Murals of Canadian doctors leading COVID-19 fight removed from Vancouver building

Large murals featuring Canadian doctors Theresa Tam and Bonnie Henry have been stripped from a storefront in the Gastown neighbourhood of Vancouver after catching the eye of many a passerby since March.

The portrait paintings were done on plywood used to board up Kimprints, a picture-framing store located in a heritage building on Powell Street. The wood was there to protect against vandals while the store was closed due to COVID-19 . Now that the shop has reopened, the boards and the artwork have been removed.

Kim Briscoe, the store's owner, said the murals will be stored for safekeeping and the plan is to exhibit them again this summer in an outdoor space somewhere in the area. Painting them in the first place was Briscoe's idea.

"I saw all the brown boards up on the window and thought this looks horrible," said Briscoe Thursday on The Early Edition. 

She mulled over how to improve the look, came up with the idea to paint murals showing what was happening in the daily news and put a call out for people who could help.

"We could have just painted them a regular colour, but we thought what could we paint that could be interesting and good?"

Artist Breece Austin said she was drawn to Canada's chief public health officer and chose to paint Tam. Emily Carr student Abi Taylor then painted B.C.'s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

"Listening to those two women on the news [made] me feel secure," said Briscoe.

After people saw the two initial portraits, other artists joined them to paint additional pictures of front-line health-care workers.

"I had an onslaught of artists that wanted to paint," said Briscoe, who happily offered up her plywood as canvas.

Eventually, said Briscoe, the Gastown Business Association and the City of Vancouver found more paint and some funding for those paintings and the project expanded throughout the neighbourhood.

Eric Keeping, who is the general manager at the Foot Locker on Robson Street, had had boards up on his store for about a month. Like many others downtown, they were decorated by artists. 

"Our boards started as just a plain white board, and ... it's kind of ugly, obviously, and if we can take an opportunity to beautify that … why not?"

Business has now resumed at Kimprints, and there is no longer the need for a barricade of boards.

"We're back into business. This is great. Eleven to five, seven days a week," said Briscoe. "I am optimistic. I think we're going to be fine."

To hear the complete interview with Kim Briscoe on The Early Edition, tap here.