Selkirk Annex Mural by Amanda Lye

 

In 2018 we spent a few weeks exploring art making with the children from kindergarten to grade 4 reflecting on the lands and animals. They then created wooden panels for the garden boxes. I was also growing a child and my son Edgar was attending the school in grade 3. He had attended the school since kindergarten. We lived three doors down and spent a lot of time in the school yard. The original idea was to paint a mural outside, which had some limitations to it so we decided to paint the mural on the inside of the school.

 

Then we talked about the animals and ocean creatures that we love and wanted to be in the mural. I then spent two weeks creating a mural on the inside of Selkirk Annex Elementary School in East Vancouver. The purpose was to brighten up the school as it still had a poster from 1998, and no new art in a very long time. I was hoping to collaborate with an Indigenous artist but the timing just didn't work this time round. We did have Kung Jadee come and tell the story of the Raven and share her culture with the children. 

As I thought of how grateful I am to live on these lands and reflect on how the host nations peoples of Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish would have lived with the animals and lands that was what came forth in the vision of the mural. Sea to sky is also a huge part of my own experience traveling to the local mountains and just all the beauty of the trees and ocean that surround us. We must continue to be stewards of these lands and take care of one another for generations to come. I finished the mural right before the lock down for the Covid pandemic and did not really get to have a proper celebration of its completion. My son didn't get to finish school there as it only went to grade 4 and we then moved to Renfrew Elementary. 

Thanks to the Selkirk Annex Elementary School PAC, and VSB staff for having me at the school and for ArtStarts in Schools for the funding. The hallway has life and the children really love the mural!