Paint the town in history

Designs for next week’s Mt Barker Mountains and Murals festival were officially unveiled to the public last Thursday.

Highly renowned artists and members of the Walldogs — an international group of muralists — will transform the walls of Mt Barker buildings.

Around 150 people attended the design reveal last week at the Community Resource Centre, hosted by local Walldog, Sergeant David Johnson.

Sgt Johnson said he was thrilled to announce that three of his fellow Walldog members will travel from the US and Canada to help paint Mt Markets walls over the four-day festival.

World-class muralist Anat Ronen from Texas said she was excited to come to Australia and would be painting two murals.

The first painting will be on the Lowood Road’s Post Shop, of Mt Barker’s internationally famed artist Bella Kelly.

“The amazing part is that Bella’s daughter Caroline will be painting this mural with Anat,” Sgt Johnson said.

Ms Ronen’s second mural will represent the old social hub of the town, the District Hall.

Illinois Walldog Jay Allen’s design on the side of the Grocery Store Cafe will pay tribute to the town’s founding member Thomas Braidwood Wilson and Noongar guide Mokare.

Another Lowood Road mural will depict the town’s first plane landing, painted by a Canadian Walldog Mike Bromley.

Sgt Johnson has designed the last two murals himself, the first representing the history of Mt Barker’s Co-Op, and the impact it has had on the town.

“The co-ops rich history started with apples, and so does my mural,” he said.

According to Sgt Johnson, the final design will be a family mural illustrating everything the town had to offer.

“It’ll be a fun one the whole family can join in painting at Wilson Park on the Sunday of the festival.”

The festival will run Friday to Tuesday, December 6-10.