Indigenous artists paint a 70-foot welcome for new Prince George housing

For the artists, the mural is about people, not just art. Artist Stephanie Anderson says the group worked with a youth advisory council, organized by Carrier Sekani, to choose what should appear on the wall.

“They wanted the land represented. They wanted the rivers. They wanted that sense of being on the land, feeling that healing and feeling that belonging,” Anderson says.

The design pays tribute to the clan animals of the nations served by Carrier Sekani. A blue line across the mural shows where the Nechako and Fraser rivers come together.

Anderson sees the project as a way to give back.

“These are the opportunities for me to give back to the community,” she says. “Our drive is to create these monumental works of art that we can give to the community to celebrate and enjoy.”

She feels the community’s response makes all the work worth it.

“We get the feedback and the excitement, and it’s this beautiful reciprocal relationship where we’re giving and receiving,” Anderson says.

Artist Facundo Gastiazoro believes creating public art brings responsibility.

“As a maker of public art, you have the responsibility to uplift, to enhance, to brighten,” he says. “And we take that seriously.”

Gastiazoro says the young people involved helped shape the project’s core.

“I just want to say thank you to those kids, those youth, who show up and open their hearts to us, to make the design, to be part of this process,” he says.

The project was huge. The artists began on the night of the fifth and worked about 10 hours each day, often under the hot sun. Gastiazoro says the team used around 25 gallons of paint to finish the mural.

Carrier Sekani Family Services says the mural reminds people that housing is more than just a building. The project is meant to be a place where culture, identity, and community can grow, showing a commitment to healing and reconciliation.

The organization says the complex is built to meet the unique needs of Indigenous community members, especially those who face barriers to stable housing.

More information about the project is available at csfs.org/projects/brunswick-housing.

by Dave Branco

Indigenous artists paint a 70-foot welcome for new Prince George housing

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