A dog thumbing a ride might seem like an unusual creative direction for Nelson’s Artwalk, but it’s exactly what festival director Neil Harrower had in mind.
“I was looking to change the perception of the festival to reflect younger, emerging artists and artists working in non traditional forms,” Harrower said.
“One way to do that was to create a flagship image that embraced irreverence.”
Harrower enlisted local artist Murray Kimber to create the cover image for the festival’s brochure and poster.
But Kimber, who also owns Speedpro Signs, had bigger things in mind.
“I thought it would be effective to use a downtown site to promote Artwalk. It runs for two months, and I wanted to maintain momentum the entire time.”
Kimber asked the Kootenay Co-op for permission to reproduce a 14-foot high version of his art on the Hall Street side of the former Extra Foods Building.
Using a 3M film made specifically for brick and concrete, Kimber likes how the film adopts the surface texture of the wall, appearing more like paint than a printed graphic.
The Co-op enthusiastically got on board and Speedpro donated the printing and installation of the wall mural.
Artwalk opened on July 4th and runs through September 1 at 16 sites around Nelson.