The first three murals for the Grande Prairie Downtown Association’s Art in the Alley project have gone up downtown. The murals were all painted by local artist Serena Love and can be found on the sides of Better Than Fred’s, Tanya Sedore Photography and Shewolf.
Association Executive Director Wendy Bosch says photos of the murals showing up on social media have really helped get the word out about the program.
“We share our lives infused in social media so this showcases to everyone through the use of social media and with that, we’re showing a new side [and] a modern side to our city centre.”
Each mural features a different subject matter from animals to a painting of late Queen Lead Singer Freddie Mercury.
The idea for the art painted on the backs of buildings effected by downtown construction in 2018 was first brought up at a committee meeting in September of that year. At the time, the city committed $20,000 to the association in support of the project. Bosch hopes this will attract new people to Downtown Grande Prarie.
“It’s an initiative to increase walkability in the core. That means in all aspects of the core be it the new streets, the existing streets and now the back alleys. We’re trying to build a culture here in our city centre. It’s time to showcase what we have to offer.”
Businesses looking to add art to their buildings can submit an application to the Downtown Association for up to a $4,000 grant with the business picking up the other half.
