SHERBROOKE, LAND OF FRESCO MURALS: CANADA’S FIRST-EVER TROMPE L’OEIL TOUR

SHERBROOKE, May 3, 2010 – MURIRS president Serge Malenfant and partners of the organization today officially launched the first-ever mural circuit in Canada to feature trompe l’oeil frescoes, presented in a pamphlet entitled “Sherbrooke, Land of Fresco Murals.”

Since 2002, ten enormous fresco murals created by thirty or so local artists have brought to life the city’s historic areas and downtown neighbourhood with art, history, and discoveries. Over two hundred characters are portrayed, often in humorous and convivial settings. Notable characters include Ti-Blanc Richard, Louis Bilodeau, Garou, Clémence Desrochers, Jean Malo, and many others. “This trompe l’oeil tour incorporates a great deal of historical research, allowing us to share the rich past of the greater Sherbrooke area through a popularization of our collective memories,” said Serge Malenfant, the proud president of MURIRS.

Visitors of the Sherbrooke Tourist Information Bureau will be able to leave with a beautiful pamphlet including a map of the mural circuit and a detailed description of each fresco mural. The tour can be enjoyed year round, whether on foot or by bike, motorcycle, or car, and showcases the following themes: Upper Mills; 100 Years at Your Service; Tradition and Prevention; CHLT-TV, 50 Years of Looking at It Our Way; Sherbrooke’s 2002 Bicentennial Mural; Nékitotegwak; The Traveler’s Lodge; Once upon a Time in the East; Progress in the East; and The Good Years.

Mr. Malenfant dedicated the launch of “Sherbrooke, Land of Fresco Murals” to the visiting Dr. Karl Schutz, President and Executive Officer of the Global Mural Arts & Tourism Association.

Claude Lévesque
(819) 345-2455
levesque.com@videotron.ca