Artist brings flood of colour to City of Mississauga works yard building

The City of Mississauga has added a little splash of colour—make that a flood of colour—to one of its Transportation and Works yards. 

The outside of the Mavis Works Yard building, located on Mavis Rd. just north of Dundas St. W. and used by operations and maintenance, and municipal parking staff, is getting a “stunning artsy upgrade,” city officials say, thanks to Toronto-based Polish Canadian mixed-media artist Anya Mielniczek. 

The work of art, a mural covering a huge part of the building’s front face from ground to roof, is not yet complete—but it’s close. 

Mielniczek, who completed a year-long fellowship with the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga in 2014 after graduating from Queen’s University, was chosen for the task through the city’s Public Art Program (PAP).  

Earlier this year, the PAP invited professional artists, muralists and artist-led teams to submit expressions of interest to create a public art mural on the exterior of the building. 

City officials say the “exciting collaboration between PAP and the Transportation and Works Department” sought to beautify the exterior of the building while at the same time provide an opportunity for an artist.  

Further, they add, the artwork educates and inspires the public to learn more about what the city’s Transportation and Works Department does. 

Budget for the project was $20,000 

 (Photo directly above shows the Mavis Works Yard building before a Toronto artist got her brushes on it)