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Van Charles Designs, "Baron George Stephen and the Canadian Pacific Railway" 2020, mural (photo by Richard White)
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Mirko Reisser (DAIM), "World's Tallest Mural," 2022, mural, Calgary (photo by Janille Delos Reyes)
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Rhys Farrell and Shane Arsenault, 2018, mural, Calgary (photo by Janille Delos Reyes)
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Alex Currie (RUNT), mural, Calgary (photo by Janille Delos Reyes)
For decades, people around the world have encouraged artists to create murals on building walls in city centres to make the neighbourhoods more attractive to both residents and tourists. The theory: blank walls or walls covered in graffiti create a hostile sense of place, while the colour and imagery of the murals create pedestrian-friendly experiences for everyone.
In some cases, the murals are also called street art and, yes, some look like graffiti. A quick Google search finds dozens of websites ranking cities based on their murals. Cities that show up most often include Melbourne, Australia; London, U.K.; Berlin, Germany and Lisbon, Portugal. Melbourne is famous for its alley murals and, of course, Berlin is famous for the Berlin Wall, now a canvas for murals.
Canada also has its fair share. Toronto and Montreal shows up on some lists and Calgary has an ambitious mural program called BUMP.
Beltline Urban Mural Program in Calgary
BUMP (Beltline Urban Mural Program) started in 2017 and has already completed more than 100 murals across Calgary, with 21 new ones planned for summer 2024.
The 2024 BUMP festival takes place Aug. 3 to 18 this year and includes music, food trucks and tours of old and new murals, as well as the BUMP Urban Art Conference, Aug. 3 to 9.
This year's BUMP artists include Katie Green, Stuart Teekasingh, JUMU Monster, EarBugz Collective, Waposhpyii, Andrea Wan, Harvey Nichol, Kat Simmers, Ben Johnston, Bryan Beyung, Meyso and Nick Sweetman.
BUMP tours were launched earlier this year and take place every Sunday for two hours starting at 1 pm at Olympic Plaza in downtown Calgary. Each tour takes a slightly different route and visits 20 or more murals. The cost is $20 for adults and $15 for youth. Check out BUMP for more information or to book a tour.
BUMP’s biggest claim to fame is the world’s tallest mural, at 310 feet (94.5 metres). Painted in 2022 by the legendary German graffiti artist DAIM with the help of three local artists, it is a colourful geometric design with roots in graffiti art and Op art. It is located at 123 10 Ave. S.W.
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Michelle Hoogveld, “Love, Said the People,” mural, Calgary (photo by Janille Delos Reyes)
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Anaïs Lera, “Nocturne of Other Lands,” mural, Calgary (photo by Janille Delos Reyes)
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A BUMP Road Works mural on a concrete barrier in Calgary. This one is by artist Adeniji Anjolaoluwa, also known as @macanjy (photo by Richard White)
A big hit is BUMP’s Road Works program, where Calgary artists paint concrete barriers that protect temporary patios and boardwalks in the summer. More than 100 barriers have been painted so far, creating a colourful and playful pedestrian experience along city centre streets.
Calgary’s most site-specific mural is a huge portrait of Baron George Stephen and the Canadian Pacific Railway created by Van Charles Designs on the Hudson Block on Stephen Avenue at Centre Street. Painted in 2020, the mural celebrates the Canadian Pacific Railway and the important role it has played in history. Calgary’s signature main street, where the mural is located, is Stephen Avenue (a national historic site). It is named after Sir George Stephen, the first Baron Mount Stephen and the first president of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Doug Driediger, “Giving Wings to the Dream,” 1995 (photo by Janille Delos Reyes)
Calgary’s oldest mural is Giving Wings to the Dream by Calgary muralist Doug Driediger. Best viewed from the corner of Seventh Avenue and First Street, it was created in 1997 and depicts two human hands reaching up (a hand up, not a hand-out) to a white dove, which flies off into a blue sky. It is a metaphor for Calgary Urban Projects Society (which was located in the building when the mural was created), a non-profit that helps Calgarians whose lives are in turmoil. The mural was almost painted over in August 2020, but a petition was successful in saving this beloved mural.
Other Canadian Cities and Towns
Most cities and many towns in Canada have significant mural programs. Chemainus, British Columbia, has one of the oldest and most famous. In the early 1980s, the town invited artists to create murals as a tourist attraction. Today there are 19 murals in the town’s The History series, five in the Emily Carr series and another five in the community mural series. The murals have indeed become a major tourist attraction.
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Johnny Maynard "Rebirth" photo courtesy of Chemainus Festival of Murals Society
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Joyce Kamikura “The Winning Float,” photo courtesy of Chemainus Festival of Murals Society
Montreal’s Urban Art Festival began in 2012 and takes place in early June each year. Taking place along Saint-Laurent Boulevard, it includes musical shows and digital video installations, as well as murals.
Gene Pendon and El Mac (Miles MacGregor), “Tower of Songs, Hommage a Leonard Cohen,” 2017 (photo by Shelley Boettcher)
Montreal is also home to arguably Canada’s most famous mural — a portrait of Leonard Cohen by Gene Pendon and American street portrait artist El Mac (Miles MacGregor), located at 1420 Crescent Street. The 21-storey mural, entitled Tower of Songs, Hommage a Leonard Cohen, is a nod to one of the world’s greatest musicians, who was born and lived in Montreal.
The Vancouver Mural Festival started in 2016 and takes place in early August in the tony Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. However, there are murals in all the city’s trendy neighbourhoods. This year's festival is Aug. 7 to 11.
The Yorkville Murals festival, No Empty Spaces, will take place Aug. 24 and 25 and include artists Sean Brown, Dam Lam, FVCKRENDER, Adam The Illustrator, and Michelle Hoogveld.
One of the more unique mural programs is in Lacombe, Alberta, which claims to be the Mural Capital of Alberta. In 2004, Tim Giles painted 19 murals of buildings and scenes from the 1890s to 1910s in the alley between 51st Street and 50th Avenue. Today there are 32 murals throughout the downtown, creating an engaging walk back in time.
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Hey Doreen by Larry Hunter
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Clydesdales on Parade by John Ellenberger
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Performing Arts Centre by LALA
Today, cities, towns and villages across Canada are capitalizing on the ability of murals to foster a more attractive sense of place for everyone. ■
Also see: Muralist teams up with fashion label to create clothing line
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