Sep 15th, 2025

Paint it up: Youth Mural coming to Foster Farm

“Self-Built” is a youth mural that shows what matters most to young people. It was funded by the City of Ottawa’s Paint it Up program, with help from Ottawa Community Housing, the OCH Foundation, Provincial Youth Outreach Workers (PYOW), Foster Farm Family House, and BGC Ottawa.

Creating the Mural

Seven youth worked with muralist Claudia Salguero in July to share what inspires them. Then she turned their ideas into an image. Together, they painted the mural, learning to be creative, work as a team, and feel proud of their community. The mural now reminds everyone of what the neighbourhood has achieved and its hopes for the future.

What the Mural is About

The mural shows what makes youth happy, like playing sports, learning, spending time outside, making art, and gardening together. The group chose the name “Self-Built” because they believe in building their own future. The butterfly stands for growth and change, and the sunflower represents the garden and joy. These images tell a story of hope and teamwork.

“The youth were engaged from our brainstorming meeting. It was amazing to see them discover their artistic talents, feel confident about themselves, and form friendships with one another. “Engaging youth in community art projects makes a difference in the future of our city,” said Claudia Salguero, the artist who worked on the mural.

What’s next?

The mural will be installed in September at 1065 Ramsey, an OCH Tenant Service Centre. It replaces an older mural from 2010.

Want to see more Murals?

OCH has murals across Ottawa. See more photos and information here:

www.och-lco.ca/i-am-a-tenant/murals/

Do you have a mural in your community that we should showcase? Email editor@och