Big Pictures: Murals, Billboards, and Urban Interventions is a conference of art and design taking place at the Wilson School of Design at KPU, Richmond, and in venues around Vancouver, BC from May 5–7, 2023.

What opportunities and interactions can be created through big pictures, subversions, or interventions? With keynote speakers, presentation panels, and digital projects, this conference aims to bring together multiple disciplinary approaches including advertising and graphic design; visual culture and criticism; architecture and urban studies; augmented and virtual reality; and public art practices. Presenters from a wide range of creative and academic focuses, as well as practitioners from related industries are invited to share work in this inclusive, dynamic environment.

For more information visit bigpicturesconference.com.

This event is organized and run by the Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. The Wilson School of Design is a 5-minute walk from Lansdowne Skytrain Station on the Canada Line.

Keynote Speakers

Elizabeth Zvonar

Elizabeth Zvonar's collage works are composed of source materials drawn from art history, contemporary advertising and popular culture. They question existing social and cultural systems through the use of humour and irony. Zvonar has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout Canada and in New York, Australia, Japan and Belgium.

Sandeep Johal

Sandeep Johal is a Canadian visual artist whose practice engages drawing, collage, textiles, and large-scale murals. Through her Indo-folk feminine aesthetic, she confronts themes of bleakness, despair and ugliness with their dissonant opposites: brightness, hope and beauty. Johal’s work typically centers around the stories of women and while she highlights female suffering in its many forms, these are ultimately stories of resistance and resilience.

Brandon Gabriel

Brandon Gabriel was born and raised on the Kwantlen First Nation Reserve in Fort Langley BC, Canada. Gabriel is a multi-talented contemporary mixed media artist who specializes in painting, drawing, graphic design, architectural design concepts, and public art installations. His work has been exhibited in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, USA, and across Canada.

Walking Tours

Attendees will have the option to sign up for two custom-curated guided walking tours in Vancouver: The West End and Downtown Vancouver. Tours will feature examples of murals, public art, and architecture in these two neighbourhoods. Sign-up details will be available at the conference.

Curated Tastes – Vancouver Downtown Mural Tour 

Home to a collection of over 18 murals and numerous public art pieces, Downtown Vancouver plays a key role in the transforming and reimagining of the public spaces in the city. Connect with Vancouver Downtown’s past, present and future with this tour by Curated Tastes. The Vancouver Downtown Mural Tour highlights iconic murals and sculptures from the core of Vancouver Downtown to Canada Place.

Detours – Mt Pleasant Mural Tour

Mt Pleasant is one of Vancouver's oldest and most eclectic neighbourhoods. It is also home to the largest concentration of street art and murals in the city, much of which has been produced through the Vancouver Mural Festival since 2016. In this 2 hour walk, we will be exploring many themes that relate to the social history and contemporary processes of the city through the stunning artwork in the area. Topics include decolonizing the city through arts and culture, the complex relationship between art and processes of revitalization/gentrification, challenges facing Vancouver's artistic community due to high rents and redevelopment, the importance of visual representation for Vancouver's many under-represented cultural communities, and the ongoing ecological crisis. And of course, admiring the incredible array of artists and styles (including figurative, abstract, graffiti, textual and more) on offer.

Agenda

Friday, May 5th: Keynote Speaker Presentations 

Join us at the Wilson School of Design for the conference kick-off! We'll host two Keynote Speakers as well as have time to mix and mingle before the Saturday panels.

Saturday, May 6th: Conference Panels & Talks 

Join us for a full day of participant panels, grouped by related themes. Panelists will present their work followed by a Q+A.

Sunday, May 7th: Optional Walking & Gallery Tours

Join us for the final day of the conference. Attendees are invited to sign up for guided walking tours or to explore on their own (starter maps and suggestions provided at the conference). There may be small additional costs associated with guided tours – information provided closer to the conference start.