Before And After A Mural
If you’ve taken a walk around Mount Pleasant recently you might have noticed how different it looks compared to four years ago before murals started appearing. Since then, we’ve added over 100+ murals from mostly local artists and some internationally renown, creating a walkable map of public art. With every mural that goes up theres an enormous sense of excitement, accomplishment, and acknowledgement of the diversity in talent that surrounds us. Part of the elation with each finished mural is also a reflection on all the hard work that goes in from start to finish (murals are trickier to implement than most would think)! There’s far more that goes into the process than just choosing a blank wall and bringing over a few cans of paint!
If you enjoy the murals in Mount Pleasant and want to continue seeing more, please help Fund the Fest! Every bit counts and goes towards providing free public art!
Mural: KC Hall
Mural title: Raven Transformation
Location: 75 W.5th Ave
Fun Fact: This is the only mural that has five facades, creating unique challenges of their own. This mural depicts a famous Northwest Coast story of Raven, bringing light to the world by becoming a human in order to trick a chief into giving him the sun which was hidden in a storage box. Read more about KC Hall’s piece here!
Artist: SATONE
Mural title: Almond
Location: 177 W. 7th Avenue
Fun Fact: This mural is located directly beside an ambulance dispatch centre, creating a special challenge: we had to ensure that mural production would not impede the access and egress of emergency vehicles. In order to accommodate the turning radius and site lines for the drivers, we rented a special lift and created a clear driving path with cones and barricades. #muralsafety
Artist: ONEQ
Mural title: Monster Sisters
Location: 35 E. 3rd Avenue (east-facing wall of parking lot)
Fun Fact: This mural is 31 meters (102 feet), the only one done COMPLETELY in aerosol paint and by ONE artist. Plus it was finished in UNDER one week!
Artist: MEDIANERAS
Mural title: Freedom
Location: 68 E. 2nd Avenue
Fun Fact: Something we mention on our mural tours is how challenges around mural production can turn into opportunities. This mural is a perfect example: when the first draft was submitted, the building owner requested the inclusion of the utility box (where the hand is painted). A decision that came with new challenges to overcome ultimately resulted in a completely new and more impactful design! #3dmurals #anamorphicprojection
Artist(s): PAMELLA PINARD & SYD DANGER
Mural title: Pack Mentality
Location: 14 W. 7th (south-facing alley wall in 7-½ Lane)
Fun Fact: This is the only VMF mural that is only painted in shades of black and white, making it especially unique!
Artist: Kathy Ager
Mural title: Homecoming
Location: 101 W. 5th Ave
Fun Fact: Believe it or not, this was Kathy’s first mural (and she killed it!). Kathy is an oil painter and now one of the best mural artists in the city!
