Photo courtesy of Scott Roblin

By Scott Roblin

Mural Fest

Mural Fest artists give downtown Medicine Hat a brand new look

Jul 14, 2019 | 8:32 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A walk through the downtown core of Medicine Hat has turned a little more colourful thanks to six artists plying their trade in the scoring heat over the weekend.

Street Art Works held its first ‘Mural Fest’ in Medicine Hat on Friday and Saturday, picking six walls along South Railway Street, Maple Avenue SE, and 3^rd Street SE to beautify.

The event featured three local artists putting their spin through spray paint onto participating businesses, along with three artists flying in from locales as far away as California and Australia to paint on a new canvas.

One of those street artists was Alex Bacon, travelling from Toronto to create a new art piece along the eastern wall of the Assiniboia Inn.

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“People can interact with the artist, see it happening, and literally just watch it transform right before their eyes,” said Bacon. “So, it’s something that’s happening right away and people can be a part of it.”

A long time graffiti artist in eastern Canada, Bacon came to Medicine Hat after being approached by the event’s organizer Jeff Goring.

Bacon said mural art has the ability to complete chance the landscape of a city and in this case, Medicine Hat’s downtown core.

“I’ve seen the way it can change neighbourhoods and make unapproachable places approachable,” said Bacon. “Just seeing people get all excited about it and take selfies in front of it, it’s rewarding.”

This week’s event saw over 500 cans of spray paint being used, while each of the murals represent different ideas and themes from each of the six artists.

Getting to know some of the local talent like William Oskam, Kari Kanvas, and Spencer Pleskie to name a few, Bacon said events like Mural Fest help connect like-minded artists from time zones away.

“Even though we’re scattered throughout Canada and the world, we’re actually really a small community and we’re all connected in one way or another,” he said.

Photo courtesy of Scott Roblin

He added graffiti art is a cost effective way to allow the entire community to enjoy a piece of artwork that doesn’t come at a major cost to taxpayers.

“When cities appropriate money for certain projects I don’t think you get anything that gives you the most bang for your buck as far as doing mural art and beautifying the city,” he said. “It does everything from bringing people out, beautifies it, suddenly people start taking care of those areas a little bit more.”

Street Art Works is aiming to make Mural Fest an annual event in the city to spruce up walls that have become drab to look at, while also providing a community event for the downtown core.

An area of the city where Bacon’s artwork will live on, something the Toronto native said he takes to heart as he returns home.

“It makes me very proud,” he said. “I realize how privileged I am that I’m living the dream of travelling, painting, and doing art.”