VMF2022 Neighbourhood: Downtown
The Downtown neighbourhood is proudly home to an ever growing collection of VMF murals!
VMF and the Downtown BIA have collaborated on several projects including VMF Winter Arts, Blanketing the City, and the Granville Promenade in 2021 and now again in 2022. While you find yourself wandering around the downtown core, keep your eyes up to see many of our large-scale murals, including Joe average’s mural, titled One World, One Hope - 40 Years Later, on Granville st.
Transforming and reimagining public space is an integral component of the work the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association does, supported in part by their laneway projects and newly incorporated ‘Perch Program’. Alley Oop, Ackery’s Alley, and Canvas Corridor in Eihu Lane all beautifully showcase the ways in which art can breathe new life into the utilitarian and the mundane. As these spaces evolve, new opportunities for spatial interaction and public enjoyment continue to blossom.
The Downtown Perch Program works to reinvigorate spaces that are privately owned but publicly accessible. Brightly coloured tables and chairs invite people to ‘perch’ and enjoy a moment of reprieve amid the hustle and bustle of Downtown. Cathedral Square, a newly incorporated perch, showcases art created under VMF’s ongoing project, Blanketing The City. Blanketing The City is a public art mural series and Reconciliation process designed by acclaimed xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Weaver and Graphic Designer, Debra Sparrow in collaboration with Vancouver Mural Festival.
“Gud Gad iis & Nucama:t - Coming Together & Working as One”, by artists Jessie Recalma and SGidGang.Xaal / Shoshannah Greene, is inspired by the efforts to bring Indigenous leadership together for ocean conservation. Their collaborative approach reflects their combined efforts in working together to protect their home.
The design depicts an SGaana Saahlan Sdings, a Two-Fin killer whale. Inside the body are human figures, one in each dorsal fin and one in the belly. Together, they are travelling south from Haida Gwaii into Salish waters. Welcoming them is their host, a two-headed sea serpent, sʔi:ɬqəy̓, who guides them through the mouth of the Fraser River. A school of oolichon swims through the waters, and a sea otter playfully holds the artists' names like a sea urchin.
“Tempestas”, the new massive mural on Granville st by Rachel Wada and Siloh, is driven by the concept of “East Meets West”.
The artists were inspired to celebrate and commemorate Vancouver, the city that they call home. Vancouver fits the saying “East Meets West” because it is a hub for many nomadic peoples of different cultures. The artwork features a goddess-like figure surrounded by lush florals, which were created by Siloh. It is embellished with splashing waves and whimsical hands which were created by Rachel. Rachel’s work displays a graphic-feel with hard outlines while Siloh’s work is painted softly with broken edges and defining volume. The artists hope that this mural will breathe new life into the Granville Street area, known historically as the nightlife scene of downtown.
Through the contrast of delicate yet striking imagery and natural motifs, they hope that this mural will blossom like a flower that is thriving within the historically renowned nightlife scene that this piece will call home.
"Interconnection" , by French artist Ratur, depicts the symbiosis or synergic balance between humans and nature that is representative of Vancouver as a city surrounded by nature. This work, which revolved around ecology and environmental protection, is a reminder that everything is ephemeral and connected.
At Canada Place, you can find Ocean Hyland’s gigantic new vinyl piece, “The winds and the waters will always call us home”.
Artist Statement: Herring lines the hair of the being connected to the sea. The visual representation of the changing tides is seen in front of her using Coast Salish elements, and an orca can be seen dancing in the current above.
Pacific herring are a staple food source for many inhabitants of the Salish Sea, including orcas and people. It is important to maintain a balance among the many species that live in the ocean. Our environment has looked after us, and although it remains generous, our relationship with it must be reciprocal. As much as we take, we must also give back.
Above the water line, droplets of the Salish Sea are absorbed by the sky so they can transform and make their way down as rain. Trigons represent the space where the water is called up to the sky and sent back down to water the plants, trees, and streams where the salmon are called to return.
The moon sits high in the sky, and the Coast Salish eye mimics the sun and oversees the work done in our world. All life is connected: as the moon travels the sky, the tides flow, the wind blows, rain falls, the orcas are fed, and our people are happy. This reciprocal relationship ensures the well-being of us all.
“MTN 555” by Laura Jane Klassen / StudioLJK
Artist Statement: 555 is the measure of the most visible colour in the light spectrum. It’s the colour that is most visible to the human eye during daylight, akin to construction workers' high visibility yellow-green safety uniforms.
The mountains are my local horizon. They continually invite the eye to look up and inspire a sense of belonging that ignites joy. The themes of MTN 555 highlight the thrill of time spent in the mountains combined with the bright enthusiasm that colours can convey in our daily lives. They are an invitation to look up, to notice, and to savour. This parallels the importance of how we see ourselves alongside how we are seen and known. Our mental health is determined by how integrated we feel and how much we value ourselves based on our contributions, even if that is just being. MTN555 reminds us to welcome the chromatic and emotional range afresh.
My motivation as an artistic athlete has always been to bring people together—a way to create meaningful connection. MTN555 seeks to fulfill more of the sensation of being seen and bold in our expressions of ourselves as we strive for a brighter future for our collective humanity experience.
Download our free Mobile App for self guided tours and more information on the 350+ murals across the city! Look for the "Downtown" Collection to find the new murals!
MEET THE DOWNTOWN MURAL ARTISTS:
