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Vancouver Mural Festival 2022

It’s been another successful year of Vancouver Mural Festival and we’re thrilled to welcome some brand new murals to the Strathcona neighbourhood for 2022, including one sponsored by the Strathcona BIA. In total, four new murals came to the Clark Drive area this year as part of Vancouver Mural Festival in partnership with local property owners and businesses, adding a whole new level of vibrancy to this corridor. Along with traditional wall murals, 12 Strathcona BIA tree-planter murals in and around East Hastings were refreshed with a new mural design by Zac George.

Public art has the power to help strengthen the connections between all who share space here. We are proud to be a part of supporting more vibrant public murals for all to enjoy, in particular focusing on uplifting Indigenous artists and dedicating more visual space in Strathcona to their impactful work. 

To learn more about Strathona’s murals you can book a walking tour via Vancouver DeTours or visit vanmuralfest.ca for city-wide updates and info. Be sure to download their app for an up-to-date map of murals throughout the city. 

Here’s where you can find new Strathcona Murals.

VMF Map 

620 Clark Drive (at Frances St.)

Artist: Jennifer Clark

Title: Imaginal Discs

Jennifer Clark’s paintings explore themes around the natural world, psychology and the polarities of what it means to be human in our contemporary culture.  

Artist Statement:

This mural is located on a building that is home to Canada’s first Recovery Cafe operated by the Kettle Society. This space is a refuge for individuals seeking recovery from homelessness, poverty, isolation, substance use and other mental health challenges.

Butterflies and moths are the primary imagery representing symbols of transformation. Through the process of metamorphosis, they are changing, shifting, and forming. The same can be said for the community at Kettle, their lives are shifting in new directions. The flight of the butterfly is symbolic of hope, the yellow and blue squares reference light, matter, pixels, stars and individuals in a community, together. The white shapes in the background bring light, something necessary to illuminate a path forward. Nature carries within its design a kind of poetry that we can learn from.

Perhaps if we study and appreciate the complexity of nature we will take good care of it, as well as ourselves because the two are connected and are part of a bigger whole.

620 Clark Drive (at Frances St.)

Artist: Corey Bulpitt

Title: This is an Invitation to Leave Your Armour at the Door

Corey Bulpitt also known as Ta’kiid Aayaa or “Gifted Carver” by the Haida of the Naikun Raven clan, is from the Naikun Raven Clan. He completed his studies at Langley Fine Art School, apprenticed for Haida artist Christian White, and worked for Haida master carver Jim Hart at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC. Corey is a multimedia artist with a background as a graffiti artist and practice in totem pole and mask carving. 

Artist Statement:

This mural depicts a scene of sea, land and sky, with mountains and the moon in the background, with a killer whale fin, paddlers in a canoe and a cedar branch in the foreground.

The mountains represent what the Dudes have overcome, the paddlers represent the Dudes on their journey, the killer whale fin represents those that have gone on before them.

The moon represents the female energy which is important to them all even in this male-based group. The cedar branch represents medicine.

1295 Frances Street (Meridian Landscaping)

Artist: Caleb Ellison-Dysart

Title: miskinâhk

Caleb Ellison-Dysart is a nîhithaw (Cree) artist living on Coast Salish territories. His family comes from O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation & Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba, and the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Caleb specializes in 3D Animation, Murals, Design & Illustration. His process-driven work is finely crafted to celebrate Cree culture and incorporate stories that centre around physical and spiritual connections to land.

Artist Statement:

Turtle Island is the name that various Indigenous nations have always called “North America” since time immemorial. The name comes from oral histories and creation stories that tell of a turtle who holds the world on its back. It is important, now more than ever, that we take care of Turtle Island and all its inhabitants. Let’s not forget our responsibility to the life around us.

912 Clark Drive (Fujiya Japanese Foods)

Artist: Mia Okhi

Title: Protect Our Trees

Mia Ohki is a Métis-Japanese-Canadian Artist specializing in illustration.

Artist Statement:

“Protect Our Trees” features three bonsai trees: the first is a cherry blossom tree, the middle pot has a person in a kimono tending a fir tree sapling, and the last features a Japanese maple tree. The kimono is adorned with traditional Métis beadwork designs that connect to the roots of the sapling. The cherry blossom with the image of Japan’s Mount Fuji on the pot is protected by a shimenawa warding off evil spirits. The Japanese maple tree’s pot has Vancouver’s “The Lions” mountain range carved on its surface.

“千樹の森を守ろう” on the center pot roughly translates to “Protect Ancient Trees”, with emphasizes the importance of protecting sacred trees. Considering the long history of Fujiya in Vancouver, the title of the design has two meanings: we must protect the trees in British Columbia, pillars of the coastal forest, and we must support the pillar businesses of the Vancouver community.

Various locations

Artist: Zac George

Zac George is a member of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. He was born and raised in North Vancouver and now lives in Chehalis, BC. His work is inspired by his late grandparents, Chief Dan and Amy George, and Robert and Betty Edge. Zac studied carving with Don Joe of Chehalis and is proud to use the Coast Salish artistic style. He lives the rich cultural lifestyle of the Salish People: he is a hunter and a fisherman and follows the traditional spirituality practiced by his people for centuries.

Artist Statement: The sacred mountain sees everything and has the ability to pray for and watch over the people of Vancouver. Our mountains hold a lot of history and strength and if you look over to the North Shore, you’ll understand.