Northern Ontario artist designs downtown 'wraps'

Walking in downtown Timmins, Katherine Montigny is excited to see people enjoying her artwork. 

The Northern Ontario artist is the talent behind the artwork decorating poles downtown. The vibrant wraps are anti-graffiti and anti-stick and can be found at the the main intersections, with more expected to be installed after Connecting Link work is finished.

Montigny, who owns Jump City Comics in the 101 Mall, is mostly a self-taught artist, though she credits Roland Michener Secondary School teacher Chris Clark for helping her think outside the box.

"He was a big influence on not necessarily adhering to what your rules should be," she said. 

She saw the callout for artists for the project in the spring and it fit with what she was already working on.

"I really like historical places in Timmins already and was doing a series of my own historical places in Timmins,” she recalled. 

This project is one of the biggest displays of her work so far. Her other big project is a mural inside the 101 Mall. 

"It’s so neat to see my art up everywhere when I go in the downtown area and to see other people looking at it, it’s so much fun,” she said, adding she's considered telling people she designed the work but gets "too scared".

There are three designs for the wraps—retail, industry (mining and forestry) and a medical theme loosely based on Indigenous culture, explained Cindy Campbell, Downtown Timmins BIA executive director.

The initiative is funded by STEPS I HeART Main Street. It's the same cultural organization the BIA worked with for the mural project that saw artwork put in empty storefronts last year.

SEE: Murals brightening up Downtown Timmins

Fifteen artists applied to the public call-out for artists for this year's project, said Campbell. 

The wraps are expected to last three to five years, as long as they aren't damaged by equipment, she said. 

Right now, poles at Third Avenue and Second Avenue intersections showcase the wraps. Campbell said they'll look at doing Algonquin Boulevard after work on the Connecting Link is completed.