Murals are popping up in Calgary faster than gophers in a grassy meadow.
It's thanks to the Beltline Urban Murals Project – fondly known as BUMP – which has been adding colour this month to the concrete jungle in the Beltline district near downtown.
More than 30 murals have been painted since BUMP got underway in 2017. This summer was to see 21 more by local, national and international artists, but some artists had to postpone until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
One mural that's already taken shape is by Venezuelan-born AlfAlfA, now based in Toronto. His eye-catching mural uses a line-based style and features a hybrid creature, half hare and half tortoise.
Alex Kwong's mural "Simona Lisa" portrays Calgary textile artist Simone Saunders. (photo by Junette Huynh)
Alex Kwong's beautifully rendered mural is a portrait of Simone Saunders, a recent graduate of the Alberta University of the Arts, who is also already attracting international attention for her tufted textile works about Black Lives Matter.
“Her work is especially important these days on a global scale, but I am also hoping to utilize this opportunity with BUMP in order to bring attention and support to one of my peers in the Calgary art scene," says Kwong. "The overall composition plays off of the form of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa with a modern subject.”
A mural by Nathan Meguinis pays tribute to his cultural heritage. (photo by Junette Huynh)
A brightly coloured mural by Nathan Meguinis, an artist from the Tsuut’ina Nation west of Calgary, mixes abstraction and realism to honour his cultural heritage.
Sbuone, originally from France and now based in Montreal, has been working on a mural that features a blue bull with golden horns, pulling from the symbology of the collective unconscious.
Other artists include Toner, Sarah Slaughter, Andrew Tavukciyan, Marcia Harris, Michelle Hoogveld, Elena Bushan and Adrianne Williams. The full line-up and locations, along with information about other activities, like music and self-guided tours, can be found here.
BUMP, which runs Aug. 1 to Aug. 30, received the Mayor’s Urban Design Award for community initiatives last year. ■
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