Here is the full lineup for the 2021 Vancouver Mural Festival

Jul 7 2021, 4:00 pm

One of the crowning jewels of the city’s summer schedule, the Vancouver Mural Fest (VMF) returns next month with three weeks of stunning artwork and fun live events to check out.

The largest public art festival in Vancouver runs from August 4 to 22, with over 60 new murals being painted and unveiled in 11 different neighbourhoods.

VMF’s sixth anniversary will also feature daily mural tours, in-person and online public talks, and over 40 live performances at an open-air, pop-up patio in the festival’s original home of Mount Pleasant.

In addition to Mount Pleasant, murals will be created in Cambie Village, Downtown, Edgemont Village, Hogan’s Alley, Marpole, Punjabi Market, River District, South Granville, Strathcona, and the West End.

Here’s a full list of the festival’s 19-day schedule:

VMF Pop-Up Patios presented by Granville Island Brewing

Make a day of exploring the new murals around the city by adding a visit to the VMF Pop-Up Patio presented by Granville Island Brewing to your schedule. The licensed, outdoor venue features over 40 live shows over three weeks, plus weekend Brunch Club events that are sure to delight you while you dine.

This year’s lineup includes live music, drag, burlesque, graffiti jams and more, with a focus on spotlighting emerging local artists from underrepresented communities. VMF Pop-Up Patio presented by Granville Island Brewing is produced in partnership with guest curators and collectives.

Date: August 4 to 22, 2021
Time: 6 pm and 8:30 pm, plus special events at various start times. Brunch Club seatings at 10:30 am and 12:30 pm
Location: Main and 5th in Mount Pleasant
Cost: $20, purchase online

VMF Mural Tours presented by Herschel Supply

VMF_MuralToursPhotoCreditGabrielMartins_20180722_014

VMF Mural Tours (Gabriel Martins/Submitted)

These free, daily tours will give art lovers the chance to learn about VMF’s stunning murals. There are three tours to sign-up for: the Daily: the Mount Pleasant Mural Tour presented by Herschel Supply, Festival Foundations Tour presented by Herschel Supply, and Hidden Gems Mural Tour presented by Herschel Supply.

Date: August 4 to 22, 2021
Time:
Various times
Location: Mount Pleasant
Cost: By donation

Black Strathcona Mural Tour presented by Herschel Supply

DeTours will host tours of the art and share stories around Hogan’s Alley and the surrounding neighbourhood in collaboration with VMF’s Black Strathcona Resurgence Project (BSRP) team members. BSRP is a three-year VMF public art program in Hogan’s Alley.

Date: August 6 to 8, August 13 to 15, August 20 to 22, 2021
Time:
10 to 11:30 am
Location: Hogan’s Alley
Cost: By donation

BSRP Bike Tour: Exploring Black Public Art Around the City

Explore murals created by Black artists across Vancouver on a special bike route designed by Colour The Trails & BLM Vancouver and hosted digitally by BIKEnnale. There will be multiple group riding slots throughout the day and an opportunity to learn about the history of the Strathcona neighbourhood while building community.

Date: August 22, 2021
Location: Various locations throughout the city
Cost: Free

Blanketing The City Documentary & Artist Talk

Take part in a virtual film launch of Blanketing The City: Documentary Film, followed by a Q&A with the three artists of Blanketing The City (Debra Sparrow, Chief Janice George, and Angela George), the designer and filmmaker.

Date: August 5, 2021
Time: 7 to 8 pm
Location: Online 
Cost: Free

VMF 2021 Curator Talk

Tune in for a lunchtime dialogue between the 2021 mural curators and learn their different approaches to working in public spaces. Featuring Chipo Chipaziwa, Zachary George, Jas Lally, Krystal Paraboo, Lam Wong, and Drew Young and their stories of bringing together over 70 artists in 11 neighbourhoods for VMF 2021. Moderated by Natalia Lebedinskaia, Director of Creative Projects.

Date: August 6, 2021
Time: 12 to 1 pm
Location: Online 
Cost: Free

Punjabi Market “Murals in the Market” Guest Curator Talk: Jas Lally in Conversation with Jag Nagra

Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective (PMRC)’s Creative Director, Jag Nagra, and 2021 Guest Curator Jas Lall discuss the theme and vision behind Murals in the Market. The virtual conversation will explore how art has the power to transform public spaces and uplift communities as well as the awareness of art across South Asian cultures.

Date: August 7, 2021
Time: 10 to 10:45 am
Location: Online 
Cost: Free

Black Strathcona Resurgence Project Artist & Curator Talk

BSRP’s Project Manager and Lead Curator Krystal Paraboo will be in conversation with Guest Curator Chipo Chipaziwa and the project’s Year 1 artists. The discussion will centre on the processes behind creating each mural as well as the intersection of public art and Black identities.

Date: August 10, 2021
Time: 7 to 9 pm
Location: Online 
Cost: Free

Unlearning Anti-Blackness Workshop

Unlearning Anti-Blackness is a workshop hosted by Bakau Consulting. Attendees will take a deep dive into unpacking the manifestations of anti-Black racism in society while exploring themes such as cultural appropriation, solidarity, activism, intersectionality, Black and queer identity, microaggressions, intergenerational trauma and transformative justice. Unlearning Anti-Blackness is recommended for groups who have intermediate to advanced social justice knowledge and competency as well as a core foundation of anti-racist vocabulary.

Date: August 12, 2021
Time: 4 to 6 pm
Location: Online 
Cost: Free

Building Towards Afro-Futurism: Public Talk

Building Towards Afro-Futurism, a theme for BSRP this year, will explore the developing intersection of African diaspora culture with technology, art and science. Hear from a panel of artists, authors, designers, entrepreneurs and tech specialists who will share how their work contributes towards building Afro-Futurism.

Date: August 17, 2021
Time: 7 to 9 pm
Location: Online 
Cost: Free

Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective Project Coordinators Talk: Gulzar Nanda and Jag Nagra

punjabi market vancouver tiger mural

Murals in the Market. For mock-up purposes only. (PMRC Creative Director Jag Nagra)

Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective (PMRC)’s Chair Gulzar Nanda and Creative Director Jag Nagra will share the process of bringing murals to Punjabi Market for the first time in its 51-year history. The talk will also explore what it means for the revitalization of Punjabi Market. Nanda and Nagra will also discuss the vision for beautifying Punjabi Market, the challenges they encountered, and what they hope to see in the future.

Date: August 21, 2021
Time: 10 to 10:45 am
Location: Online 
Cost: Free

Live VMF Mural Painting

It’s one thing to see the end product but what about watching the artists paint murals in real-time? Visit each of the festival’s 11 neighbourhoods to see the masterpieces in progress.

Date: August 4 to 22, 2021
Location: Various locations throughout the city
Cost: Free

DOWNLOAD THE VMF MOBILE APP to find and learn about over 300 murals—including 60+ new murals—across the city. Visit https://vanmuralfest.ca/ and follow @vanmuralfest for details, event calendar, and updates for Vancouver Mural Festival 2021 (August 4 to 22).

Daily Hive is a proud media partner of the 2021 Vancouver Mural Festival

Daniel ChaiDaniel Chai

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