JULY 2017 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
BC agricultural history depicted in museum murals Seven local artists sketch scenes from ranches, orchards, mills and dairies of the past
by RONDA PAYNE
FORT LANGLEY – A series of murals celebrating the evolution of agriculture in BC from its beginnings through 1966 were unveiled at a well-attended event on June 17. Kwantlen First Nation opened
the ceremonies with singing and drumming before Syd Pickerell, director of the BC Farm Museum and chair of its murals committee, spoke about the purpose of the event in his opening remarks. “We are here to celebrate the completion of our two latest projects,” he said. “But it’s more than that. We want to celebrate the achievements of the last few years.” He proceeded to list the many accomplishments of the member- driven and farming-focused organization, not least of which are a series of murals by seven local artists and the development of woodworking and machinery workshops. “This mural project has been a dream of ours for
many years,” Pickerell said. “This has been a great project. I had a great committee to work with.”
Multi-year project
Work on the murals began in 2015 and was completed with the financial assistance of the federal government’s Canada 150 Infrastructure Program, the province and municipality, the Langley Heritage Society and several private foundations.
work depicts vegetable farming in the 1940s, chickens of past eras, land surveying and a dairy farm. “I think I probably spent more time studying the murals than I did painting,” Mehrer MacDonald said of her research. Vivian Harder also has four murals on the mezzanine railing that depict ranching, fruit growing, haying and sawmills of the past.
Volunteer space
A portion of one of the murals – this one by artist Vivan Harder – that now grace the BC Farm Museum in Fort Langley. SYD PICKERELL PHOTO
The local artists who developed the murals include Phyllis Atkins, Judy Jordison, Toni Williams, Janice Robertson, Alan Wylie, Darlene Mehrer MacDonald and Vivian Harder. Jordison and Williams worked together on the
large panorama scene in the museum’s main building that depicts the progress of agriculture in BC.
Mehrer MacDonald created four pieces displayed on the railing of the museum’s mezzanine. Her
The woodworking and machinery workshops are where volunteers fix farming items and restore them to their original beauty. Volunteers had their woodworking shop expanded to include a lunch room as well as an improved ventilation and dust collection system. Adding the beauty of the murals to the shop improvements of the museum makes the facility both functional and attractive. Visitors like Rick Jarrett
appreciate the work of the artists
and the devoted efforts of the museum’s volunteers. “A friend of mine is one of the artists,” he said. “I
like this kind of stuff. I have a friend that volunteers in the workshop.” Numerous dignitaries were on hand with a wide range of guests to take in the murals while honouring the 50-plus years of volunteer efforts that have kept the history of farming in BC alive for old farmers, new farmers and even non-farmers.
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