Two things brightened my day today.
First: I rode past the Vancouver General Hospital on 10th Avenue, and noticed the lovely monument to Rick Hansen. I’ve seen it many times before, but always in progress, with a surround of warning tape. But today I came upon it finished for the first time. I like it when we acknowledge our inspirational heroes, and I really like sculpture. And who better personifies heroic grit, persistence and spirit than Mr. Hansen. It’s a good piece of work because, in Mr. Hansen’s face, I imagine that I can see determination and pain, which must have accompanied him in his travels.
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Oddly, there is no attribution on site.
Second: Before that, I found myself at Pender and Abbott, on my way to a bakery, hoping to find the elusive and delicious coconut cream bun. I was delighted and surprised to find this spectacular new mural — composed of what appears to be some 200+ photo-based paintings of people jumping. Simple, happy and goofy. Right up my alley. If you look carefully, you can see at least two bikes in backgrounds.
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It is truly a monumental project, that demands your physical presence, and a big chunk of your finest attention. It rewards you with a great big smile and a happy heart.
The project is the work of Eyoalha Baker, called the “Wall of Joy Mural”, part of the “Jump For Joy Photo Project”. This artist has a plethora of social media handles: @eyoalha, @jumpforjoyphoto, www.jumpforjoyphotoproject.com and more. The attribution includes what appears to be the names of all the jumpers, including “Mom”, Gregor Robertson, the artist, Kevin Quinlan and Jay DeMerit.
