Murals to be painted to improve city spaces, says MoBay mayor

WESTERN BUREAU:

The St James Municipal Corporation [StJMC] is seeking to partner with corporate entities and outreach organisations in Montego Bay to paint art murals at select locations across the western city as part of an effort to promote national culture and civic pride.

Montego Bay’s Mayor Richard Vernon, who is also chairman of the StJMC, made the announcement on Monday following the official unveiling of a mural at the maternal and child health department of Montego Bay’s Type V Clinic. The mural, which was created by Westmoreland-based artist Christopher Scott, was commissioned by the Rotary Club of Montego Bay as its first official project for 2024-2025.

“We believe that art is important to our space, as it reflects our culture and it improves the area psychologically. It improves the local sense of dignity, when persons can look at an artwork within a particular space in their community and it improves that space; they feel dignified as a resident within that space. So, we are using it as a social intervention mechanism across Montego Bay,” said Vernon.

“We have done several of these murals and we have received partnership from corporate Montego Bay to do one along Howard Cooke Boulevard that is being done at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex right now. We want to do several more across Montego Bay, in the communities in particular, and in critical areas that are now looking downtrodden,” Vernon added. “We want to improve those areas by installing murals and improving the infrastructure within those spaces. And we are rolling it out in small bits and pieces because it is a very expensive initiative.”

INTENDED PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT

The mayor noted further that while there is no set timeline for the mural project’s completion, consideration must be given to the cost of each mural, and the effort of the artists for every work that is done.

“A mural can cost $2 million, and persons may not appreciate that, but you have to pay the artists for their work. We are not going to make this big, grand announcement that we are going to spend $10 million, $20 million or $30 million to do any mural and then we cannot find the money to do it,” said Vernon. “We have to ensure that as we move along and we identify the spaces, we ask members of the business community to adopt the area and install a mural, while we do the infrastructural work.”

Similar mural projects in Montego Bay were done in 2016 by international artist Anthea Missy near the western city’s downtown craft market, and more recently in May this year, near the Reggae Sumfest staging ground in Catherine Hall by artist Maximiliano Bagnasco.

Meanwhile, Rotary Club of Montego Bay president Nerissa Persaud says that the intended psychological effect of the Type V Clinic’s new mural should serve as an example of what similar projects can accomplish in the wider city space.

“When we think about having a mural in a space like this, what you are really doing is looking at the psychological effects, because when a person goes and sits and waits, they want to know they have a sense of belonging, peacefulness,” said Persaud. “You should not have to go to a clinic before you can see something that makes you feel as though you belong there. It should be present everywhere in Montego Bay, in Jamaica, and in the Caribbean, and that goes to the crux of what we are trying to achieve here.”

Dr Tanique Bailey-Small, St James’ medical officer of health, expressed appreciation for the mural on behalf of the clinic’s staff.

“It is important for patients to be able to wait in style. And I know the patients have been enjoying the space so far, and we will take care of it. There are so many talented persons among us, and it is important that we engage them,” said Bailey-Small.