Click here to watch Paul Marcano and his son Orion reconstruct the town's fourth mural, the Old Hong Hing Waterfront Store (Windows Media Video):

From just five murals and lots of spirit in the summer of 1982, Chemainus has struggled, grown and succeeded in literally putting itself on the map. In 1983, it won the prestigious New York Downtown Revitalization Award for redevelopment of the town core. It has since gained world wide acclaim for the integrity and superb artistry of its huge depictions of the town's history, earning the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award (the Americas) in 1994.

Thirty-six larger-than-life historic paintings in this open air gallery and many statues now greet the gaze of hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Chemainus thrives as a result, but it remains a small town, with just over 4,500 residents. These welcoming people still dish out island hospitality, along with ice cream and afternoon tea and scones just as they always have.

The Chemainus Festival of Murals Society was founded in 1983 and incorporated in 1987 to manage and develop the Chemainus Murals Projects, to foster and encourage the artistic interpretation of the history of the Chemainus Valle and the promotion of arts, culture and tourism within the Chemainus Valley.

Our members, consisting of many tireless volunteers, continue the work of maintaining and planning the murals in addition to welcoming the world to Chemainus, The Little Town That Did!©

Click here for more information.

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