We are excited to unveil some new street art in the heart of Kits! This summer, creative local minds collaborated on a meaningful mural which now adorns the wall of 2846 W. Broadway. The theme of the piece was inspired by the Greek word ‘Philoxenia,’ meaning an act of hospitableness and welcome. This concept reflects the feeling and values of our West Broadway neighbourhood – both past and present. In the Greek culture as well as for the First Nations the notion of welcoming and having guests is crucial as visitors, guests and strangers traditionally are seen to enrich our lives and to bear witness to ceremonies. Additionally, this notion lends itself to the idea that all humans are visitors to the earth and the sustainable way of living from the First Nations can be our guide to protect nature and culture.
Quotes included were chosen for their relation to Philoxenia.
“Καί τε θεοὶ ξείνοισιν ἐοικότες λλοδαποῖσι, παντοῖοι τελέθοντες, ἐπιστρωφῶσι πόληας.”
“The gods put on all kinds of disguises, and in the form of wandering strangers do indeed visit our cities.”
– Homer’s Odyssey
“nə́c̓aʔmat tə šxʷqʷeləwən ct”
“We are of one heart and mind.”
– Retrieved from http://www.musqueam.bc.ca/one-heart-one-mind
The figures represent two women: the weaving woman, who weaves together wool and cedar but also holds together her family and the community, is welcoming the other woman, Hestia the Greek goddess, who embodies the hearth and family life.
This mural was a collaboration between First Nations woman artists and Greek woman artists including Deanna-Marie Point, Lydia Brown, Nike Hatzidimou, Tiana Enever and Latisha Wadhams. The project spanned four months during which the artists held over 10 creative workshops developing ideas for the mural, researching, doing colour exploration and facilitating graffiti techniques. The beautiful figures were created through layering hand cut stencils – in fact, they used over 15 exacto blades while creating all the stencils required! We would like to extend our gratitude to the artists for their passion, dedication and creativity that allowed this concept to come to life.
