Artist brightens downtown with new mural
Chad Tyson was hired by B.I.G. Renovation and Development to bring a little colour to downtown Oshawa with the mural located on the corner of King and Simcoe Streets. Tyson credits his daughter Cadence as part of his inspiration for the mural. (Photos by Chris Jones)
By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express
A new mural in downtown Oshawa meant to bring a smile to people’s faces and thank those working on the frontline has been unveiled.
Created by Chad Tyson, owner of the Paint Factory, the mural, located at the corner of Simcoe Street and King Street, was commissioned by B.I.G. Renovation and Development with the goal of brightening up the downtown core.
Tyson says he’s been working on murals in downtown Oshawa for a while now.
“I’ve been doing work down here for a while, just here and there, and I’ve been really pushing this whole mural thing,” says Tyson. “I’ve been getting very little traction from the city, but B.I.G. understands the worth of it all.”
Tyson believes the company understands the way everyone is going to get through the COVID-19 pandemic is by utilizing culture.
He was contacted by B.I.G. and was told to brighten up the outside of their property at the corner of King and Simcoe Streets, which is currently closed due to construction.
Tyson says whenever he does a piece of public art, such as the mural, he leaves himself open to the public’s opinion.
“Whenever you do public art, there’s always the half of the people that say they love it, and half of the people that say they hate it. You could save a cat from a tree and somebody could complain,” he quips.
So, when he does public art, Tyson says he has to think about how he could do something that everyone will like.
“First and foremost we want everybody to be happy, and to come up with a concept that nobody could complain about,” he says. “Second was coming up with something that was geared towards where we are now.”
In his mural, Tyson thanks frontline workers such as nurses, doctors, and many others for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The central figure on the mural is a person wearing a mask.
“I’ve been out and about… I see the ambulances working. These people need recognition for the hard work they’re doing during these times,” he says. “So, when I was approached with this, I was like, ‘The wall facing a main intersection? I have to do something that thanks those people.’”
Tyson has done a number of murals throughout downtown Oshawa and he says the response to his latest mural has been “amazing.”
“I’ve done murals for a long time, and I think this mural’s received a more positive response than anything I’ve worked on before,” he says. “There had to be at least 170 to 200 people driving by honking and yelling positive stuff at me out of their windows.”
He also wants to give the residents of downtown something positive to look forward to and knowing residents enjoy it has been a win for him.
“They say that they took the long way home just so they could see the mural. That’s a good feeling,” he says.
While Tyson is the one who actually put the mural together, he credits the concept to his daughter Cadence.
“When I was coming up with things for the mural, I just wanted to think of things that she would be stoked about,” he says.
Tyson says Cadence mentioned she likes butterflies, the tire swing in their backyard, and stuff like that, which lent to some parts of the mural.
He is quick to also credit B.I.G. for pushing for the mural, saying everything the organization does is for the community.
“The cool thing with B.I.G. is they really appreciate the history of the space, so they want to compliment the things of the past, not just the future. It’s very rare that you get somebody who’s willing to put everything aside, and invest in an idea that they don’t necessarily have to,” says Tyson.