New murals will be popping up in Chilliwack this summer, and four of the 10 artists creating them hail from the Fraser Valley.
Organizers with the Chilliwack Mural Festival announced the 10 artists on May 6, and added that the murals will be painted in both downtown Chilliwack and Sardis in the weeks leading up to the festival.
The street party portion of the festival is Aug. 15 and 16 in District 1881 and along Mill Street, and people will start to see artists working on the murals as early as June 1.
Of the four local artists, three are from Chilliwack: Connor Kouwenhoven, Jack Hendsbee, and Corey Moraes (Tsimshian). Kayla Neufeld Gowans is from Agassiz.
“I am thrilled to welcome this year’s incredible lineup of muralists, many of whom are celebrated local Canadian and international artists, to the Chilliwack Mural Festival,” said Lise Oakley, executive director of the Chilliwack Arts Council which puts on the festival.
Other artists joining the Fraser Valley muralists are Aéro (France), Anaïs Lera (Vancouver), Andrew Hem (Pasadena, CA), Megan Oldhues (Toronto), Tallest Cree (Vancouver), and Temponok (France).
They were selected by festival curators Carrielynn Victor and Amber Price out of 1,100 applicants.
“For the first time, we are expanding beyond downtown Chilliwack and District 1881 to bring murals to Sardis, which will showcase even more vibrant creativity across our city," Oakley said. "We invite everyone to experience the new murals through tours and interactive workshops during our extended festival dates from Aug. 7 to 17, as well as at our street party on Aug. 15 and 16 in downtown Chilliwack.”
For more information on the 2025 muralists, visit chilliwackmuralfestival.com/muralists.
