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Chinatown art panels

Chinatown will look more vibrant later this year when colourful new art panels are installed on three prominent walls in the neighbourhood.

History

Chinatown is one of Calgary’s most distinctive cultural communities, with a long history. The current Chinatown is the third location of the community in Calgary, after the first two locations were displaced. Before it was established in 1910, the area was a Blackfoot encampment.

About the project

Originally this project was envisioned to be a temporary road mural painted directly on 3 Ave S.E. However based on feedback received during engagement with community members, the scope was changed to instead create three more durable and visible wall panels in Chinatown.

The artworks are expected to be installed in summer of 2023.

Engagement

Since the artist was chosen for the project in 2022, Jarrett Sitter has spent time with members of the Chinatown community hearing their stories and gaining valuable knowledge about the history of the Chinatown area. In addition, Calgarians have submitted their online input to inspire the murals.

This valuable feedback from Calgarians informed the final designs and helped us choose impactful locations in the community.

About the artist

Jarett is of Chinese-German-Polish descent and works full-time as a freelance mixed media illustrator/animator. He's currently a board member of the Quickdraw Animation Society in Calgary.

He draws inspiration from skateboarding graphics, music, album covers, and Saturday morning cartoons. He plays with these nostalgic elements to create unique worlds.

His illustrations and live-action animations can be described as creepy and playful, with elements of softness and manic absurdity. He creates a world without explanation and brings strange characters to life. These misfit characters follow their own story to embrace small moments of discovery and the childlike curiosity of exploration.

Jarett has contributed animation and post-production work for music videos that were nominated for Juno Awards and Much Music Video Awards. He also illustrated the 2018 music cover issue of Believer Magazine. In 2021, Jarett was selected to be the City of Calgary Centre City Banner artist and his banner designs were installed in and around the downtown area.

To view more of Jarett's work, visit his website at jaretts.com.

jared sitter