New murals are popping up all over the city and that can only mean one thing—Vancouver Mural Festival is back, baby, and it is more diverse than ever! So get ready to put your sneakers on and explore this year’s varied selection of featured artists all over our city—and yes they are everywhere.
Kicking the festival off in style is the annual street party (August 8-11) hosted at the City Center Artist Lodge in Mount Pleasant. After a territorial welcome ceremony by Musqueam Elder Mary Point, there will be an all day dance party set to live music and DJs, live painting activations, DJs, karaoke, drag and more.
Visitors will get the chance to peek into some of the artists studios, shop from local vendors and enjoy craft beer, ciders, and zero-proof cocktails. And on the final day of the fest—August 11—there will be a showcasing of up and coming Latinx artists hosted by the Vancouver Latin American Culture Center.
This year’s festival is set to feature over a dozen Indigenous artists among their lineup of creatives with a mission to bring their stories and messages to life through visual art. Walking down the streets of Strathcona, Gastown, Renfrew, Downtown and more, Vancouverites will have the chance to check out the city’s newest art pieces.
Though the festivities only run for five days, the featured murals can be enjoyed at any time during and after the festival—thus truly making the art accessible. The festival features murals such as the one returning artist Olivia George, a Coast Salish artist from the səlilwətaɬ – Tsleil-Waututh Nation, is crafting. This new work explores the meaning of home—and how it goes beyond just a physical space.
PS. You can also spot her work on an augmented reality installation at Le Magasin Alley in Gastown, where she’s collaborating with Joshua Conrad, Ovila Mailhot, and Diamond Point.
Returning to the festival once more is Randall Bear Barnetson. The artist—who is from the village of Nadleh Whut’en, the Dakelh nation, and of the Duntem’yoo Bear clan—will be featured as a panelist during the Artist Talk & Tunes event on August 7. He can also be found painting live and sharing his creative vision at VMF’s After Dark events hosted on August 8 and 9.
So art-loving Vancouverites, grab your cameras and practice your go-to karaoke tune while getting ready for five days of murals, music and more.
Plan your ideal Mural Fest with the full lineup available here.
