Aging mural raises public art questions

A mural that has been part of Prince Albert City Hall for more than 25 years is set to come down, but the decision comes as the City continues to support new public art in other civic spaces.

Executive Committee voted Monday to recommend removing the City Hall mural painted in 1998 in memory of local dentist Dr. Ed Gaudet. The mural was painted by Huang Zhong-Ru.

Arts and Culture Manager Judy MacLeod Campbell told committee the mural has deteriorated significantly after years of exposure to weather and sunlight. She said a 2024 condition assessment found extensive paint flaking, paint loss and fading across the mural surface.

Based on those assessments, MacLeod Campbell said restoration is no longer considered viable or cost-effective.

“The mural has reached the end of its serviceable life,” she told committee.

The City is recommending the mural be removed using a DOFF steam cleaning system at a cost of $8,694. The work would be funded through the Public Art Reserve Fund.

The report says the work is scheduled for late summer 2026, pending council approval.

MacLeod Campbell said the system uses superheated water at low pressure to remove paint while limiting damage to the surface underneath. That is important because City Hall is built with Tyndall stone, a porous natural limestone that requires careful treatment.

The recommendation comes as Prince Albert continues to support public art in civic spaces. It follows several recent council and City-connected discussions about art in public spaces, including decorative crosswalk artwork near the Legion and the student-inspired artwork unveiled earlier this year at the Water Treatment Plant.

The Daily Herald also reported last year on a red prairie lily mural painted by local artist Ria MacDonald on a door at the Margo Fournier Arts Centre, where the door is refreshed every few years by different local artists.

Together, those projects show the ongoing life of public art in Prince Albert. New pieces are added to civic and community spaces, while older work still has to be monitored, maintained and, in some cases, removed when it can no longer be preserved.

In a follow-up interview, MacLeod Campbell said maintaining the City’s existing public art is just as important as maintaining any other City asset. She said the City’s public art plan recognizes that responsibility as an important priority.

MacLeod Campbell said the City has monitored the mural as part of its public art inventory since the adoption of the public art policy in 2016. The Public Art Working Group has reviewed the mural’s condition over several years and unanimously supports removing it.

The Gaudet family was also consulted. MacLeod Campbell said Ray Gaudet advised that the family supports the removal and has no concerns with the recommendation.

She said the City also tried to contact the artist, but did not receive a reply. The Prince Albert Historical Society helped provide archival information about the mural’s original installation.

MacLeod Campbell said some of the original controversy surrounding the mural centred on the lack of community consultation when it was installed, as well as questions about placing artwork on the architecture and materials of City Hall.

Coun. Tony Head asked whether the mural would be replaced. MacLeod Campbell said the Public Art Working Group is not recommending a replacement mural at City Hall at this time.

She said if public art is considered for the site in the future, the City would carry out public consultation. In a follow-up interview, she said there could be public art at City Hall again one day, but not in the immediate future because of current public art funding. Once the mural is removed, the wall will return to its cleaned Tyndall stone surface.

Coun. Dawn Kilmer thanked administration for the report and asked whether the rest of City Hall’s Tyndall stone could be cleaned while the mural removal work is being done. Jody Boulet, director of parks, recreation and culture, said general exterior cleaning is a separate process and is budgeted every few years.

The recommendation passed at Executive Committee and will go to an upcoming council meeting for final approval.

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