'Conception to completion in five days': downtown Chatham, Ont. to be transformed with large art murals

A compilation of mural work from artists who will be attending CK Can Jam in Chatham, Ont. from July 15-19, 2024 (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

Nine artists are coming to Chatham, Ont. this week to transform the look of the downtown.

“I’m sick and tired of having to leave my town to go find culture and art and large scale installations,” said artist Sarah Steele. “I think it's time for our little small town to have something neat to happen.”

Steele took it upon herself to make that change and decided to create the C-K Can Jam which will see eight murals completed by the end of the week.

Inspired by the Track to the Mural Festival in 2022 in St. Thomas, and the Free for All Walls Festival in Windsor, Ont. Steele has brought in artists from North America and Australia to work in the downtown over the next five days.

One of those artists is Caesar Perez known as CZR PRZ from Chicago, Ill.

“I like coming out to traveling to different places and painting,” said Perez, an urban contemporary artist who will be spray painting a large wall at 168 King St W. “What I'm going to do, I'm really happy with. I’m painting a murder of crows, and Chatham is Crow City so it was inevitable.”

‘Star Child’ is a mural Caesar Perez aka ‘CZR PRZ’ painted in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (CZRPRZART/Instagram)

His work and the work of other artists are all within a short walking distance in the core.

“You're seeing large scale pieces from conception to completion within five days,” said Steele.

“One of our biggest ones is the 65-foot fly tower at the Chatham Capital Theater. We have the Goldcoast building downtown. These are 300-square foot or more, large scale, beautifully done art pieces.”

Steele hopes that people come out and watch these artists at work during the course of the week.

With their close proximity Steele suggested it will be easy to walk with family or on a lunch break to see the talent of these artists.

The location of where nine artists will be painting eight murals at CK Can Jam in Chatham, Ont. from July 15-19, 2024 (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

Art can transform a community, and Perez has seen that first hand. He has worked on the Wynwood murals in Miami, Fla, and has watched the development in the area.

“Art should be inspiring,” said Perez, “I was at Wynwood, in Miami before it became huge. It is just a very popping neighborhood, but back in 2012, a bunch of us used to go out there, it was it was the absolute opposite. Now you see people walking at night in that area and with boutiques and coffee shops and that never happened before.”

Steele hopes to make this an annual event.

“Maybe hit different townships, through Chatham-Kent, maybe have a summer of silos where we go and just do a whole bunch of silos every year,” said Steele. “I’m really excited for the future.”