On the northwest corner of the Bulkley Valley District Hospital (BVDH), a mural is taking shape. A mural painted by the Raven-Tacuara Art Collective that has been years in the making and the first on any public hospital building in Northern B.C.

This is yet another giant mural the collective has painted in the last few years, at least nine or ten, according to the collective. But this is the first in the North on public infrastructure – the once drab, grey concrete of a hospital. And although it has already transformed the aesthetic look of the BVDH, the collective hopes this may pave the way for other artists to beautify public buildings that have long remained dull. 

"We're hoping that this will inspire other artists and open the door to see more of these types of murals on public buildings in the north," said Stephanie Anderson, one of the four members of the Raven-Tacuara Art Collective.

The mural was originally designed by Facundo Gastiazoro during the time of COVID, a founding member of the collective. He posted it to social media and once it caught the eye of a local ER nurse and a Northern Health administrator who helped lead the project through approvals and red-tape to ensure the message the mural carries reaches the healthcare workers that need to see it.

"What it means is a hug, an embrace," Gastiazoro said. " It's a hug of two people, of course, something we were couldn't due for a long time. That's for sure. But I like to keep it open so that people can put their own meaning to it. We propose something and the viewer need to put their emotion and desire on it."

Listen to the full episode on CICK NEWS below.