The city’s downtown core just got a new pop of colour on Yates Street.
The Victoria Downtown Residents Association (VDRA) commissioned this project along with two other organizations, the Yates Street Community Garden and the 1030 Yates Street strata.
The mural, titled SOWER, was created by artist Jesse Campbell who says he was inspired by one of the creation stories from his ancestry as a Métis/Cree/Salteaux person.
An additional inspiration for this piece of work was the well-known novel Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler.
According to the VDRA, the mural features Creator surrounded by camas and magnolia flowers welcoming a swallowtail butterfly.
SOWER was completed in June and was made possible through funding from the City of Victoria and the Downtown Victoria Business Association.
To celebrate the new mural, a free-to-attend celebration is being held on Tuesday, September 10th from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
At the event, TEALIYE/Brianna Bear will open the event with a Lekwungen welcome and then Campbell will talk about the design and the process of painting the mural.
The VDRA says attendees can enjoy a free ‘bike-blended’ fruit smoothie and take a stroll around the garden.
Additionally, local flamenco guitarist Iminah Kani will be there to provide music and there will be colouring sheets for kids who attend.
