Downtown Eastside Hosts Community Mural Festival
Dozens of local artists transform urban spaces with large-scale murals celebrating neighborhood stories, diversity, and social justice.
The alleyways and building façades of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside are coming alive with vibrant color as part of a week-long community mural festival celebrating local stories and visual culture.
Over 40 artists are participating in the event, which features live painting sessions, guided tours, and workshops on public art and urban storytelling.
“This neighborhood has a complex history,” said muralist Ana Molina. “We’re using art to reflect both its struggles and its resilience.”
Several murals address themes of housing justice, Indigenous rights, and mental health. One piece by Haida artist Ryan X’ulxi draws on crest imagery to depict intergenerational healing and survival.
Organizers say the festival is as much about process as product. “It’s about people reclaiming space,” said coordinator Jude Ferrer. “These walls are our canvas, but also our voice.”
Funding was provided by the City of Vancouver and several nonprofit sponsors. All murals will remain on display indefinitely, adding to the area’s growing open-air gallery.