JASPER – Two months after adding three murals, the UpLift! Jasper Mural Festival is unveiling two more honouring a noteworthy event.
UpLift! co-creator Logan Ireland explained how the festival traditionally happens in May to help bring in tourists during the shoulder season.
“This year, there’s a couple projects that came up that were anchored to a different point in time, and so we were really happy to be able to support those initiatives,” Ireland said.
The first was a mural honouring the centennial of Mount Robson’s first ascent, which was undertaken by a team of Japanese alpinists on July 21, 1925. Ireland explained how the Mount Alberta Centennial Commission had reached out several months prior about a potential collaboration.
“Naturally, we wanted to have the mural complete when the Japanese delegates came over here to celebrate that centennial, so we had an unveiling party and then the mural was completed pretty much exactly to the day,” he said.
Located on the north side of the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum, the mural was created by Japanese-born artist Hiroyasu Tsuri and Canadian artist Tyler Toews. Ireland said having two artists working together reflected the teamwork needed to complete the ascent.
The second mural, located on the east side of the Jasper Activity Centre, commemorates the first anniversary of the Jasper wildfire. The project is sponsored by the Canadian Red Cross.
Ireland explained how The Things That Grew recognizes all the support and compassion that Jasper received during the disaster.
“It’s essentially a project rooted in gratitude and expressing that gratitude on the wall to give Jasper an opportunity to focus on some positive elements and have some optimism for all that we’ve accomplished together in the last year and for the brighter days that we have ahead of us,” he said.
Belgian artist Gijs Vanhee, who has applied for the festival many years in a row, undertook this project last week and over the weekend.
“Two years ago, he applied, and he got all 10s across the board from our mural jury, and we have been looking for opportunities to collaborate with him, and just so far before this one, nothing had revealed itself,” Ireland said.
Ireland noted how Vanhee’s themes, such as how people navigate and interact with nature, made him the perfect fit for the project.
Vanhee explained in an email how it took a while to find the right concept, since the wildfire was such a sensitive subject. He decided to focus on symbolism instead of painting a literal scene.
“At the heart of the mural is a huge, resilient Douglas fir, its roots stretching across the valley—almost as if it’s re-rooting the land,” he said. “And from those roots, fireweed is blooming.”
Vanhee noted that fireweed was one of the first plants to grow after a wildfire, making it a perfect symbol of renewal and hope. He added how happy he was with how the mural turned out.
“I feel honoured to have been able to make this piece, and I hope people can find courage in it,” he said. “The Jasper community is incredibly strong, but there’s still so much to rebuild—and I wanted the mural to carry that feeling of resilience.”
In conjunction with the painting, UpLift! hosted multiple events to create opportunities for engagement, creativity and reflection.
These included hosting an event in conjunction with the Voices from Jasper exhibition, a paint night in Commemoration Park, an outdoor movie night and a community dinner featuring a beer garden and DJ music.
Ireland acknowledged how Jasperites were still going through challenges, and the anniversary impacted everyone differently.
“We’re just trying to provide an opportunity to see things from a positive perspective and to encourage the people that are in our community to do the same, to practice gratitude,” he said. “And basically, it’s a thank you from UpLift! as well to our community and to all the people that sacrificed so much to get us to where we are at this stage in our recovery.”
