Colourful new mural brightens up dark underpass in Ramsay, Inglewood

Artists complete massive mural under train bridge Ramsay and Inglewood residents were tired of the dark, dingy underpass connecting the communities, so they did something about it.

A dark and dingy underpass on 12 Street S.E. now has a vibrant new mural to brighten it up.

The project, near 11 Avenue S.E., is on the west wall of the southbound side of the road, and stretches across 418 square metres of concrete.

"A mural like this, I think brings people to a community," said Kolja Vainstein, president of the Ramsay Community Association.

"I think about places that I go to, other cities, and I would want to come to a community like this," Vainstein said.

"I think this is what makes a community interesting, it's got vibrancy, it's got lots of interesting businesses and I think a mural like this is going to draw people in."

The underpass is an important pedestrian corridor and the primary connector between Ramsay, it's neighbours in Inglewood and the Bow River.

Vainstein says the mural project was on the drawing board for more than two years.

"It wasn't a slam dunk for sure," he said. "Trying to figure out who owns the underpass and how we can get permission to actually paint the underpass was a challenge in itself, and then working with the city to get the roads closed and sidewalks closed."

Vainstein reached out to local Ramsay artists Caitlind Brown and Monica Ila to come up with some ideas for the mural.

"The design work was done digitally," said Brown. "Each of us built a number of components and then we collaged them together and then projected them on the wall, traced them and then had an army of volunteers that helped us paint them."

Brown says it was important for her and Ila to canvas community members for their input on the mural.

"We sent out postcards into Ramsey and Inglewood and we asked for the stories and secrets of this place," she said.

"Then we took those stories and secrets and we created hundreds of components of hundreds of creatures, hundreds of houses, hundreds of objects and then we digitally collage those things together to try and tell this sort of comedic tale, which really captures this neighborhood as it is sort of right now at the precipice of great change."

It took just over three weeks to complete the mural, and the final touch was putting a clear coat on it for protection.

"It will protect the mural from UV, it'll help it last a little bit longer," Vanstein said.

"Protect it from the creosote run off from the trains (overhead) a little bit, it's also an anti-graffiti coating."

Vainstein says the artists did the majority of leg work to raise the $45,000 for the project through grant applications and crowd funding.

The southwest side of the bridge was supposed to be home to a Green Line LRT station in the community.

"Initially, this mural was supposed to be temporary, (something) that just reflected the stories of the neighborhood," said Brown.

"Now with the Green Line sort of in a tenuous balance due to the provincial government, we're not sure if this mural is going to be a longer-term project, so good thing we're happy with it!"

Vainstein says there are three remaining blank concrete walls in the underpass that could use some colour.

"I think there's tons of potential for other murals in this neighborhood, especially right here," he said.

"So hopefully (one day) we can cover the other surfaces. We've had a ton of feedback from community members, from people in the city who says this is a wonderful project, and I hope that people from Calgary come to Ramsay, come to Inglewood, check out this mural, come and see our really vibrant neighborhood."

Brown says the communities will host an unveiling of the mural.

"We're really excited to celebrate the mural and to tell people about it," she said.

"So an invitation to the public is on the 20th of October at 2 p.m., we'll have kind of a choose your own adventure storytelling time with the mural, so folks can come and learn a little bit about the many stories that are captured in the imagery of the mural."