Art Lives On

Paint a monument for your child via Public Art

First things first - I am so incredibly sorry for your loss.

I wish we never had to meet.

We lost our beautiful 15 year old son Brandon on Nov 20, 2023. This loss is so profound to us, as we know your loss is to you.

Background

After Brandon died, I was so lost, for so many months (still am, but that's another story). He was, is, and will always be my son, and I will always be his Dad. I so desperately want to maintain that connection, and I wanted to do something for him in a very public way.

I had a vision to build a monument for Brandon, via a public art project using his own art.

And so, the concept of "Art Lives On" took root.

Key Ideas Behind Art Lives On

Ongoing parenting: we never stop loving our kids, even if we aren’t with them at present. This project may be difficult, but it allows us to continue parenting, and demonstrating that love.
Ceremony: If you choose to participate, we would love for you to get hands on paintbrushes (under the guidance of a professional artist). The act of painting for your child can evoke feelings of touching them, being connected to them (and can obviously cause some tears)
Commemoration: The world will not come to know our kids as we do, but our kids were here, and they mattered. Your (and your child’s) participation in this project will add some beauty into this world, and leave behind a public memorial to them.
There is no cost to families. All funding is being covered by grants and donations

Projects

2024 - Project 0 - our inaugural project, dedicated to Brandon. Learn more.
2025 - Project 1 - 'Art Lives On' is growing. Through the gracious support of Calgary Arts Development, we are going to be painting a large public mural in Calgary, dedicated to the beautiful kids that have left us all too soon. Get involved and learn more. We are gathering interest and artistic concepts now! (April/May 2025). Project will likely take place in August 2025. Register to participate.
2025 - Fernie - We are working with Nell Smith's family in Fernie, BC, to create a mural, commemorating their much loved and talented daughter. Grant funding has been graciously provided by the Neighbourhood Small Grants program from the Association of Neighbourhood Houses BC. Learn more about Nell Smith's legacy here.

You have questions:

How can I commemorate my child? This is completely up to you, but we can provide some ideas.
- If you have some of your child's art, let's recreate it on the mural.
- If your child's art is quite primitive, that's OK too. We can have our professional artist enhance/expand on your child's art, subject to your design review.
- If your child was too young to have art of there own, what reminds you of them? What is meaningful to you? Are there things your child loved? Any of these can form the basis of a design to celebrate your child.
Will I be required to paint? You are not required to do anything. We are here to support you. If you can summon the strength, picking up a paintbrush and taking personal action to paint for your child be quite therapeutic
What if I am not really artistic? We will have a professional artist guide us through the entire process. They lay out the entire mural. They 'block' (outline) shapes for us, mix colours, and give us direction so the whole exercise is like a 'paint-by-numbers'. After the parents are done, the artist outlines, does touch ups, fades, and shadows as appropriate. The end result is a very professional looking, beautiful mural that parents had a direct hand in painting.
Can other family/friends participate too? Absolutely!