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PHOTOS: Giant murals tower over downtown Chilliwack for annual festival

7 new murals by 6 artists add colour to drab walls as part of Chilliwack Mural Festival
Jenna Hauck
Jenna Hauck
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People gaze at one of the newest murals in downtown Chilliwack on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. This piece by artist Satr, located on Victoria Avenue, was one of seven new murals painted for the Chilliwack Mural Festival which ran Aug. 10 to Aug. 12. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

People craned their necks to get a better view of the sky-high artwork during Chilliwack Mural Festival on the weekend.

The event brought seven new murals, some by international artists, to the walls of buildings throughout downtown Chilliwack for the annual festival which ran Aug. 10 to Aug. 12.

This year’s muralists included Stó:lō artist Jared Deck, Curtis Hylton, Seeroro, Ronny Dean Harris, HengOne, and Satr. There’s also a bench painted by Amy Bao that will be placed in District 1881.

Pedestrians mill about on Court Lane during the Chilliwack Mural Festival on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Pedestrians mill about on Court Lane during the Chilliwack Mural Festival on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

A band plays in Court Lane during the Chilliwack Mural Festival on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
A band plays in Court Lane during the Chilliwack Mural Festival on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

The festival started back in 2020 when organizer Amber Price said she “ran out of walls” at her business, The Book Man.

“Some people sleeve their arms, I want to sleeve all the buildings,” Price said back then, referring to people with many tattoos.

READ MORE: PHOTOS: Inaugural Chilliwack Mural Festival nearly complete

One objective of the festival is to attract folks, and not just the locals, to downtown Chilliwack. This year’s festival included guided mural tours, live music, a market, dancing, a community art wall, temporary murals, and an evening where folks gathered to learn and talk about Stó:lō place names, art and community.

There are now about 50 murals in the downtown area.

For more, go to chilliwackmuralfestival.com.

Volunteer Michael Berger (left) takes people on a tour of murals on Victoria Avenue as part of the Chilliwack Mural Festival on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. This piece by Chantelle Trainor-Matties is titled ‘Raven’ and was painted in March of 2023. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Volunteer Michael Berger (left) takes people on a tour of murals on Victoria Avenue as part of the Chilliwack Mural Festival on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. This piece by Chantelle Trainor-Matties is titled ‘Raven’ and was painted in March of 2023. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

Pedestrians walk past a mural by HengOne on Victoria Avenue near Mill Street during the Chilliwack Mural Festival on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. This is one of the new murals painted as part of this year’s festival. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Pedestrians walk past a mural by HengOne on Victoria Avenue near Mill Street during the Chilliwack Mural Festival on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. This is one of the new murals painted as part of this year’s festival. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

This pine martens mural by Curtis Hylton, seen here on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, was one of the new pieces of public artwork added to this year’s Chilliwack Mural Festival. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
This pine martens mural by Curtis Hylton, seen here on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, was one of the new pieces of public artwork added to this year’s Chilliwack Mural Festival. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

People walk past the ‘Yawning Kitty’ mural painted by Oksana Gaidasheva in 2020 in Court Lane near Mill Street during the Chilliwack Mural Festival on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
People walk past the ‘Yawning Kitty’ mural painted by Oksana Gaidasheva in 2020 in Court Lane near Mill Street during the Chilliwack Mural Festival on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

READ MORE: Muralists making art more accessible in streets of Chilliwack ‘a magical thing’

 

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Email: jenna.hauck@theprogress.com
Twitter: @PhotoJennalism

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Jenna Hauck

About the Author: Jenna Hauck

I started my career at The Chilliwack Progress in 2000 as a photojournalist.
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