Gathering Place: New Public Art in Downtown Vancouver
Located above the London Drugs on Granville Street, Gathering Place is one of downtown Vancouver’s newest public art installations, created by artist Josh Conrad. The mural reflects the connection between river, ocean, land, and community, celebrating the relationships and stories that have shaped this place for generations.
This public art installation is proudly supported by Downtown Van. See it for yourself at London Drugs – 710 Granville Street.
Artist Statement
Eagle, Spó:lém (Eagle), is the messenger, carrying prayers, knowledge, and connection between worlds. with an eagle on the east and west of this land we are standing, I wanted to link the transfer of knowledge and relationships built between these two mountain ranges.
This mural holds two homes in one view. To the east, the upriver mountains rise, with Th’exelis (Mount Cheam) standing proud and watchful, one of the most treasured peaks of S’ólh Téméxw (our land / our world). To the west, beyond where we stand, the skyline opens to the saltwater and the distant coastal range, where Ch’ich’iyúy Elxwíkn (The Lions / Twin Sisters) stand above the inlet. Both horizons are home.
The large weaving forms on each side speak to those mountain ranges, placing us in the space between them.
At the center is the meeting place, where Sto:lo (River / Fraser River people) waters meet the sea. The pattern to the left carries the strength and movement of the Sto:lo (Fraser River), travelling through many territories, bringing life from far inland all the way to the coast. It carries sth’óqwi (salmon), stories, and nourishment gathered along its path. To the right, the pattern becomes the ocean, full of tides, currents, and voices from many places. Above it all, the moon shines as witness to this gathering place.
Through this mural, I express gratitude to this land and my relatives, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) peoples, the long-standing land keepers and caretakers of this place, whose territories hold this meeting ground where river and ocean meet. I am so proud of the long and ancestral relationships between these Nations and my people, the Sto:lo (River people), who have come here to gather, trade, share stories, and create family since time beyond memory.
Through this season of sport and gathering, the moon will again bear witness to visitors arriving, stories being shared, and people meeting where the river meets the ocean.
