Iconic Elora artwork has been revived, returned to post office

ELORA – The Letter by late Elora artist Marilyn Koop has been recreated and returned to its spot on the exterior wall of the Elora post office.

The piece was originally created in 1999 by Koop, and stayed on the post office wall until it could no longer be preserved due to weathering and fading.

Now, The Letter has been revived through a community-led project by the Elora Fergus Arts Council and the Wellington County Historical Society.

Local artists Jefferson Campbell-Cooper and Julie Rene de Cotret were tasked with restoring the piece.

Both artists knew Koop personally, calling her a mentor and old friend.

“She was integral in kind of establishing the art community here in Elora like decades and decades ago,” said Campbell-Cooper.

“She [passed in 2012] and she’s greatly missed.

"No one could fill those shoes, but it’s a real privilege to be able to contribute to this and push her joie de vie forward again.”

Rene de Cotret said the artists were “really honoured to have the privilege to replicate the work.”

“I love the narrative aspect of the work and the kind of mystery of it.”

An unveiling event was held on June 20, with members of the Elora Fergus Arts Council and the Wellington County Historical Society speaking to a small crowd outside the post office.

Arts council co-chair Susan Thorning said The Letter can be perceived in new ways, as sending letters has become much less of a common occurrence.

“What once reflected the present now reminds us of the past, of a slower, more intentional way of keeping in touch with one another,” said Thorning during a speech.

“Marilyn had a gift for seeing the emotional weight in ordinary things.”

Centre Wellington Mayor Shawn Watters said “Marilyn first and foremost was a friend” whom he met  when he moved to Centre Wellington 31 years ago.

Watters recalled Koop always wanting to put some art on the wall of the post office, and remembered how happy she was when Canada Post gave her the space.

“They just pop off that wall,” said Watters about the revived artwork.

In order to recreate The Letter, Campbell-Cooper and Rene de Cotret digitally replicated and projected the original onto their new painting surface.

Campbell-Cooper said they tried to colour-match the original while taking into account fading.

They also considered the types of brushes, strokes, and textures. They used durable, weather resistant materials to ensure this new version of The Letter can stand the test of time.

“Now that they’re going to be here ... for a long time, it’s just fantastic,” said Watters.

Funding for the project came from the County of Wellington’s Community Grants Program, the Centre Wellington Community Foundation Macdonald Fund and other donors.