Winter murals in Summerside have added surprise thanks to augmented reality

Summerside is hoping to attract more people to its downtown during the winter months with a series of art displays that really come to life — well, almost. 

As part of the city's Winter Warmth Festival, Explore Summerside commissioned Island artists to create original murals that are displayed in storefronts along Water Street. 

The coolest part about these wintry works? If you point your phone at them, you'll be treated to an extra layer of animation that's unlocked through augmented reality. 

"The artists really took the assignment and brought together some really wonderful pieces that we are very, very proud to display in our downtown, and of course to display in such a dynamic way that's new to Atlantic Canada," said Rose Dennis, executive director of Explore Summerside and Downtown Summerside.

The exhibit features 10 works from P.E.I. artists that depict the theme "Island Winter." 

In addition to creating the murals, the artists were asked to conceive a way to enhance the pieces with augmented reality using a smartphone app called Artvive.  

Augmented reality is a technology that lets people view the "real world" with an extra layer of information, perhaps computer-generated images that can be viewed through a device like a phone or a tablet screen — think about those camera filters that artificially contort your face or give you big googly eyes when you're snapping a selfie. 

The goal in Summerside is to get people out and active in the winter and to showcase what the city's downtown has to offer. 

It really celebrates winter instead of hibernating or hiding from it.— Rose Dennis, Explore Summerside

Charlottetown-based artist Chester Hewlett created his landscape piece, Whispers of Winter, to show the beautiful side of nature in the winter. 

"What's loud is people saying [winter is] not good, it's not nice, we can't wait for summer," he said. "The whisper is that it's actually kind of nice sometimes when you get a good look at it."

Pointing a phone at the piece using the app will reveal animations of animals running across the snowscape, people shovelling and snow gently falling on a cabin in the woods. 

Dennis said this type of display hasn't been done east of Toronto until this year in Summerside. 

She also hopes the window murals will help residents and visitors find those winter whispers.

"We have just these really romantic ideas of how we can enjoy a winter landscape, sense of place, the beauty in the nature around us," Dennis said. 

"It really celebrates winter instead of hibernating or hiding from it, and you can see the real beauty come through with these pieces."