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Downtown Castlegar art collaborative commissions new mural

The mural in the 200 block of Columbia Avenue in downtown Castlegar was painted by Matty Kakes.
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The mural in the 200 block of Columbia Avenue in downtown Castlegar was painted by Matty Kakes. Photo: Submitted

Another new mural has been added to Castlegar’s downtown core.

Located right across the street from the mural that was created in June at the Castlegar Robson Legion branch, the new mural is on the side of the building that houses Dubz Smoke N Vape Shop in the 200 block of Columbia Avenue.

The mural was organized by the Downtown Street Art collaborative led by Pinnacle Accountants partner Willow Enewold.

The piece features butterflies soaring over Kootenay mountains. It was painted by local artist Matty Kakes.

Last year the same group paid for and commissioned Jean Paul Langlois to create the brightly-coloured mural that graces the side of the Recharge Fuel and Fitness building along the 400 block of Columbia Avenue.

Like the Langlois mural, this new one was funded by private donors including Pinnacle Accountants & Advisors, Collin Ludwar, Childs Chanton Chartered Professional Accountants, Chinook Scaffold Systems, Willow Enewold and Doug Johnstone.

“We are relying on private donations to fund the murals, which is a departure from how most public art is funded,” explained Enewold.

“This method allows us to get things done quickly and flexibly, with a minimal amount of bureaucratic fuss.”

She also says part of the vision of Downtown Street Art is to compensate artists appropriately for their time and talent.

“Too often, publicly-funded arts projects end up with the artist working for far below minimum wage. All of the funds we raise are used for materials and payments made directly to the artist,” said Enewold.

For now, the group will continue to focus their efforts on Castlegar’s downtown with the goal of bringing art to the forefront of the public consciousness.

Downtown Street Art is hoping to raise enough funds to install another mural next summer.



Betsy Kline

About the Author: Betsy Kline

After spending several years as a freelance writer for the Castlegar News, Betsy joined the editorial staff as a reporter in March of 2015. In 2020, she moved into the editor's position.
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