Pembroke Heritage Murals
Pembroke Heritage Murals celebrates the region's heritage and character through large-scale paintings on an ever-increasing number of Pembroke's downtown walls, colourfully portraying a bygone era for the enjoyment of today's generation.
Our story unfolds as you walk through the streets of Pembroke. By the turn of the 20th century, Pembroke had grown into a vigorous logging community. As the town grew, the landscapes and lifestyles changed. Our murals are an illustrated record of these changing panoramas and history over the past two centuries.
Since the first five murals were painted in 1990, Pembroke Heritage Murals has overseen the creation of more than thirty murals by both local and national artists. Their styles are as varied as the wealth of historical source material they've researched and been influenced by.
Murals information and map
To learn more about the stories behind each of the Pembroke Heritage Murals, download the murals descriptions, available in English and French.
Explore downtown Pembroke with a map of the Pembroke Heritage Murals!
Les Murales de Pembroke video series
Watch the French mural series showcasing the murals, Les Murales de Pembroke, made in partnership with l'ACFO-Champlain.
Audio tour
A free audio tour of the murals has been created by the Pembroke Heritage Murals Committee so you can enjoy your own personal guided tour of one of Canada's largest outdoor art galleries! With sound production by The House of Music and narration from Dave Henderson, we hope you enjoy this artistic walk through Pembroke's recent heritage and history.
The tour follows the order that can be found in the murals descriptions guide and provides verbal breaks between descriptions so people can move on to the next mural. Listeners can also navigate to the mural in front of them or to one they are particularly interested in. The audio mural tour provides in-depth details and information about each mural.
The Pembroke Heritage Murals audio tour can be downloaded and played from your own device as you make your way through downtown Pembroke.
Audio Tour Part 1 (Murals 1-18)
Audio Tour Part 2 (Murals 19-34)
Murals Postcards
Currently, Pembroke's Outdoor Art Gallery has thirty-five Heritage Murals in the Collection.
The Heritage Murals Committee is offering all businesses the opportunity to sell full sets of thirty-seven postcards. Each business must purchase a minimum of five sets of postcards, at $8.00 per set, for a total of $40.00.
Pricing is up to individual businesses to choose.
To place an order, contact the Pembroke Heritage Murals Commitee: phmurals@pembroke.ca.
Murals artists profiles
Stephan Bell |
Austrian born, he studied art in Toronto and spent a number of years in illustrating and production positions before undertaking freelance assignments and opening his own studio. He has produced many commercial and advertising projects and designed greeting cards, books, and magazines. Bell is noted for Canada's largest mixed-subject mural, in Creston, British Columbia. He resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico. |
Neil Blackwell |
Neil studied at the Slade School of Art in his native London, England, and moved to Canada in 1958. A versatile artist, Neil is at home with a wide range of subject matter. In his earlier days, he painted in a renaissance style of the great masters, and was an accomplished portraitist. However, his unique ability to capture wildlife in its natural habitat soon made him one of the most sought-after wildlife artists in North America. |
Robin Burgesse |
Robin was born in Arvida, Quebec, but spent much of his life in the Pembroke area. At the age of 18, he began his career as a professional artist when he was commissioned to paint a billboard for Renfrew County Coach Lines. After a stint in Toronto, Ontario, he returned to Pembroke and worked as a designer for Eddy Match and for Canadian Forces Base Petawawa. Generally self-taught, Robin returned to school in his early thirties to study art and graduated with honours. |
Craig Campbell |
Craig, a resident of Perth, Ontario, is internationally known for his realistic paintings of Canada, especially for a series of paintings of Ontario railroad stations and steam engines. In fact, his first job after graduating from high school was as an office boy for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Campbell has won 22 artistic merit awards over the years. His paintings are in great demand by galleries, corporations, and private collectors. |
Randy Chester |
Randy was born in Germany in 1956 and attended Concordia University, where he obtained a degree in Fine Arts. His first mural was in Montreal, on a building since demolished, but he has done other murals in Quebec City, Quebec and St. Foy, Quebec. He uses all art forms and media in his works. Randy lives in Pembroke and is a teacher's aide and art teacher in nearby Chapeau, Quebec. |
John Ellenberger |
John was born in Renfrew, Ontario but moved away at a young age because of his father's military career. He returned to this area for high school. John attended Sheridan College in Oakville and graduated from a commercial arts course at Assinaboine College in Manitoba. A multimedia artist, John has produced many award-winning products. He is now co-owner of Little John's Custom Painting in Garson, Ontario. |
Robert Garneau |
Robert Garneau is Pembroke Heritage Murals' youngest artist, born in 1970. He attended high school in Kapuskasing, Ontario and Pembroke, and attended the University of Waterloo. The first mural he painted depicted four sports scenes for a sports bar in Pembroke. Robert assisted mural artist Robin Burgesse in 1990 and he worked with Pierre Hardy in 1991 before undertaking his own mural in the same year. |
Pierre Hardy |
Pierre was born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1961 and studied Fine Arts at the University of Quebec in Hull, Quebec. After painting his first mural in his parents' basement, Pierre has continued to paint murals full-time since 1984 and has over 40 murals to his credit. He has created murals on walls, on panels, out of tiles, and in other media and has won the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Award for figurative painting two years in a row. |
Karole Marois |
A graduate of Toronto's Ontario College of Art and Design, Karole Marois continued her studies at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence, Italy, where she was particularly inspired by the expression of the human spirit in the art of the Renaissance. Several exhibitions of her figurative artwork have highlighted her interest in painting people, and Karole has numerous commissions to her credit, in particular historical murals painted for Parks Canada and the National Museums. She is currently living in Prince Edward County, Ontario. |
Marillyn Saffery |
Marillyn Saffery was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and immigrated to Canada in 1970. She and her family eventually settled in Micksburg, Ontario (near Cobden). She studied fine arts in Johannesburg at the University of the Witwatersrand, and much later studied Art Therapy at the University of Western Ontario. Marillyn has created indoor and outdoor murals and also does mural restoration work. She has taught art, enjoys designing and painting theatre sets for local productions, paints, and has a private art therapy practice. |
Shauna Torgerson |
Shauna is a professional artist who creates oil paintings, indoor/outdoor murals, and handmade, hand-painted shoes. She studied Fine Art at the University of Guelph where she obtained a BA honours degree in Studio Art. She also studied make-up effects at Complections College of Make-up Art and Design in Toronto, graduating first in class. Her work has been exhibited in various shops and shows including the annual Canadian Portrait Competition hosted by the Portrait Society of Canada where she received a certificate of merit in 2012 for outstanding achievement in fine art portraiture in Canada. Shauna also exhibits at the Christmas and Spring One of a Kind Shows in Toronto, Canada. Find out more at torart.ca. |
David Yeatman |
David was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario and now lives in Aylmer, Quebec. He started his artistic career in the newspaper business as an advertising artist. David is currently painting murals across Canada and most recently completed work for a large restaurant chain. |
Murals poems
All poems written by Gary Howard.
First Settlers |
They journeyed from Canada’s upper and lower domains Tribute to “The Pioneers of Pembroke Township 1820-1850” mural |
The Great Wall of Pembroke |
Faces leap before our eyes, The wall that unites generations A sparkling jewel in the mural crown A timeless artistic treasure A collage of citizens from all walks of life nor the curtain fall on our dreams let future generations stand and marvel at the magnitude of our schemes. |
The Murals |
Painted murals portrayed on brick Muralists come from far and near Hockey legends stand tall and gaunt Uniformed members of our Forces Swallows sketched on stationary walls Curious pilgrims pause to view Fond and hardy memories are recalled on paved and narrow well-worn trail Memories are harvested and cherished once again lest the sands of time run out and fail. |
The Rafter's Ride |
The hardy lumber men of yesteryear They bid adieu to friends and family They cut and hacked at nature's beauty Then came the glorious spring of man's awakening The minstrels celebrate their life in song of brave men against the raging river the drive is on, the drive is on the Valley timber they must deliver. |