using the trails, and our waterways, this mural is "Living LaSalle".

Jay Raven

Jay is a self-taught, professional visual artist, specializing in paintings, murals and digital art. His creative efforts have involved active and dedicated participation in numerous art exhibitions and festivals. He has been creating murals for over 20 years.

His mural is entitled "Amik", which in the Ojibwe language means "Beaver". His inspiration came from Le Griffon, a ship built for exploration. One of the main objectives of these travels was to obtain beaver pelts. The beaver is of local and national significance. This mural is located on Omira St. off of Malden Rd.

Sanja Srdanov and Melissa Thibert

Both Sanja and Melissa are local artists in the community. They have experience with painting murals, such as the Great Canadian Wall (Toronto, ON), La Casalinga Restaurant (Windsor, ON), Kingsville District High School (Kingsville, ON), and many more.

Sanja's and Melissa's inspiration for their mural, located on Monty St. off of Malden Rd., is entitled "Ojibway Endangered Plant Species". They wanted to bring awareness and highlight important and endangered plant species in the area.

In February 2018, artists were invited to submit a proposal to create a mural at the Riverdance Community Centre. The mural would depict the history of LaSalle and a piece that would become part of the stories told for generations to come. The Town's Strategic Planning Promotional Committee carefully reviewed all submissions.  The contract was awarded to artists David Creed and Christy Litster (pictured on right).

As a team, Creed and Litster are passionate about graphically capturing the very essence of their subject matter in their work. Their mural, "LaSalle: Then til Now", is an energetic, colourful representation of the history of the Town of LaSalle. They chose to highlight not only important historical events and people, but also represent the picturesque landscape and flourishing wildlife located throughout the Town. Their goal was to captivate their viewer with the use of bold colours while having an emphasis on mixed media techniques. They paired historically inspired imagery with the illustrative modern style of both artists. The artists created this using mostly spray paint.

This mural is located at the Riverdance Building at Front Road Park. The room is available for rent for small functions.

LaSalle: Then til Now