Forty Wink designed and hand-painted a mural for the Ottewell Community League. Inspired by the neighbourhood’s green spaces and shaped through community voting and painting, the mural captures local spirit while adding colour and character to the heart of Ottewell.

  • The Ottewell Community League mural was designed as a true community project from start to finish. Residents voted on their favourite of three design concepts, with more than 200 ballots cast through postcards, posters, and social media outreach. The winning design featured birds, bees, flowers, and playful natural motifs—celebrating Ottewell’s green spaces and connecting to Edmonton’s larger goal of planting 1.5 million trees.

    Rather than being painted in isolation, the mural came to life during Market Day, when neighbours gathered for a paint party at the community hall. Families, kids, and volunteers each added their brushstrokes to the four large panels, while a colouring contest gave children the chance to create their own versions of the artwork. The finished mural was unveiled at the OCL Harvest Party on September 14, 2025, serving not only as a vibrant piece of art but also as a reminder of what can grow when a community comes together.

Ottewell Community League Mural

Sprouting Something Special in Ottewell

If you've walked past Ottewell Park this summer, you likely noticed things looking a little brighter (also dustier, but that's from the construction). A new mural created with the help of the neighbourhood took shape, which was as much about bringing neighbours together as it was about the finished product.

The mural was shaped by community input every step of the way. Residents were encouraged to vote on three design options and more than 200 votes came in. Postcards, posters, and social media helped catch people's attention, and neighbours showed up and got involved. The chosen design, focusing on critters, a tree canopy and flowers, celebrates Ottewell’s green spaces and Edmonton’s city-wide goal of planting 1.5 million trees. Playful and natural, it captures small details that feel like snapshots of the park itself.

Take a look at the voting page.

The Painting Party

The best part of the project wasn’t the finished mural—in my opinion, it was watching neighbours gather to paint it. At Market Day, the hall became an active workshop as families, kids, and friends picked up brushes and helped paint the murals four panels. A colouring contest gave kids the chance to imagine their own versions of the mural, with a prize curated by the community league featuring vendor products from the Market. By the end of the day, the panels had been transformed—with colour, but also the energy of everyone who took part. It was a blast watching community members engage with each other and working side by side.

Harvest Party Reveal

The finished mural was unveiled at OCL’s Harvest Party on September 14, 2025. Families stopped to admire the panels, take photos, and enjoy seeing the work they had helped bring to life.

As both a designer and Ottewell resident, it was a pleasure to help guide this project from sketches to finished piece. My role included preparing the design options, creating outreach materials, and coordinating the events that shaped the final piece. Projects like this can be a reminder to look local and put your time and energy into your community. Meeting neighbours face to face, adding a bit of joy to a piece of the neighbourhood, and watching something grow out of shared effort matters. The Ottewell mural is a fun example of how a community can work together to help something beautiful take root.

If you’d like to learn more about running a community-driven mural project, I’d love to chat about what worked in Ottewell.

Reach me at alex@fortywink.co.