Tanara Oliveira/Contributor
In a collaboration between muralist Caitlin McDonagh, the Downtown Victoria Business Association and the City of Victoria, Anthem Properties announced that a dynamic mural will be unveiled at the Pandora entrance to Market Square.
The mural was inspired by the lively landscapes of downtown Victoria, such as Chinatown, Lower Johnson Street and Market Square itself. It ties together the square’s long and interesting past with its famously close-knit community.
With the goal of reviving the entrance and adding interesting public art to the centre of Old Town, the project should be a treat for both locals and tourists to view.
“I was familiar with Caitlin’s work from some of her previous projects and felt that her vibrant style of artwork was perfect for our project,” said Abby Wadsworth, with Anthem Properties. “We are thrilled with the final result and the plan is to have the mural there to welcome people into Market Square for years to come.”
McDonagh is a visual artist, muralist and illustrator. She is inspired by tales, symbols, and finding a balance between the human world and the natural world in her work. The main ideas that run through the worlds she makes are relationships, self-improvement, growth, loss and starting over.
Her goal with her work is to create her own personal folklore. She wants to make work that leaves doors open, so that people can add to the stories, make up their own imagined settings, and find parts of themselves in the pictures.
McDonagh’s murals are all over the U.S. and Canada. Her paintings are in the permanent art collection of the City of Burnaby at the Burnaby Art Gallery. They are also in many private collections around the world.
READ MORE: UVic home to world’s largest transgender archives, attracting researchers
