Two birds, one stone. I went on the West End Mural Tour as part of Doors Open Winnipeg. I think this is the definition of winning.
For anyone who doesn't know what Doors Open is, it is an event that takes place in May put on by Heritage Winnipeg that gives the public a chance to see parts of their city they might not otherwise have access to. It spans a weekend and this year was held on May 25 & 26. Buildings, generally closed, such as the Vaughn St. jail are opened, tours occur across the city and stores stay open later. This was my first year going on a tour through Doors Open and I loved it. It is a great way to get to know your city and it's history!
Now I am about to do a shameless plug for the Mural Tours since it's my job to promote them. But job aside, they are seriously fantastic! There's nothing that can brighten up an area like public art and the West End is absolutely brimming with it. (If you don't agree about public art and street art, then PLEASE visit this street art article on Creanum and bask in its beauty).
I brought my dad on the Doors Open Mural Tour since he's retired and likes getting out and trying new things lately. He loved it. He said there was so much he learned that he didn't know about the area. Admittedly, I had never been on a tour at this point either so I was happily surprised to learn as much as I did. The walking tour was two hours and included a stop for some soda at elements - The Restaurant (yuuum).
To me - as I can't for the life of me draw anything more than a worm - being able to take a blank, crumbling brick wall and transform it into something shockingly eye-catching and beautiful is just short of miraculous. I have a love of street art and public art spaces so for me this was a really rewarding tour. I would have to say my personal favorite mural is Zoohky; this is mostly due to the man himself who was such a huge part of West End life.
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