We Are All Treaty People

Along 29th Avenue SW a brightly coloured mural enlivens a concrete enclosure on the north side of cSPACE Marda Loop. In 2017, cSPACE tenant and Calgary muralist Doug Driediger was engaged to paint a whimsical portrait of the building’s namesake, King Edward, on the concrete. Painted on the left hand side of the wall and looking to the right, King Edward is decorated with symbols representing the arts. The right hand side was left bare.

In 2021, cSPACE Projects partnered with the Beltline Urban Mural Project (BUMP) to finish and reimagine the mural. cSPACE engaged celebrated illustrator and muralist Nathan Meguinis to collaborate with the original artist, Doug Driediger. Nathan painted a striking portrait of a powerful historic figure, the Indigenous leader Chief Bull Head, on the right side of the mural. The two artists joined the images by painting magpies traveling from left to right, from one artist’s signature style into the other’s. The birds carry orange ribbons in their beaks that represent the spirits of the children lost to residential schools, travelling home.