It’s a me, Mario: Giant mural commemorates twenty years

Zainab Al-Mehdar
Pontiac Aug 3, 2022
Walking down Centre St. in Shawville, it is hard to miss the giant mural of Mario & Luigi on the walls of the Renaissance Variety building emblematic of their store.
Celeb,rating their 20th anniversary of being in business in Shawville, Jason and Lorna Yereck commissioned the mural that was in the works for two weeks. The couple sells everything from used books, movies, games, and CDs and their latest is Lorna’s handmade wax candles that they are currently selling in their store, called “candles in the attic.”
Local artist, Gabriel Proulx, hopes to one day take his artistic talents professionally and highlighted that creating art has always been a part of his life.
“I do art of all types, murals, photography, graphic design, and whatever else might be worth trying out.”
Still trying to make a name for himself Proulx saw this as a great opportunity. “It meant so much to me to have the opportunity to work on the mural at RV. As someone trying to build an art career, leaving a mark like that is a huge milestone,” he said.
Although he worked in construction for many years, after his mother passed away he made a promise to himself that he would pursue a career in art, said Proulx.
Happy with how it turned out, Jason highlighted that they might go ahead and paint another wall. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.