Back Alley: The Hidden Art Gallery
Written by the Nada to Prada Group
Experience Downtown Kamloops where brushstrokes take on a new life in the back alleys!
Why should people be interested in visiting the Back Alley Art Gallery? Continue reading to find out the answer to this very question.
Art has been around for thousands of years. A blank canvas is an opportunity for people to paint their inner thoughts on, and for some, it eventually becomes a way to express their deepest emotions. With the passing of time art is no longer limited to a blank piece of paper, nowadays it is found everywhere around us; on skin, clothes, and even on buildings! Kamloops Back Alley Art Gallery is one of the many exquisite places to visit in the city.
When it comes to art galleries, people’s minds are usually limited to one room with numerous pieces of artwork. The Back Alley Art Gallery has a unique approach to art display. It is located on three streets in the heart of Kamloops including Lansdowne St, Victoria St, and Seymour St. A total of 31 artworks, with artists such as Ken Wells, Alexx Moir-Porteous, Kelly Wright, and many more exhibit their work here. You can enjoy beautiful landscape art, cultural art with historical stories, and art that spreads the culture of faith. In this art-filled area people can relax and enjoy art through a new lens.
Back alleys can be dark and secluded. Although, Frankie Flores, a student from the local TRU university, thought differently after taking a walk through the colourful alleys of the downtown. “When I walked through the Back Alley Art Gallery with my friends, I saw this mural with a man looking at a cage wearing white. Loss and grief are unavoidable aspects of life. Whether it is a global pandemic or other situations; we are all challenged in some way. When that occurs, we might seek hope or anything else via all forms of art. I feel within this piece, hope transcends.”
Every piece of art has a story. That is exactly what Xi Luo wanted to find out after visiting one of the murals downtown, what is its story? “As I saw this artwork for the first time, many questions came to mind. Was it the Canadian Pacific Railway? What was the story behind the art? After admiring I was compelled to do some research to answer some of my curiosities. The Billy Miner Train Robbery mural is about a famous train robber hijacking a train. It was created by Alexander Moir-Porteous in 2010. Billy Miner is famous for coining the phrase “hands up.” He made nearly a hundred thousand dollars hijacking trains and become a respectable rancher in Kamloops. This painting shows Billy and his cowboys robbing a train on horseback for one last time. On his last hijacking, he only got seventeen dollars and was quickly captured by the mounted police. He was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison, where he soon fled and was never caught again.”
When visiting the Back Alley Art Gallery, it is impossible not to feel the strength and passion of the artists who created the murals. Just like a tree bursting through concrete, with a desire to live and experience life, this same desire is overflowing when admiring these murals. It is certain that the artist created these pieces to express their inner selves, their thoughts, and feelings. Art is not made to be tucked away in the dark storage room of a museum, wishing for its turn. Art is patiently waiting for its viewer to give it a chance to tell a unique story. The Back Alley Art Gallery of Kamloops has something for everyone. So why not grab a cup of coffee, maybe a friend or two, and explore for yourself. Perhaps it will lead you to a mural that has been waiting to tell its story to you! Check out https://www.downtownkamloops.com/discover-downtown-kamloops/back-alley-art-gallery/ for more information today!
References
Back alley art gallery. Downtown Kamloops. (2021, September 15). Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.downtownkamloops.com/discover-downtown-kamloops/back-alley-art-gallery/
