search
phone
assignment

Reach for the Stars

Home > Our community > Arts, culture & heritage > Public art > Public art collection listing > Reach for the Stars
The work is located on the rear wall of the building at 355 Spedding Court.
Artist: 
Scott Tobin
Year: 
2007
Collection: 
City of Kelowna Public Art Program

The Work

Kelowna's largest mural is approximately 50m wide and 8m high, covering the entire back wall of a commercial building facing the schoolyard at Springvalley Middle School. The mural, based on ideas from Springvalley students and brought to life by urban artist Scott Tobin with assistance from the students in the school's CHOICES program, is a unique combination of hip-hop style lettering, bold colours, beautifully detailed flowers and a purple roadster full of blissful blue bunnies. This project was one of the first 2 projects completed in the City's Community Public Art Program, launched in fall 2006.

The Project

With encouragement and support of the CHOICES program and school staff, a mural was identified as a way to deter graffiti and vandalism on a wall that was continually being tagged.

Scott Tobin based the design on ideas and suggestions from students, and young people from the school’s CHOICES program worked with the artist in June 2007 to prepare the mural background. Tobin continued painting the mural throughout the summer, completing it in late August. The mural was officially dedicated at a special school assembly in October 2007.

During the course of the project, employees of the commercial building (Dan's Tire Service) took a personal interest in the work and helped to clean up a walkway leading to the wall from Spedding Court. Additional goods, services and financial support for this project were provided by WINN Rentals, ICI Paints, the Central Okanagan Foundation for Youth, Block Watch BC, School District #23 and the Regional District of Central Okanagan.

The Artist

With a fine art education from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and two decades of experience in spray paint, oil, acrylics, pastel, chalk, ink and watercolour, Scott Tobin is one of Canada's top character graffiti artists. His work includes large-scale interior/exterior wall murals, fine art, and live painting performances, often in collaboration with DJ’s.

Tobin has participated in the prominent graffiti events including Under Pressure (Montreal), 416 Jam (Toronto) and Style in Progress (Toronto). Whatever the environment, Tobin says, “It is my passion to paint visual-antidepressants, to create beautiful work that has a positive impact on people and a positive contribution to the world.”

While animated flowers, birds and other glimpses into organic life have become trademark Tobin subjects, his pursuit of visual antidepressants includes character portraits and word pieces as well. Previous contracts include a number of public and private sector agencies. In spring 2007, Tobin painted a Pontiac G6 on location at the Whistler World Ski and Snowboard Festival, drawing thousands of onlookers.