For the past six weeks, muralist Alex Kwong has been transforming the Riverwalk in the East Village with the images of some of the locals who have the closest connection to the Bow.

Now complete, Kitao’wahsinnooni: What Sustains Us has been unveiled for the public as part of CMLC’s Art in the Public Realm program.

Kwong’s portraits of Alanna Bluebird, Elder Rod Scout, Jay Jones, Henri and Donna Boulanger with Dee, Parisa Radmanesh have now adorned six surfaces, including bridge stanchions and a CMLC utility building along Riverfront Avenue SE.

“It’s such a privilege for me that the path of my career brings me across the stories of others. You know, when we learn stories of others, when we’re curious of those stories, we gain a deeper understanding of one another and the whole vast human experience,” said Kwong.

As part of the process to create the works of art, Kwong met with individuals in the East Village to learn their stories and their connections to the Bow River.

He said the murals were his way of stewarding the stories of those individuals into the public realm.

“For people to be as open as they have been with sharing their stories with me, I want to make sure that I reciprocate that by doing my absolute best to be just in service of those stories, in service of the work,” Kwong said.

“To ensure that they land with the public, that there’s a sense of ownership felt with the public when they’re passing through the area and viewing these artworks. Also that they get struck with that curiosity to seek out, not only these stories, but the rest of the stories around us.”

Encouraging people to connect deeper with local stories

Kwong said getting to meet with Elder Scout was an honour.

“It was a really incredible experience. I gained a deeper understanding of where I live and where I’ve been born and raised, that I can kind of feel a little bit silly that it took a project like this for me to kind of gain this, this understanding,” he said.

For his part, Elder Scout said that having representation for himself and for the Blackfoot people was profound.

As part of the his portrait, Kwong also added the word Kitao’wahsinnooni written in Elder Scout’s handwriting.

“Having my Native picture there, myself and my daughter on the other side, that’s recognition however small it may be…. each step we take, we go further into reconciliation, we go further into being united,” Scout said.

“I always look at things as we’re all people. You know, we all have to coexist. We all have to live together, be a part of our natural world. This area sustains us.”

Connection to the Bow River

Jones, known for his deep connection to the Bow River through his YouTube channel The Humblefisherman (SIC) was also one of the people selected for a portrait on the Riverwalk.

He said that his inclusion was representative of the way that the fly fishing community has been bright and diverse on the Bow.

“We understand what it is to spend our time here, see the subtle changes on the river, and advocate for the health of the river. So, I hope people can recognize themselves in this river, in this portrait, and connection to the dogs,” Jones said.

Jones’ 17-year-old dog Maple was also featured in the work.

“You see so many people walking along the river with their pets and throwing a stick in and just enjoying the life of the river. It’s a beautiful place to be, so I hope people can look sometimes be in a big wall like this, close to the river.”

“It’s a beautiful place to have my portrait, looking over a city that I grew up in. It’s an honour.”

Kitao’wahsinnooni: What Sustains Us will remain on the Riverwalk for the next three years.