Bringing colour and connection to Kamloops: How public art came to be 

Walking through downtown, murals transform the usual brick and cement block buildings into massive canvases, bringing colour and culture to the streets of Kamloops. While the focus on public art has grown over the past 20 years, it wasn’t always this way. 

A 2007 bylaw aimed at enhancing the character and aesthetic of downtown helped boost public art, while restricting graffiti and unauthorized works. 

Jeremy Heighten, the executive director of the North Shore Business Improvement Association, explains how public art became a focus for placemaking and connection in Kamloops. 

“Almost 20 years now, Gay Pooler was the executive director for the Downtown Kamloops group. She wanted to…create a sense of community in the area,” he says. 

Pooler began the Back Alley Art Gallery of murals for the entire area over a five to seven year period, Heighten recalls.

“Public art is a key piece of the community,” he adds. “It reflects and represents who you are as a community.”

It also brings more light and life to tucked away places, marketing and events coordinator for Downtown Kamloops, Alexandra Eckett says.

“The program came to enhance safety, to kind of take away the stigma of a back alley being dark and scary and uninviting, and bringing a bit more vibrancy and energy to the back alleys.”

But how did the murals come to be, and what are the requirements that set a mural apart from graffiti? 

“There’s two criteria that really have to be put into play,” Heighten explains. ”Number one is, what does the business actually want on their building?”

 Secondly, every mural that’s applied in Kamloops has to go through the City of Kamloops adjudication process to be considered public art.

To do this, the art must comply with the bylaw in order to be showcased and has to be community appropriate.

To start, drawings are submitted to a panel formed by the city and the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association (KCBIA), Bryce Herman, president of the association explains.

“It’s a way of creating downtown art that is somewhat controlled versus what may be uncontrolled.”

But creating art is just the start. Maintaining the murals is also key to keeping the area fresh and inviting, and it’s an ongoing challenge the city faces. 

“The murals that are currently there have existed for a number of years, and most of those are starting to see some weather,” Herman says. “It’s great to have the initial investment, but then there’s the upkeep and the maintenance that then becomes another issue.”

Collaboration with other cities for ideas and research has been helpful on this front, with Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon suggesting some recommendations. 

One such recommendation is to contract a mural restoration company to maintain some of the works.

“Going back to the original artist is not always an option, but restoration of original art is certainly something that’s been done for hundreds of years,” Herman explains. 

KCBIA is looking into that option with the potential to share the resource among other local organizations and governments, such as the North Shore Business Improvement Association, the new Kamloops East Business Improvement Association and potentially Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc, according to Herman.

“So this will be a fulsome conversation which will be shared between all of the BIAs and anybody else that has any direct interest.”

How to see local murals 

Eckett offers tours of Kamloops’ murals year-round, and  folks interested can reach out to the KCBIA through its website for a staff guided tour or self-guided exploration. During the guided tour, staff give insight on the history of the murals, the connection to downtown and other fun facts.

“Our mural tour will be expanding this year, which we’re really excited about,” Eckett says.  

A couple more murals will be inaugurated this summer, offering even more public art to take in. 

“We would love to see every single business covered in a mural to just have that added vibrancy,” Eckett says. 

About the artists

Kelly Wright is a multidisciplinary artist that specializes in murals, canvas work and airbrush art, focusing on large-scale compositions. 

“My work is driven by a passion for colour, scale and storytelling, turning everyday surfaces into dynamic works of art,” Wright says. 

Wright was connected with the KCBIA and became one of the artists chosen for the mural project. He now has a total of 25 large scale murals throughout the city. 

“My inspiration has always been rooted in nature and colour, combined with influences from pop culture and street art,” Wright says. 

The process of creating and putting a mural together can be challenging. It sometimes can last between four weeks of accounting preparation and installation. 

“I approached each piece with a strong attention to detail, often putting in extra time and energy to ensure the final result matched my vision,” Wright says. 

His mural with the big bear at 258 Seymour St.was put together after an event where community members threw balloons with paint to the wall. From that Wright brought his creativity to the table. 

“Having these spaces and programs available is incredibly valuable for both emerging and established artists, regardless of style or background,” he says. “They create opportunities for artists to share their work on a larger scale while contributing to the visual identity of a community.”

Another local mural artist, Turbo Bambi, is originally from Quebec which served as an inspiration for her final work Bonjour la Francophonie, a collaboration with the Francophone High School of Kamloops.

To create the work, Bambi started the mural and the students joined in for a few days to help fill in the blanks, before Bambi finalized the piece.

“We wanted to capture a bit of the Francophone roots and the outdoor spirits of living in a nice place like Kamloops that’s in the mountains, but also a very sunny place in the summer,” Bambi says. “As an artist, I’m always very grateful when people want or trust me, to add a splash of colour like this on their building, because it’s quite permanent.” 

A map of all the murals located in Downtown Kamloops is available online. To book a tour visit the Downtown Kamloops website.