Calgary’s 2022 BUMP Festival: Bringing Life in Colour to the City
Danielle Steele, Staff Writer
This August, Calgary was fortunate to host the 6th consecutive BUMP Festival. The festival took place Aug. 1 – 28. During this time, BUMP held a multitude of events for the community. The events included a kick-off party in Central Memorial Park, artist talks and a graffiti jam, where guests were encouraged to make their own graffiti art using aerosol paints and pieces of wooden plywood.
The festival highlights numerous murals painted around the city, spanning from Highland Park to Marda Loop. However, most of the artwork is displayed in Calgary’s Downtown area. The variety of artwork from BUMP Festival, as well as the festival’s community engagement, aims to represent Calgary’s true diversity in a modern way.
One mural from this year’s BUMP festival has been proclaimed as the tallest mural in the world and has drawn the attention of many Calgarians. The unmistakable artwork is located on the First on Tenth building in Calgary’s Beltline. Notable German graffiti artist, DAIM, designed and painted the tall art piece, putting Calgary on the map as a creative hub. DAIM has painted murals with his signature style all over the world, including the Nike World Headquarters in Portland, Oregon.
The world’s tallest mural can easily be viewed just before the corner of 10th Ave. and Centre Street SW. On a nice summer’s day, groups of people can be seen admiring and photographing the mural from this viewpoint.
Another notable piece from this year’s BUMP Festival is one by Cree artist Kamamak. Kamamak’s mural, “SHE SHINES BRIGHTLY” is located in Inglewood at 922, 9th Ave., Southeast. According to BUMP, the piece is based on the seven sacred Cree teachings: love, respect, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility and truth.
Kamamak’s 2022 mural is distinctive with its vibrant colours and an elongated tree as the centre focus. Below the tree, a small bear gazes upwards, animated by shades of neon orange and red. These details, and the size of Kamamak’s mural, have made it a stand-out piece from this year’s festival.
The BUMP Festival mural artists have noticeably brought an ambience of life in colour to Calgary’s Downtown area. According to local Calgarians, the new artwork has been a bright and welcoming addition to the city. With the help of BUMP Festival, locals are able to enjoy colourful summer artwork throughout the year.
Though the BUMP Festival has come to an end, the murals painted within Calgary will continue to be on display. For those interested in admiring the murals from this year’s festival, a map with locations of the artwork can be found on BUMP’s website, yycbump.ca.
