A colourful new mural has been unveiled downtown Maple Ridge.
East Vancouver based artist and muralist Ben Evely, who created the piece with the help of art students from Samuel Robertson Technical, was on hand for the unveiling at the corner of 223 Street and Lougheed Highway on Friday, July 24.
The mural features images of the Golden Ears Mountains, city scapes, tall trees, salmon, and eagles.
It is a first in the city by the Mural Collective, a grassroots initiative that empowers artists to transform public spaces through large-scale visual storytelling.
By joining, artists gain access to shared equipment like the Apple Vision Pro, scheduling tools, and opportunities to collaborate on city-approved mural projects.
Evely is a visual artist originally from Banff, Alberta, on Treaty 7 Territory.
He primarily works with paint, collage and drawing, specializing in collaborative projects for public and private spaces.
Evely studied Visuals Arts at Emily Carr University, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Minor in Social Practice and Community Engagement in 2019.
“What a wonderful afternoon celebrating the official unveiling of the first Mural Collective installation by local artist/muralist Ben Evely,” said the Downtown Maple Ridge Business Improvement Association (BIA) online.
The project was funded by the city, and brought to fruition by the BIA’s Beautification and Revitalization Committee.
“Congratulations to local artist Ben Evely, the talented students from Samuel Robertson Technical Secondary School, and everyone who helped bring the first Mural Collective installation to life. We can’t wait for our community to experience it,” said the city.