A new container mural was unveiled at Canada Games Plaza Thursday, July 10 as part of Tourism Prince George’s ongoing efforts to expand the container market in the plaza.
The artwork was created by local tattoo shop owner Theresa Sapergia, who was selected by Tourism PG from 17 local artists who expressed interest in the design.
The unveiling was marked by celebration and excitement, with attendees including members of city council, Tourism PG, Two Rivers Art Gallery and Mayor Simon Yu, who praised both the mural and the artist behind it.
Yu said he was impressed by the artwork and announced that a portion of the city’s development permits should go toward supporting public art.
The Citizen caught up with Sapergia to discuss her inspiration behind the new, vibrant mural.
“Well, I was inspired by the land acknowledgement to the Lheidli T’enneh, on whose land we live, work and play,” said Sapergia. “The idea of play being centralized is an important part of our culture but also our survival. I wanted to stay playful. I wanted to be joyful, so it's very colourful, it’s very bold. It has playing foxes, a frolicking moose, maybe a mischievous raven, and some beautiful wildflowers — along with all the colours of the rainbow.”
She added that her years of experience as a tattoo artist and owner of Handsome Cabin Boy Tattoo helped her in designing the piece.
“I couldn’t have done this without that experience. That’s what my sister, who helped me paint this, said. She said, ‘I really think that this happened so fluidly because you’ve been tattooing so long,’” Sapergia said.
The new mural is now a standout feature of the plaza and is visible from surrounding buildings, including Two Rivers Art Gallery and the Marriott Hotel.
Sapergia said the container’s high visibility and central location initially caused her some anxiety.
“I did have some nights where I had to really work to shut my brain off — to put aside the massive responsibility that this is,” she said. “It had to be good. It had to be something people wanted to look at and were excited about. That really starts with looking deep at what is exciting to you, and then hoping that’s going to speak to other people as well.”
Now that it’s complete, she hopes the mural becomes a gathering place for the Prince George community.
“I hope that it’ll be a place where people say, ‘We’ll meet you there,’ and you’ll know it because of this incredible gem in the centre of the pavilion,” she said. “I hope people will use it as a place to gather and hang out.”
