2018 Vancouver Mural Festival

The CCMS sponsored local artist Doaa Jamal to install a mural for the 2018 Vancouver Mural Festival. The mural, located beneath the R-Space art gallery at 123 E 8th Ave, Vancouver, was a hub of excitement at the festival's launch and will continue to be a part of the city's fabric for years to come.

The festival's Director of Engagement, Adrian Sinclair said, "We see mural art as a powerful way to tell the unique and diverse stories of the people and cultures that call Vancouver home. We have focused energy into partnering with Indigenous artists and Indigenous-led non-profits in order to contribute to the reversal of Coast Salish cultural erasure. In a related mode, we are keen to make visible, and to celebrate Muslim visual culture in public spaces."  

Jamal's artwork utilizes a modern version of the tradition Arabic kufic script to convey a message of pluralism and learning from differences with a verse taken from the Quran - "We have created you from male and female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another." (49:13)

The artwork's installation also provided a wonderful opportunity for other artists and community members to help paint the piece, build relationships and leave their mark on the city.