Bow Valley College’s West Campus gets a compelling creative upgrade as BUMP Festival kicks off

It’s about an evolving identity and the reinvention of public space. Deciding who we want to be in the future, what kinds of conversations need to happen and how those conversations will shape our interactions.

It could easily describe a student’s journey through post-secondary education, but here it describes the impact of public mural art on Calgary’s downtown.

“Public art is the vehicle through which we influence conversations around how public space can be used, who gets to access art,” says Priya Ramesh, creative director of the BUMP festival.

Bow Valley College’s West Campus on 6 Ave SE is one of nine mural locations chosen throughout Calgary’s downtown for this year’s BUMP festival.

“We’re a downtown institution, so the opportunity to create something fun, give people who are walking by and driving by an opportunity to see and have a sense of discovery right downtown helps,” says Brett Bergie, Bow Valley College's Director, Government and Community Relations, says. “We’re a part of downtown that needs some revitalization and some something exciting.”

This year will mark the fifth time Nathan Meguinis has been selected as an artist for BUMP, which had nearly one thousand applicants for just nine artist positions this year.

Meguinis says as Tsuu-T’ina, his art is a visual representation of the oral teachings of his grandparents, incorporating significant colours and themes.

“It establishes our cultural connection by placing it on the land here, recognizing our unique culture as Tsuu-T’ina,” Meguinis says. “It’s not decorative art, it’s a spiritual teaching.”

He says the final designs on West Campus will include a mother grizzly bear and two cubs, an image he says is a nod to Tsuu-T’ina spirituality.

“The west is praying to the winds, to grandfather bear,” he says. “She’s getting the cubs ready through the summer so they are ready for life, just like (Bow Valley College) does for the students.”

Another panel will include seven tipis, representing each of the 7 nations that make up Treaty 7 – and a young eagle preparing for it’s first flight.

“Just like a student looking at their first job or their first major gig,” says Meguinis.

The mural is scheduled to be completed by August 18, depending on weather.

Check out a an article and video from CTV News Calgary featuring Meguinis' work here.