Organizers are working to make the fourth annual Edmonton Mural Festival in August the biggest yet. “We’ll have bigger murals, we’re gonna have more tours in more areas,” promised executive director Anand Pye. Over the month-long event starting Aug. 15, artists will beautify different communities with more than a dozen murals. This year’s artists, selected from 500 applicants, have not yet been revealed except one: headliner Paityn Savoie, a Métis/Cree illustrator known as WÂPOSHPYII. They created the mural on Co-op Place in Wetaskiwin. Savoie will be painting a mural on the north-facing brick wall of Citadel Theatre to serve as an entrance to Edmonton’s arts district. “We really wanted a piece that’s going to reflect our community. We also feel like it highlights the original architecture and design of the building,” said Bridget Norris-Jones, Citadel Theatre producer, of the incoming design. The project is a part of a multi-year partnership between the festival and the district, National Bank and Edmonton Arts Council. “It just makes art more accessible to the everyday average Edmontonian and people who are visiting the arts district,” Norris-Jones added. “It creates really vibrant cities. Art is so important to be able to share and tell our own stories, but also stories of other people, so that we can understand each other as a humanity better.” As for the other artists, many are emerging professionals from Alberta, Pye said. “That’s really exciting for us, as we’ve been able to really dive into the curatorial part of the festival,” he told CTV News Edmonton. Previous editions of the festival resulted in the murals at Alex Decoteau Park, ATB Place, and at various community leagues. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Sean McClune
