U.K. muralist Curtis Hylton has been creating live art in the streets of downtown Chilliwack for the upcoming Chilliwack Mural Festival.
He completed a stunning wall in District 1881, and was working on another one on Victoria Avenue, to provide new, exciting imagery ahead of the three-day mural festival on Aug. 10 to Aug. 12.
The process of creating a mural in public makes art infinitely more accessible, Hylton noted.
鈥淚t鈥檚 next to none,鈥� he said, taking a break from the hiss of spray-paint where he was working Tuesday on Thunderbird Lane.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like music, it鈥檚 available to everyone, and you don鈥檛 necessarily have to go to a place or a gallery or anywhere to see it.鈥�
Hylton is one of the muralists transforming Chilliwack鈥檚 downtown with their live-art creation ahead of the festival, along with St贸:l艒 artist Jared Deck, Seeroro, Ronny Dean Harris, HengOne, and Satr.
Organizers of the 2023 Chilliwack Mural Festival invite art lovers to take a 鈥渕esmerizing artistic journey鈥� over the three-day event.
鈥淏race yourself for the unveiling of six new artists who will shape the city鈥檚 imagination into a spectacle that will leave you inspired.鈥�
The event has become synonymous with 鈥減ushing the boundaries of urban art,鈥� in its fourth summer, and this year organizers partnered with St贸:l艒 artist Carrielynn Victor as co-curator.
The festival kicks off on the evening of Aug. 10 at Flashback Brewing with an engaging discussion about St贸:l艒 art, place, and community from various backgrounds and perspectives. Events on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 will bring street parties to Chilliwack offering 鈥渇ar more鈥� than murals.
鈥淲itness the magic unfold through live-art demonstrations, interactive performances and cultural workshops, and live music from acts such as Naduh, Mauvey, Mike Edel, The Unbranded, semi-athletic, and more.鈥�
There will be chances to meet some of the artists, watch them paint, and gain insights into the stories behind each creation.
鈥淭he Chilliwack Mural Festival is thrilled to transport you into a world of artistic wonderment in 2023 as we unveil the captivating works of six extraordinary new artists,鈥� said Lise Oakley, mural festival director. 鈥淧repare to be inspired as we infuse our city with creativity that will leave a unique mark on our hearts and the local landscape.鈥�
Hylton calls the art accessibility of mural-making 鈥渕agical.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 literally accessible on the streets to everyone, and then for people to see the whole process from beginning to end, I think it is a magical thing because it bridges the gap between, when you鈥檙e walking in the city and you see a final piece, you know, it could be a little bit alien. You鈥檙e like, 鈥極h, that鈥檚 cool.鈥�
鈥淏ut then like when you get to see it develop progressively, throughout the whole process, and you kind of have a story to tell for people, then they feel more engaged and a part of it as well. So, yeah, it鈥檚, it鈥檚 a really good thing.鈥�
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