ONTARIO — Treasure Valley Cannabis Company gave the gift of a lifetime to a local antique shop in downtown Ontario, and now they're on a mission to engage more with local businesses through art.
“Why are we not beautifying our town? Why aren't we showing what we really have?,” Tracy Hammond, Vintage Rose owner said.
“The proximity to Vail especially with how many hand-painted murals they have and how much potential and charm we feel this old stretch of Ontario here has," Jeremy Archie, Treasure Valley Cannabis Company owner said. "Especially in the downtown core. We just thought it was a no-brainer and made a lot of sense to put a fresh coat on it."
To liven up downtown, and give back to their community TVCC is starting a mural project.
“To do something to uplift this town, and do something to revitalize it," Archie said. "Instead of just being here to do business and not care about the community.”
They hire local artists to paint murals on the buildings and foot the entire bill.
“We just thought it would be cool to keep that classic look, but give it kind of a more Americana feel and appeal," Archie said. "It is just a really beautiful chunk of older real estate that has a charm to it, so we are doing whatever we can to accentuate it.”
But, when they first started to approach businesses about wanting to do this community engagement project, they were hesitant, including Hammond.
“There was a lot of pushback because people were worried about what it would look like,” Archie said.
“I agreed and what was done for me, was just one of the best blessings that anyone could ever give anybody," Hammond said. "It is gorgeous, and it is my granddaughters,"
The mural spans the whole side length of her business and features her two granddaughters having a tea party.
And for something that just started as an idea to engage and give back to the Ontario community, Hammond says it is bringing life to their small town.
“I literally have people come just to take pictures like their senior pictures at it," she said. "People drive just to see it, so it has brought people into town.”
A gift her family will treasure forever.
"It was awesome! So my youngest granddaughter told her sister 'We made it' and she goes 'We made it?' And the youngest she goes, 'We made it we are famous we are on a wall,' haha. And so it was kind of funny," Hammond said.
So when Hammond has a bad day she said she goes outside and looks at the mural of her granddaughters having a tea party, and knows everything will be alright.
“It’s just absolutely beautiful,” she said.
TVCC is working on getting more murals painted around the town.
If you are interested please email, adoptontario97914@gmail.com.
TVCC said that this is just the beginning of their community engagement projects, which includes plans to educate the community and have a music venue/food truck spot.
