Thanks to a grant from BC Arts Council's Community Arts Festivals program, local non-profit Alter Arts Society will be bringing a series of new murals to Quadra Village as part of this year's Out There Art Festival (Aug. 28-Sept. 6, 2021). Six possible mural sites have already been identified, but how many murals go up will depend on how much community support the project receives. Alter Arts Society is requesting donations from the community to help pay local artists to enliven the neighbourhood, and establish Quadra Village as a local arts and culture destination.
“The three murals that we added to the neighbourhood during the Out There Art Festival last year received such a warm reception from neighbours and local businesses that we have decided to bring the mural portion of the festival back as a separate event,” said Alter Arts Society Director Jenn Neilson.
Artist Tatiana Makovkin immigrated to Canada in the early days of the pandemic, but has found a community through Alter Arts Society. Along with at least two other female artists, Makovkin will be creating one of the new murals in Quadra Village as part of this summer’s festival. “Alter Arts Society has enabled me to participate in creating art and contributing to community events at a time when isolation was impacting everyone,” explains Makovkin. “Public art is nurturing and helps us to feel connected with one-another, which is so important right now.”
In addition to bringing back the Out There Art Festival later this summer, Alter Arts Society has plans to create a shared community workspace for artists in the neighbourhood. The community can help add a splash of colour to Quadra Village by making a donation in support of the festival at AlterArts.ca
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