Downtown Echo, May 8, 2014

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downtown

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SPRING FESTIVAL

Let's Move has moved

May 22-24

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www.kcbia.com

Volume 13 Number 19 | 50¢

May 8, 2014

Alleycats now prowl our back alleys The back alleys of downtown Kamloops have become a little more vibrant and inviting thanks to the Alley Art Gallery program. This is a Job Creation Partnership the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association (KCBIA) has embarked on with the Provincial Government and the Kamloops Arts Council for the past four years. The most recent piece of work to be completed was done by Evan Christian and is a mural of two Marilyn Monroes on the backside of Headhunters on 350 Seymour Street. This program is not only a way to create jobs, it is also a means to prevent crime and make the city’s back alleys more friendly and inviting and free of graffiti. “It is for crime prevention; taggers generally won’t touch somebody’s art work. We tackle an area of the city, which is often forgotten. To make the alleys more walkable and have people feel more comfortable,” says Gay Pooler, administrator for the KCBIA. In the City of Kamloops Bylaws there is a clear guideline about graffiti. No person shall place graffiti on a building, structure, wall, fence or any other surface that is visible from a public place. Every person who violates this section may be served with a violation notice and shall be required to pay a fine of a minimum of $500 to a maximum of $2,000. What makes this mural very unique is the use of spray paint. “They wanted a different flavor,” comments Evan about the graffiti inspired texture, shading and colours. “The owner of the building had a poster which had four Monroes on it, I had to do two to scale it down.” Evan was excited about this project as he has experience with spray paint and doing larger

Local artist Evan Christian is the man behind the newest addition to the Alley Art Gallery. The Marilyn Monroe mural is on the Headhunters building. Evan is also slotted to create another piece of artwork this summer.

scaled artwork on unique surfaces. “I have done some large scale stuff before, but nothing that size,” says Evan of his stunning portrait of the famous Marilyn Monroe, which covers the entire wall. Many other interesting elements came into play with this project. It was set to start in August but the fire at the thrift shop next door put a hold on the project. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. “They had to put in a new wall. Before it was a garage door. The wall was

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a much better material to work with. It looks much better than it would have with the door,” says Evan. Also, one day a giant dumpster was in front of the wall. “It was a long weekend. I had to work between the dumpster and the wall,” jokes Evan. The mural took Evan around a month with him working on weekends and after work, if the weather permitted. “It was a fun project. They give you a lot of free rein,” says Evan. He is - continued on page 2

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