Spreading Colour and Healing in a Pandemic
While driving around Winnipeg on my Honda Gold Wing, researching local history and finding monuments for the Manitoba by Motorcycle 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic Staycation Tour, I ran across this wonderful wall mural of Metis leader Louis Riel.
I rode back to the corner of Alexandra Street and Lily Avenue several times, watching for the perfect light to capture this image. The artist, Cash Akoza, likes colour. “The brighter the better.” The saturated colours demanded a late afternoon light with a hint of blue sky. The golden hour, however, would have made the colours overly warm.
I wanted to do his mural justice.
Along the way home, while the later afternoon light was still holding, I spotted this beauty as well. This mural definitely supports the concept that having a staycation close to home can still be interesting.
Just driving around Winnipeg, finding and appreciating all the colourful wall murals, is a journey on its own. And there are plenty of murals; 600 apparently.
The fantastic thing is that there are several websites dedicated to Winnipeg’s murals. Check out Winnipeg’s Street Art the next time you feel like cruising. Winnipeg’s West End, Transcona and the Forks Market even have mural tours.
Mending is an especially poignant mural on Main Street of a young, vibrant native girl. I drove past her wall several times but wasn’t able to find a suitable place to park my Gold Wing and not get a ticket while I was getting my shot in.
So far, I have found two murals with ready motorcycle access. That means I have at least 598 to check out.
#ManitobabyMotorcycle #hondagoldwing #GL1800 #muralsofwinnipeg #louisriel
John S Goulet