The re-created 1948 The Destruction of War and Rebuilding the World Through Education Mural, originally painted by renowned Canadian artist Fred Ross in the performance court of the Center, was unveiled on June 27, 2011. The new mural was painted by Amy Ash, Sara Griffin and Fred Willar under the direction of Fred Ross.
Members of Fredericton High School's student council commissioned and paid Fred Ross $700 to tackle a mural Second World War memorial for fallen students. This occupied him full-time from 1946 to 1948. His murals, The Destruction of War and Rebuilding the World Through Education, were unveiled on May 21, 1948.
The composition was two small sketches which were squared off to prepare full size drawings called "cartoon". The back of the cartoons were rubbed with chalk and transferred to the 4 x 10 foot masonite panels prepared with gesso ground. In The Destruction of War, the central figure, a young ’universal’ soldier, with no distinguishing marks, equipment or insignia to identify him as either Allied or German is surrounded by fearful and fighting individuals and screaming victims of war. Ross wanted to stress the idea of the brotherhood of man breaking down all national barriers.
Rebuilding the World Through Education establishes a positive panorama of school, sports and social activities. A confident and centrally placed male and female couple stand beside Ross's self-portrait at the center left adjusting his bow tie. He implies an awareness of history but also confidence in his generation's ability to take society to a better direction - a direction that is now under a nuclear threat as demonstrated by the atomic mushroom cloud atop both panels.
The original murals were dismantled in the mid-1950s and no longer exits. Ross' original cartoons, are in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada.
