As part of a multi-year, federally funded research project supporting environmental stewardship, a trio of emerging artists helped bring a vibrant new public artwork to Granville Island.
Students and alums from Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) spent the summer assisting on a multi-year public engagement project to advocate for better stewardship of the False Creek inlet.
The latest phase of the project, titled “False Creek”: Community Connected by Water, saw Illustration student Ana Fowlie (BFA 2026), Illustration alumnus Alessio Rios (BFA 2026) and Visual Arts student Aiya Snider (BFA 2027) help create a mural for the False Creek Community Centre on Granville Island in Vancouver.
“Research-oriented projects like this that have a science-communication element and partner with other organizations are fulfilling for me,” says Aiya, whose degree studies, like Ana’s, include an Ecological Practices in Art minor.
“I get to be out in the world, working with other people from other disciplines and engaging the public. It brings a type of collaborative energy that is different from my studio work. It’s been challenging in the best ways, and it’s another path I want to add to my own practice.”
“False Creek”: Community Connected by Water brings together artists, scientists, students and educators to investigate False Creek’s biodiversity and engage the public through art. Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s College and Community Social Innovation Fund and by the Canada Council for the Arts, the three-year project is led by Aloera Climate Creative Society, a research-oriented arts and climate collective, in partnership with the Applied Research Centre at Langara College, the Hakai Institute and False Creek Friends.
The mural, titled The Momentum of Our Tide, depicts an underwater scene featuring foundational species for the False Creek waterway which flows just steps from the community centre.
Aloera Creative Director Sichen Grace “SG” Chen (MFA 2026) and Aloera Managing Director Jasmine Lee began developing Community Connected by Water during SG’s degree studies at ECU. SG says the project — as well as Aloera itself — was developed in part to support students and early-career artists by offering applied work experience in meaningful, real-world contexts.
She notes that Aiya, having completed her initial contract with Aloera, will continue working for the organization as she completes her final year at ECU. In this expanded role, Aiya has been assisting with public outreach, including newsletters, zines and tabling at events such as Science World After Dark and the False Creek Festival.
“Emerging artists are buzzing with new ideas and are excited to challenge themselves in interdisciplinary ways,” SG says. “Particularly for issues such as climate change, pollution and environmental stewardship, art is a powerful language that can be used to (re)connect and educate people. At Aloera, we value uplifting emerging artists in these conversations and engagements to show that climate futures do indeed need artists, designers and relational makers.”
Recent alum Alessio Rios assisted with the mural throughout the summer. While he is familiar with both digital and traditional media, he says public artworks provide unique challenges — some of which extended the skills he’d developed during his degree studies as community coordinator for the Emily Carr Students’ Union (ECSU).
“Part of my role with the ECSU was to grow and conserve community, and part of what I was hired to do with Aloera was talk with the public, since there are so many curious kids and other people walking by while we’re working. That’s what makes public art special: it’s community building as well as painting.” says Alessio, who came to ECU from Mexico to study.
“Having this mural located in one of the city’s cultural hubs also feels like contributing to a place that welcomed me as an international student. That’s a good feeling. I would come here quite a bit in my first years of university. So, being able to work here now and apply what I’ve learned, it’s a nice full-circle moment.”
As the project enters its second year, the Aloera team aims to complete a ground mural at Husain Rahim Plaza in 2027 and will hire another student assistant in the spring semester. They also recently published an open call for submissions for the next edition of their semi-annual publication, intertidal zine.
Follow Aloera and Community Connected by Water on Instagram for more on upcoming events and publications.
Visit ECU’s website to read our recent, in-depth feature on “False Creek”: Community Connected by Water.
More about Research at ECU
As one of the most research-intensive art and design universities in Canada, ECU connects art, media, and design practices with some of the most pressing questions of our time. At ECU, we believe our research can help to transform the world, build healthier and more vibrant futures, and cultivate cultural resilience throughout our local and global communities and industry partners.
Visit our website to learn more.
More About Illustration at ECU
Illustration brings ideas to life, turning concepts into compelling visuals that inspire, inform and communicate.
Explore traditional and digital techniques, refine your artistic voice and experiment with new approaches in ECU’s Illustration program. Hands-on projects and critical studies open doors to diverse opportunities, from art exhibitions to media careers.
Visit our website to learn more.
More about the Master of Fine Arts program at ECU
Enhance your artistic practice and critical inquiry with our two-year Master of Fine Arts programs, featuring innovative and flexible pathways. Immerse yourself in contemporary art production through an interdisciplinary curriculum that bridges methods and ideas in a supportive and challenging environment. Choose between a full-residency option for year-round, on-campus engagement or our two low-residency programs combining online learning with on-campus intensives.
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