The Civil and Mechanical Engineering Building is not quite how students left it at the end of the last academic term. Over the summer, the white walls that lined the hallway leading down the Civil Engineering laboratories were transformed into a colorful mural by local Musqueam artist, Debra Sparrow, and her team. Titled “The Thunderbird Welcomes Back the Orca”, the art piece depicts the Thunderbird returning to the traditional Musqueam territories that UBC is located on, crossing paths with the Orca Pod.
Several of Debra Sparrow’s murals can be found throughout Vancouver, and her work is also featured in the APSC course Weaving Relations. However, this project marks Debra’s first mural for UBC.
Her team elected to complete most of the mural organically, using cut-out stencils as opposed to a projector. The Thunderbird in her design acts as a reminder of the responsibility Civil Engineers carry with them over the course of their careers; to guide, protect and demonstrate a safe and healthy path into the future.
Fully funded by Civil Engineering, the mural arose from a desire to revitalize the heavily-used hallway with something meaningful that the community could connect with. The artwork aligns with one of the top priorities of Civil’s Strategic Plan — Indigenous Inclusion.
“Part of this project is to ensure our community respects the land in which CEME sits on; provide a reminder to our students, faculty and staff that meaningful and respectful engagement with Indigenous communities is paramount; and the need to consider Indigenous ways of knowing and worldviews in our research, teaching and ways of doing things,” says Donna Seto, Manager of Research and Strategic Initiatives.
A small ceremony will be held to celebrate the completion of the mural and educate the community about its significance.