Controversy marred the City's launch of voting on designs for a new mural in Canatra Park. One of the designs was confirmed to be the product of algorithmic (AI) art, sparking a backlash from community members. In March, the nuSarnia Foundation approached City Council with a concept to revitalize the lifeguard station in Canatara Park with […]
Controversy marred the City's launch of voting on designs for a new mural in Canatra Park. One of the designs was confirmed to be the product of algorithmic (AI) art, sparking a backlash from community members.
In March, the nuSarnia Foundation approached City Council with a concept to revitalize the lifeguard station in Canatara Park with a temporary, cloth mural wrapping around the building. Following Council approval, they then put out a call for submissions from local artists. Based on those submissions, nuSarnia submitted three designs for further public consultation.
When the designs were revealed to the public for voting last week on Speak Up Sarnia, the City’s public engagement platform, it was discovered that one of the designs was created using AI.
Danielle Pettit, a local artist, activist, and community organizer was one of the first to spot the AI art.
“I recognize AI pretty easily,” she told us. “There’s something uncanny about it. I zoomed in and saw the telltale signs – weird morphing of lines and colours, abrupt cut-offs of lines, non-circular pupils.”
Pettit ran the image through an online AI detector and confirmed her suspicions. She posted comments to the Facebook pages of the City and nuSarnia decrying the inclusion of AI-assisted art.
“Generative AI steals from artists and hurts the environment, which goes against the spirit of this project,” wrote Pettit.
NuSarnia posted a reply that stated:
“Our call for submissions welcomed all creative concepts that aligned with the project’s scope: designs that are vibrant, engaging, reflective of Canatara Park’s spirit, and suitable for large-scale printing.
“We received a wide range of submissions created through various mediums — including hand-drawn, painted, and digital concepts. While some were made traditionally, we didn’t restrict how people could conceptualize or present their designs. The goal of this project is to beautify the Canatara Park space and bring art into a public setting for everyone to enjoy.
“Every member of the community has the opportunity to vote for the concept that resonates with them most. If AI-assisted artwork isn’t your preference, you’re absolutely encouraged to support one of the other beautiful designs."
The City then took the step of adding descriptions of the medium and platform used for each submission. The first submission from artist Kylie Marsden was labelled as “medium: algorithmic art, platform: Canva.”
The negative backlash from community members continued, however. In response to growing and increasingly harsh criticisms, nuSarnia declared that, in collaboration with the artist and the City, they made the decision to withdraw the submission that was developed using AI technology. The voting platform on Speak Up Sarnia was updated accordingly.
“We truly value and respect the feedback we have received regarding this project,” read a statement from nuSarnia. “Thank you to everyone who took time to share their thoughts with us. We certainly did not intend to offend or disrespect anyone. Our team here at nuSarnia will be the first ones to acknowledge where we have opportunities to learn, and when we need to pivot projects as we go.”
The artist of the withdrawn submission, Kylie Marsden, is the full-time coordinator for the upcoming ARTPATH event this summer, with support from the nuSarnia Foundation. She declined to comment when contacted by The Journal.
The three pieces were initially selected in a blind process that was looking for vibrant art that reflected the beauty of Canatara Park, the spirit of Lake Huron, and Sarnia’s rich history.
Despite having received many submissions, a replacement submission was not selected, and there are now only two designs for the public to choose from. Council will take the public’s input into consideration when they make their final approval for the project.
“This project is all about community and given the value of Canatara Beach to so many in our community, we want to ensure that their voices are heard as part of the process,” said Steve Henschel, Communications Manager for the City of Sarnia.
“We’re excited to showcase the creativity of community members and give people a chance to shape this public space together,” said Sam Eastman, Placemaking and Communications Manager for nuSarnia. “The lifeguard station is a cherished part of Canatara Beach, and this project is a way to bring some colour and life to the building while celebrating what makes this park so special to Sarnia.”
The community can visit www.speakupsarnia.ca/Mural2025 to review the two remaining designs by local artists Cynthia Fay and Emily Wright. There they can learn more about the artists’ vision and cast a vote for their preferred concept.
The results of the voting will be presented to City Council, alongside the two designs on June 23 for a final decision. Voting on the submissions will remain open until 4:30 p.m. on June 4, with the intent to install the mural this summer.
