Squamish Mural Walk

Kevin Ledo (2022)

Thor Froslev: The mural was made to honour Thor's work and contribution to the community on many fronts. Kevin Ledo shares about the mural: "Once reading about and learning the history of Thor’s life and contribution, I immediately was drawn to his story and felt like he was a perfect subject for my mural. I was meant to photograph Thor for this mural, but unfortunately he had some health issues and was in hospital for more than a month. So his wife Dorte, sent me some photos to work from. The colours and shapes are based off of one of my abstract watercolour paintings, expressing Thor’s vision and creativity, in a retro vibe. Dorte, Thor’s wife came by multiple times during the mural process, and it was a pleasure to speak with her and learn about Thor. To our good fortune, Thor was released from hospital the day after the mural was finished, and Dorte drove him straight to the mural to meet myself and Alex Fowkes, (the festival organizer.) He was still in a fragile state, but was pleased to see the artwork made in his honour, and it brought a smile to his face. Thor passed in September of 2022. I feel fortunate to have had the chance to honour him for the community in Squamish, and grateful that he had the chance to see the tribute before leaving our world. Local artist, Liesl Peterson, generously helped out on the mural with filling out some of my abstract portion of the design."

Jessa Gilbert (2018)

Mountain Scape: “The goal with this piece was to show one of the pieces of what Squamish has to offer. What I love about Squamish is you have a rich, coastal rainforest but you also have an amphitheatre of mountains,” artist Jessa Gilbert said. “The colours are lively and playful, and take a lot of inspiration from Alpenglow. The textures are from the forest and the alpine,” she said.

Steve Cole (2017)

Train: This grayscale mural depicts a train with the mountains and forest chugging along behind the train.

Liesl Petersen (2021)

Eagle and Better Together: A colourful mural depicting an eagle in flight soaring towards the viewed, over geometric mountains.

Liesl Petersen (2019)

Cleveland Gardens: A giant West Coast forest that towers over Downtown Squamish. This 4 story apartment building had a mural worked into the technical drawings, and the artist had the privilege of executing it. From the basic preparation of the concrete block, scraping, caulking, priming, layers of elastomeric paint, and the finished design, the entire project took 2 months to execute with 2 people and a man lift.

Stan Matwychuk

Mountain Bike Bear Chase: Originally a field themed mural on an out of business Fields store franchise. The theme was really ‘tongue and cheek’ as the intention was just a simple mural to brighten up a very different downtown Squamish circa 2010. This building was empty for years and Matwychuk pitched an idea to the Downtown Squamish BIA and Home Hardware. When Dunbar cycles moved in the BIA got in contact with Matwychuk and they revised the mural to incorporate a family, biking and community design.

Kups (2017)

Owl Bones: This mural features a spooky CuCkoo clock with an unlucky lightning strike. "Can you find all of the 7's hidden in the piece.? There are probably more than you think."

Liesl Petersen (2018)

Howe Sound: Located in a frequented back alley of Downtown Squamish, First and a Half ave features favorite colours and familiar scenery from the nearby Squamish Estuary and Howe Sound. This mural spans 5000 sq ft and was designed to beautify a well-used back street and deter graffiti.

Liesl Petersen (2020)

Squamish Eye: An eye design has been painted on the roof. The design is huge and is visible from the Chief for any viewers looking down from Squamish from a height.

Liesl Petersen (2018)

Howe Sound: Located in a frequented back alley of Downtown Squamish, First and a Half ave features favorite colours and familiar scenery from the nearby Squamish Estuary and Howe Sound. This mural spans 5000 sq ft and was designed to beautify a well-used back street and deter graffiti.

Liesl Petersen (2019)

Squamish Wings: This mural features decorative wings. It was painted to celebrate individual journeys to become our best selves. Viewers can stand in the middle of the wings and have a photo taken with soaring wings behind them.

Liesl Petersen (2019)

In the Eye of the Beholder: A detailed person's eye has been painted on the wall. The Squamish eye mural : "In the eye of the beholder" was designed to be supplementary to the wings mural in that location, so that when viewers stand in front of the wings, they can see the silhouette of someone standing in front of the wings and taking a flash photo.

Alex Stewart (2021)

No Growth Without Rain: This mural was meant to bring color and a reminder to both myself and those who view it. That sometime much like the rain comes to our forests, troubles come into our lives. But they can be the foundation for growth and compassion.

Siobhan Joseph (2022)

Duality: This mural depicts two people facing each other, one in reds and oranges, one in blues, with a First Nations figure with arms raised standing in between them.

Carolyn Wong (2022)

Ephemeral Koi: Inspired by studies in Suminagashi - the ancient art of Japanese marbling using water and ink. Using only the interaction of water, soap, and ink, beautiful organic patterns and rings are formed and captured on paper. The patterns in these studies were then incorporated into Koi fish silhouettes, creating unique textural qualities combined with graphic elements. The mural hopes to evoke a sense of harmony and balance between yin and yang.

Ken Skoda (2000)

Squamish Adventure: This mural along the side of the DollarTree building features creatures of Squamish and our environment, such as a bear, deer, eagle and whales.

MaryMary

Divers: A set of colourful divers dive down the wall of this business, on an otherwise plain and unadorned wall.

Alex Fowkes (2021)

Colour Alley: This is an alley that has been brightened by geometric designs and colours during the 2021 MuralWalk, making an otherwise art-less alley into a bright nook in central downtown Squamish.

District of Squamish (2016)

Rainbow Crosswalk: This crosswalk has been painted with a rainbow to symbolise support for 2SLGBTQIA+ and Squamish as a community that celebrates diversity and allyship.

Siobhan Joseph (2021)

Herons: This mural painted in Coast Salish style across several plywood sheets features a heron in movement, walking through water feeding, while another stands watch, with the estuary and mountain scenery of Squamish in the background.

Atheana Picha (2021)

Two Serpents: This mural depicts two serpents facing one another. Serpents are featured heavily in First Nations histories of the region. The piece was painted for the 2021 Squamish MuralWalk.

Tom Bunney (2022)

We are All One: There is such a push right now in politics and mainstream media to fear and hate each other for our differences and to cause division. But this is not the way. For us all to live happier and more fulfilling lives, and to reach all of our dreams, we must come together, to unite. We are one planet, we are all one organism, and an organism at war with itself is doomed. This message of unity is what Tom Bunney wanted to get across with this piece - not just in the Sea to Sky, but the world over. He chose to work in a style that took inspiration from classic tattoo art too, not just because he loves that bold style of line work but also because it added an essence of permanence to his message of unity.

Olivia Di Liberto (2021)

Prioritize the Planet: The mural ‘Prioritize the planet’ is situated in downtown Squamish. The design includes a collection of illustrations to relay a powerful message to the public pertaining to one of the biggest global issues today. The weeping planet earth, dying flower and tree in flames symbolize the urgent need of climate change action while existing alongside the beautiful and grand natural elements of Squamish and British Columbia.

Dave Petko (2022)

Larry: The mural creature is named "Larry" and he is a critter. From Dave Petko's critter colouring book... "A word about critters. Critters are imaginary beings existing on land, in the sky and the water. Some have spots, some have horns, some critters even have antennae. Some critters have spikes they walk on, making sounds as they walk, tic tac, tic tac, tic tac. Others simply slither about like snakes or salamanders do. There are some critters that can fly, while others float up and down and get blown about by the wind like balloons; others are so fast that you can rarely see them, all you see is the light trail behind them. If you ever wonder how big or how small critters are, well let me tell you that they come in all sizes, some you can barely see with a naked eye, and some are so big you might mistake them for a planet! Watch where you step as some have spiky bits on top of their heads! Most of the critters presented here are friendly and happy even if they may look scary they really are not, looks CAN be deceiving after all."

Brett Robinson (2022)

Sun Over Mountain: First Nations artist Brett Robinson created a mural of the sun, eagle, mountains and ocean for the 2022 Squamish MuralWalk.

Ciarra Saylor Douglas (2022)

Fungi Fun: The intention of this Mural was to bring attention and awareness to a very small subject that we often overlook on our forest walks by creating a perspective where the mushrooms become the viewer of the much smaller humans around them.

Nat Tuke (2021)

Orcas at Sunset: The evening sunlight glimmers on the rippling Howe Sound, as a pod of orcas breach peacefully. Whales have only just returned to Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound in the last few years after a century of absence when the Howe Sound was polluted so heavily by industry. Their sightings are a reminder of the successful rejuvenation of this magnificent sound, which we must continue to protect and preserve.

Anais Lera (2022)

Garden: A detailed view of a garden, including flora, a snail, and a frog, this mural was painted in Anais Lera's style of painting imaginary ecosystems filled with meticulously detailed elements collected from scientific observations.

Sarah Keller (2022)

Joy in Sunflowers: ‘Joy in Sunflowers’ is the most popular print sold in Sarah Keller's collections and recently became immortalized as a mural in Downtown Squamish. “The next most joyful thing to whales jumping is sunflowers.” When trying to decide how to convey this picture, this is the sentence that described it. This picture is a cumulation of time spent in Tofino working with a whale watching company, combined with a vision of joy. I decided I had to paint this image to get it out of my head, and I’m so glad that I did. Every time I look at this painting I am filled with joy, and I hope you are, too."

Scott Borkowski, Sleestak (2022)

Have a Nice Day: This mural was painted as a wall of fun, positive imagery to brighten the viewer's day. Viewers can hold the balloon for a photo, smile and enjoy the rest of their day.

Fernanda Ribeiro Ferreira (2022)

Good Things Take Time: "Good things take time. A reminder to appreciate the process! In times of anxiety, where we are bombarded with beautiful and shiny final results every day, we tend to forget to look at what's goes behind the scenes. The practice to learn, the patience to endure, the persistence to go deeper, and the calmness to enjoy..."

Tawx’sin Yexwulla, Aaron Nelson-Moody (2021)

Community Wall: Paintillio and Aaron Nelson-Moody (Tawx’sin Yexwulla) brought this collaborative, paint-by-number mural to Squamish for the entire community to paint. This outdoor mural is over 150 square feet and designed by Tawx’sin Yexwulla, in his traditional Coast Salish style. Paintillio facilitated the mural experience with the Squamish community. "We talked about the theme of light for this piece and the environment and the creatures we might see in the forest around us or in the waters beneath our canoe. The central figure is the Snookum, the sun. It speaks to generosity and abundance and it also speaks to the very fragile nature of our environment." - Aaron Nelson-Moody (Tawx’sin Yexwulla)

J.Y. (2018)

Orange Hulas: A warming sun shining behind colourful mountains overlooking the land and sea.

Phil Phil Studio (2022)

Eagle and Salmon: An eagle is depicted in mid flight, hunting over a river of salmon, with a background of west coast trees, mountains, and the sun.

Gabriela Lech (2022)

Overdose Prevention Site Mural Project: The idea for this mural was inspired by Sea to Sky Community Action Team member Sarah Jane Thompson, 1994-2020. Sarah was a friend and fierce advocate who imagined a world full of hope and free from stigma. The mural is dedicated to all those in our community whom we have lost to the toxic drug crisis and to those who are struggling. We continue to fight against stigma and to foster healing. With the Community Action Team at Under One Roof, the painters sought input from folks with lived experience to see how they could honour those who have been lost - and those still struggling - from the opioid crisis. What they gathered from these conversations is that, overall, people want to see an image of healing. This concept of healing came up over and over again. When asked what healing means for people, all sorts of imagery came up: “Cedar as medicine.” “Birds- to represent loved ones that have passed flying over us.” “An eagle. I read a poem about eagles at my daughter’s funeral, who I lost to an overdose.” “A sunrise, to symbolize hope for tomorrow.” “Something spiritual, bigger than ourselves, but not religious.” “Poppy - for both opium and remembrance. And that these plants aren’t innately evil, yet have been demonized through our failing systems.” “Indigenous medicinal plants to our area that have been been healing our people for ages.” “Mountains - they make me feel peaceful.” "Family - we must stick together in the hard times. Gotta have community." The painters took note of this imagery, and designed the mural viwers see today.

Ciarra Saylor Douglas (2017)

The Illuminated Community: Community is something that the library holds together and with this in mind Ciarra Saylor Douglas chose to use the visual symbol of the hexagonal patterns which relates to one of the strongest communities in nature, the hive and the honey bee. It is a beautiful shape which organically brings connection. "I brought comfort, creativity and inspiration to the space by using the Gold Gilding which brings a mystical, whimsical feeling, illuminating the text and bringing another dimension to the area which honours the past of book making before technology replaced the artistic hand. The largest focal point in this piece is paying homage to the many fairy tales and stories we have all read that started with “ Once Upon a Time”. In our digital age I have chosen a cursive font to represent language as it is a beautiful and creative art form which children and adults alike should be given the opportunity to view and appreciate."

Ciarra Saylor Douglas (2019)

Metamorphosis & Strength: Ciarra Saylor Douglas created this piece of art work to represent the changes this teen audience will connect with. The butterflies in there are fluttering beauty who have morphed and grown from one point in their lives to the next, along with the phoenix which is a beautiful and powerful symbol of creating oneself, which also brings joy and strength to the viewer.

Unknown

Mountains: Along the back of the building are featured a display of minimalist mountains.

MaryMary

Astronaut: This mural depicts an astronaut in stained glass style.

Jessica Soparlo (2021)

Would be Nude Not To: Decorating the fence are playful, abstract figures of women (in the nude) painted in warm, bright colours.

MaryMary

Sailing: This mural depicts a sailing ship with the sun shining behind it.

Stan Matwychuk (2022)

Forward Together: Hand spray painted and brush work. Commissioned by Stanhope Developments and curated by the DOS, this mural takes into account the local train history of the downtown Squamish area. Many years ago trains were barged up the Howe Sound, and tied to Shore, and then the trains would continue up the valley. This was commonplace. This community is ever evolving, the idea of working together for a common cause what is a theme behind this mural. There is however a tainted past from the history of the railroad however, remembering, reconciling and learning from our collective past experiences, will aid and led to better future inclusive decision making. If we forget, we are doomed to repeat-Forward Together-.

Alex Fowkes (2021)

Squamish Youth Scenery: The water station was painted by Squamish Youth and artist Alex Fowkes in 2021. It depicts colourful scenery, brightening up a functional building.