For a number of UBC Okanagan Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) students, the empty building faces of downtown Kelowna are fast becoming a welcoming canvas outside of the classroom.
As part of the BFA program, instructors David Doody and his partner Jorden Doody supervised the creation of two downtown murals, both located on St. Paul Street. Together, the Doodys worked to help students apply their painting and drawing skills to a much larger canvas—something with which the Doodys have extensive experience. As co-founders and co-directors of the Uptown Mural Project in Kelowna’s Rutland area, the seasoned mural artists have so far brought 19 murals to life while also emphasizing the importance of art in public spaces.
Creating a painting in the public eye is exciting for students, who are usually in the studio working alone. The course allows them to learn how to work in a hands-on, large-scale team project. “At the same time, they’re also helping to revitalize the urban landscape as they play a critical role in the resurgence of urban centres, adding a splash of colour onto aging architecture and breathing new life into their surrounding communities,” says David Doody.
Read the full story at the UBC Okanagan news website.
Under Strategy 2: Inspiring Spaces, UBC is dedicated to establishing accessible and inspiring physical and virtual spaces in order to promote learning, innovation and interaction.