The summer of 2025 saw many City Arts projects completed, among them one of our favourites - the washrooms at Voght Park, near the dog park. Designed by digital artist Astralis Snee and painted by our summer team Janelle Gage and Kari Kroeker, this mural brings joy to all who walk or drive by. Vibrant colours, an engaging design, and a cute Instagram background - this mural has it all.
Artist Astralis Snee talks about their creative process for this mural:
When the NVCAC's president, Mischelle, asked me to create a mural in Merritt, I was thrilled. Street art surrounded me
growing up in Chile, and my favourite metro station, Universidad de Chile, is covered from floor to ceiling in a mural. Waiting
for the metro there was never tiresome—I could always discover new details and piece together the story being told without
a single word.
While my work in Merritt was on a smaller, more humble scale, I felt the mural needed to speak for itself. I asked myself:
What do I think of Merritt? What do I want others to know about this city when they see this mural? That’s how the creative
process began.
I wanted the mural—especially its main facade—to convey "opportunity" and "community" through vibrant colours, dynamic
shapes, and playful elements. Diversity matters to me, which is why the children on the hill reflect different backgrounds. I
also wanted to honour Indigenous peoples: the main face overlooking the valley features colours and braids often
associated with Indigenous identity, and two qimmit sit on the lower corners, their gaze directed toward the centre, serving
as a symbolic cornerstone. These dogs were significant to many Indigenous nations in what we now call Canada. Their
history has been tragically affected by colonialism, yet they continue to exist, and their bond with humans and historical
contribution endure. Creating a mural for a dog park felt like the perfect opportunity to include them, even if they weren’t
specific to the traditional territories of the Nlaka’pamux and Syilx peoples.
I hope visitors can enjoy the park with their dogs, surrounded by the enthusiastic burst of colour from my digital design,
faithfully brought to life by Karianne and Janelle, and that it makes locals and visitors alike feel welcome beyond the park
itself, connecting with Merritt’s rich cultural heritage and diversity.