Stay tuned to our website as we showcase the incredible work being done on the side of our building. The mural’s creator, Jae Sterling, has been painting this artwork for the last week.
Named the “The Guide and Protector,” the piece is a homage to John Ware, a legendary Black cowboy in Alberta. He was one of the first ranchers in Alberta, arriving in 1882 and ranching in the province until passing away in 1905. A former slave, through hard work and excellent horsemanship he is a leading legacy in the settling of the west and a showcase of who built our city, province, and country.
Another aspect of this mural is a cultural nod towards the Qixi Festival, a annual celebration of the meeting of a cowherd and the weaver girl in Chinese mythology. It’s a story about the forbidden romance of Zhinü and Niulang, and earliest references reach back 2,600 years and the Han dynasty.
Please stay tuned to our website as we showcase the incredible work being done by Jae Sterling and this latest addition to the murals of Chinatown.
