#MakeArtWhileApart Murals Continue Its Impact On The City One Year Later

One year ago, colourful painted murals began popping up on boarded-up storefronts across Vancouver. Similar to the cherry blossoms blooming across the city, the murals were a much-needed spark to bring joy and inspire hope during the start of the pandemic last spring.

The project, dubbed #MakeArtWhileApart, was led by VMF (producers of Vancouver Mural Festival) with support from the City of Vancouver, Vancity Credit Union, Downtown Vancouver BIA, Robson BIA, and South Granville BIA. The result was renewed vibrancy in the neighbourhoods, thanks to 60 beautiful murals painted by local artists featuring messages of hope and positivity.

The temporary murals may have been short-lived (most were taken down as stores reopened) but the impact on the city and communities continue a year later. The past year reinforced the importance of public space and the role of public art in connecting people and communities. 

On March 31, the City approved a motion to explore requiring murals and public art on development and construction hoarding. "As we’ve seen during COVID-19 with storefront hoarding murals, construction hoarding offers a potential new 'canvas' for the city’s artists and arts and culture organizations to bring to life in terms of fostering a quality public realm that contributes to engaging, active cultural experiences in our urban spaces," states the motion.

Last summer, VMF reimagined its annual Vancouver Mural Festival, expanding to 9 neighbourhoods to enable safe exploration while supporting local businesses and artists. It also hosted the VMF Pop-Up Patio, one of the city’s only multi-week, live performance series. Plans are currently underway for Vancouver Mural Festival 2021 this August, featuring more neighbourhoods, more murals and more live events to safely connect and support communities. 

VMF believes in the power of art to connect people, empower communities, and spark change in our city and world. The past year brought many things but shining a light on the power of public art to inspire, heal, and bring people together—even while they are physically apart—is one of the bright spots we hope will endure.

Mural artists from images from top to bottom: iHeart, Benjamin T. Stone