Spotlight on Corner Brook Plaza & Artist Jackie Alcock

Artist Jackie Alcock stands near a section of her artwork at the Corner Brook Plaza, created for Come Home Year. Photo: Lindsay Bird/CBC

When the management team at Corner Brook Plaza was seeking someone to help spruce up their space in advance of the city’s Come Home Year celebrations, they knew just who to call.

Local artist Jackie Alcock (the artist behind the #ComePlayWithMeNL public piano at Deer Lake Airport) recently spent a couple of weeks transforming a section of bare, white walls into a whimsical world filled with friendly periwinkles and colourful mermaids, moose, whales and more. It’s quite a difference from the blank slate that was previously there - and the shoppers and passersby love it that way.

Photo: Lindsay Bird/CBC

"I tried to work before the mall got busy, but still had a lot of feedback on my work while I was painting. The mall has morning walkers and they were impressed on how fast it was all coming together,” Alcock says.

"One employee said she was so glad something was being done with the drab, white wall and was invested is seeing the work take shape.”

The artwork also invites observers to interact and engage with it, and includes a growth chart comprised of colourful fish that children can use to measure their height, and a guestbook (also painted onto the wall) that people can sign. The mural, Alcock adds, is also designed so that viewers can stand and have their photo taken in front of it.

A closer look at some of the details.

Alcock spent eight hours a day and a total of 115 hours (not including design time) filling the over 100-square-foot space with her bright and beautiful artwork. The Plaza, Alcock says, is her longest Corner Brook client. She's been doing artistic work for them for over 25 years, such as painting the front entrance windows with seasonal themes and prop work for Easter displays.

A portion of the mural also contains a fun growth chart comprised of colourful fish.

Gordon Pennell, General Manager at Corner Brook Plaza, says the decision to choose Alcock for this latest assignment was a no-brainer.

"Jackie has done work for the Plaza for years, so when we decided to do something special for Come Home Year, it was a simple thought to hire her,” he says.

"Her work is exceptional and on point with Newfoundland and Labrador culture and shoppers have been raving about it for weeks now.”

Now that Come Home Year has officially come to a close, Pennell says that Alcock’s work will remain for now, continuing to add colour and whimsy to the west coast city.

“All in all,” Alcock says "I wanted to design something light, fun and interesting, and I hope I did.”