"The Mission of The Uptown Mural Project is a community-inclusive and educative urban-art initiative within the community of Rutland, Kelowna BC, organized by Uptown Rutland Business Association. This week-long event will center around the painting of 5 large scale urban murals. Each of the mural's locations has been strategically selected creating a short walking tour within the Rutland Business Improvement Area.

The goals of this project are driven towards the beautification of Rutland, encouraging community involvement, increasing walkability within the business improvement area, and educating and inspiring youth through contemporary public art."

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While in Nelson in 2019 installing my mural for that festival I had connected with Kevin Ledo who was scheduled to create his mural adjacent to mine. While I was in the process of painting my mural in Nelson Kevin was in Rutland painting for the 2019 Uptown Mural Project, after telling him I was a local okanagan artist he had connected me with organizers of the Uptown Mural Project and I took the opportunity to express my interest in participating in their project in the future. David Doodey reached back out in 2020 and asked if I was still interested and requested I submit to the project. 

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The design I had created was again part of an ongoing solo exhibit that was installed at the Kelowna International Airport in conjunction with the Kelowna Art Gallery. I expanded on an image of my partner Csetkwe Fortier and added images of her sister Margaret Manuel and niece Tyanetkʷ Manuel to depict a scene of our families last trip to the southern part of our territories in what is now Washington, to harvest our traditional foods. The images in the background are depictions of some tumas (grandmothers) spirits joining the harvesting and showing their appreciation for the continuation of our traditions. 

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I took the opportunity to mentor and teach one of my other nieces Zitkakddeska Louis who is an aspiring young syilx artist. We spent a 2 week period painting in the cold fall/early winter weather.