Oakville youth bring big colour and big creativity to Iroquois Ridge Community Centre

Oakville’s newest public artwork was unveiled last night at Iroquois Ridge Community Centre as part of this year’s national Youth Week celebrations. The Town of Oakville, in partnership with the Oakville Youth Action Committee (OYAC), invited local teens to take part in the 2026 Youth Mural Project, a hands on opportunity to explore public art and contribute to a lasting community space.

Led by Oakville professional mural artist Ray Vidal, 12 youth artists aged 13 to 17 spent five months designing and painting a large indoor mural that celebrates imagination, teamwork and the creative spirit of Oakville’s young people.

The free program offered participants 42 volunteer hours, hands on workshops and mentorship from a professional artist. It also gave them the chance to create a permanent piece of public art that reflects their connection to the community.

Now in its third year, the Youth Mural Project has transformed spaces at Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre in 2024 and River Oaks Community Centre in 2025. The 2026 mural continues this growing legacy and brings a new burst of colour to Iroquois Ridge Community Centre.

Meet the 2026 youth artist team

Annie Ma, Arwen Wang, Bonnie Luo, Dylan Huang, Indiri Parmeshwar, Jessica Lee, Madelief Kramer Reynolds, Mairah Amir, Riley Liang, Thomas Zhou, Vihaan Dev Chandra, and Ziona Devadoss.

What the youth had to say

The youth artists shared that the mural reflects how they see Oakville. They described the Town as more than well known landmarks. To them, Oakville is natural beauty, cultural diversity, local history and the everyday places that shape their lives. Their collaborative process brought together individual ideas to create one shared story that stretches from north to south Oakville.

The mural was designed in 2025, painted in 2026, and unveiled during National Youth Week on May 6.

To learn more about the Town of Oakville’s public art initiatives, visit the Public Art and Exhibitions page.

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