This Vancouver mural features larger-than-life faces of public health officers

B.C. officials concerned about returning travellers Health officials announced 53 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in B.C. Wednesday, as well as one new death.

Vancouver — Paying homage to health-care workers and officials on the frontlines of the novel coronavirus pandemic, new murals have popped up outside a Vancouver art shop with a couple familiar faces on display.

Outside Kimprints, a Gastown store that specializes in custom framing, the boarded windows now have depictions of provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam.

Kim Briscoe, owner and operator of the shop, covered the windows of her store with plywood while it's temporarily shut down because of COVID-19 physical distancing measures.

"I saw the front of the building from a distance and I thought, oh it just looks horrible," she said.

So she had the idea to get local artists to contribute their talents and paint images related to the virus and those who are working hard to fight it.

Aby Taylor, a local art student, painted Henry's face on one of the plywood sheets.

"Dr. Bonnie Henry is a pretty cool lady," she said. "She's been on the news quite a lot being vocal about what people should be doing with COVID-19 right now, which is important I think for a lot of people to know."

For Taylor, the mural not only gave her an excuse to get outside, but the artwork makes the store seem "a little less gloomy."

Briscoe says this won't be the end of the murals and she has several more artists who will add their work in the coming days. One piece is expected to be an abstract depiction of frontline health-care workers – like nurses and respirologists.

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