MONTEGO BAY,St James — Anthony Tavares, a director at Hilton and Hilton, owners of the building that houses Hilton’s Pharmacy and Henderson’s Bookstore, and now home to a mural, says he will be encouraging fellow members of the business community to make their buildings available for similar public art projects across Montego Bay.

“I am trying to get other business owners around Montego Bay interested,” Tavares told the Jamaica Observer on Friday.

Starting with his friends, he will ask more businesses to support the initiative by offering prominent wall spaces for murals, helping to enhance the city’s aesthetics and provide it with a boost.

The mural on the Hilton and Hilton-owned building is the third in a series being created by Kingston Creative, with funding support from Doctor’s Cave Bathing Club.

Two earlier murals, funded by TUI Care Foundation, were unveiled in February at the Scotiabank branch on St James Street and on St Clavers Avenue.

The latest work adorns the left side of the Hilton Pharmacy building on St James Street, offering a striking view to people entering the area.

“I feel very positive about it because we need to uplift the conscience of Montegonian people, civic pride,” said Tavares.

Describing the painting as stunning, he explained that the mural came at no cost to the company, with the owners of the building willing to work with its partners to ensure it remains in excellent condition.

“We’ll probably get in touch with Kingston Creative and have the artist come in and do some work,” added Tavares as he pointed out that Kingston Creative approached the business with a request to use the wall, to which the company readily agreed.

“This one is mural number three, we have another one coming soon, and the plan is continue working with the city of Montego Bay, Mayor Richard Vernon, and funders like the TUI Care Foundation and Doctor’s Cave Bathing Club,” executive director of Kingston Creative, Andrea Dempster Chung, told the Observer.

While remaining tight-lipped about the next project in Montego Bay, Dempster Chung said the initiative forms part of a wider effort to strengthen the city’s cultural and creative ecosystem.

“It’s important also for cultural tourism because it helps us to diversify that product from sun, sea, and sand and give tourists a reason to come further into the cities and the towns and really explore the real Jamaica and touch base with the real people, the vendors on the street, etc,” she said.

Dempster Chung explained that the long-term vision is for the murals to become attractions, following a model already established in Kingston.

The mural that now adorns the Hilton Pharmacy building in Montego Bay, St James shows a wood carver at work, representing the artisans who preserve Jamaica’s craft tradition.

“The intention is to have a self-guided tour where people can walk around the centre from murals one, two, three, four, five, six, stop at the vendors, buy coconut water, buy some things at the craft market, and work their way back around the course to the Montego Bay Cultural Centre, which is where we have our National Gallery West and our National Museum West,” said Dempster Chung.

She pointed out that responsibility for maintaining the murals will rest with the municipal corporation.

“These murals are gifts to the city, every municipality has to look after the assets whether they put the assets in place or whether they were gifted the assets.

“We fully respect that the city of Montego Bay will realise that this is their asset and they will work to take care of it just as if they were given a bench, just as if they were given a park,” added Dempster Chung.

The mayor assured that the St James Municipal Corporation will play its part in ensuring the murals remain in good condition by setting up regular cleaning and repairs when needed.

“However, I’m urging our community to help care for them. This way the murals will stay bright, visible, and welcoming for residents and visitors, and remain a proud part of the city’s transformation,” added Vernon.

He said the murals form part of the corporation’s urban renewal programme under MoBay STEP-UP, in partnership with Kingston Creative, which aims to bring life and colour to Montego Bay while showcasing its culture and creativity.

The latest piece was painted by Anthony Smith, who works under the moniker Taoszen, with assistance from fellow artist Joel Cameron.

The mural shows a woodcarver at work, representing the artisans who preserve Jamaica’s craft tradition.

Taoszen also painted the murals at S Hotel and several pieces along the Reggae Wall of Fame at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Centre.

He said it took eight days to complete the latest mural.

“When I am focused on the work, when I lock in and Joel Cameron is here and assisting me — and he wasn’t in the way, he’s there providing me with whatever assistance I need — that helped me,” added Taoszen.