VMF2021 Neighbourhood: River District

Caitlin McDonnaghs’ mural in progress for VMF2020

The River District is a new residential and commercial development, spanning 130 acres of land in South Vancouver. Should you walk along the boardwalk or down the pier, you'll be met with great views of the district’s namesake, the Fraser River. For a bike or jog, you can journey down the Fraser Foreshore Trail and make your way to Riverfront Park for a picture perfect pic-nic. 

At the center of town is the community plaza which serves as the district’s commercial heart. There’s lots of great spots to grab a bite, including Romer’s - which the Georgia straight has deemed home to the best burger for four years running! During the summer months the River District has its own festival, Savour Summer, with over 7,000 visitors attending annually. There are food trucks, vendors, and live music, as well as a variety of activities for kids of all ages. 

The River District is home to it’s very own mural gallery. The ten artists in this mural gallery are brought together surrounding the idea of a meandering path between a cultivated garden and a wild forest, as a site of exchange, imagination, myth, transformation, and knowledge. As a newer development, VMF is working alongside the River District to transform and beautify this public space. As the walkway is a high traffic zone for both local and neighbouring communities, the mural gallery is an opportunity to engage the public and share stories through a visual lens. Outside of Mount Pleasant, the River District has the highest concentration of murals in any community space throughout the lower mainland! 

Jillian Mundy, one of this year’s River District mural artists, took this year as a time to look inwards and self-reflect. 

In her own words, she explains “I began to repeat to myself a daily affirmation that the things that are meant for me will meet me halfway. My piece depicts two floral spirits reaching for one another. It is intended to not only embody my newfound mantra but also be reminiscent of the personal growth I have made as a visual artist in this time. More broadly, the flora represents the shared compromise and unity we will all need to foster as we move forward in a post COVID landscape.”

Murals in River District are sponsored by Wesgroup


ENTER TO WIN THE RIVER DISTRICT PRIZE GIVEAWAY:

Discover Vancouver’s diverse neighbourhoods while having a chance to win some incredible prizes! This summer, participating neighbourhoods are generously providing gift packs curated from local businesses in their area. Download the VMF App and use the interactive map to help you find this year’s new murals and more across Vancouver!

Enter to WIN the River District prize giveaway that includes a generous basket filled with dog gifts from Bosley’s, a massager from River District Physio, and a Save on Foods gift card with the instructions below:

  1. Post a carousel on Instagram of THREE or more murals from River District

  2. Tag @riverdistrict @vanmuralfest in the photo and/or caption

  3. Make sure to use #vmfriverdistrict and #vanmuralfest

Every carousel post equals another entry!

Winners for the neighbourhood giveaways will be chosen by August 25th.

Read the Terms and Conditions here.


MEET THE RIVER DISTRICT MURAL ARTISTS:

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VMF2021 Neighbourhood: Marpole

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VMF2021 Neighbourhood: Downtown