Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2002
Funded by: Communities in Bloom, City of Williams Lake

About:

Initially, this mural met with some resistance from the Firehall. The Fire Chief thought the mural would be flowers and he wanted none of it. Half way through the mural creation, the firemen decided they liked it. When the mural was completed they all posed proudly for a picture in front of it. The firefighters were later inspired to paint the door in the wall red to match the mural. It is fitting that the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society now inhabits this building and its past use as a firehall will not be forgotten thanks to Dwayne’s vivid mural. Depicted here is a history of three eras of fire-fighting. On the right, we see a steam-powered water pumper connected to a horse buggy. Centered is the large spool for water hoses. The men would push the hand cart to the fire where they would connect to a water truck or to a water hydrant. On the left is a modern-day fire truck beside fire fighters in action wearing modern-day gear. The fire itself was inspired by the Tony’s Leather fire (1950) downtown Williams Lake.

Artistic Notes:

Dwayne’s challenge here was to blend eras in a readable way. Notice the illusion he has created of the wall falling and the fire is coming towards the viewer. Dwayne worked closely on this mural with eldest daughter, Denica Davis, who was at the time an aspiring young artist.