Mural: Both Sides of the Valley
Created: 2020-2021
Size: 2530 ft sq2
Location: Back side of Cedar Coast Dental
Address: 4619 Park Avenue
Painted in phases over the course of the summers of 2020 and 2021, this massive installation is an ode to the alpine in the northwest of British Columbia. Local artists Rod Brown and Tim Block helped paint the mural alongside primary artist, Casey Braam. Braam’s goal with this installation was to bring people to one of his favourite places – the alpine. “We wanted to put people in local alpine and make it really immersive for people on the ground. The thing about mountain goats and alpine, for some it defines this area and other people don’t even know it exists.”
Nearly 80 per cent of the world’s mountain goat population live in BC. Braam, an avid hunter, says this is a celebration of their environment. If you catch this mural while the sun sets, the colours just may match up!
In 2021, Casey completed the mural with the help Rod Brown and Andy Kerr. It’s a continuation of the first mural with the addition of a Grizzly Bear sow and two cubs on the west facing wall and a family of marmots on the south facing side. The bears are placed in a sunny location, with vibrant blue skies.
Email: caseybraam@gmail.com
Facebook: Art by Casey Braam
Instagram: @cabraam
Casey Braam is an artist and illustrator living amongst the towering hemlocks and snowy peaks of Terrace, BC. His wildlife art is featured on Netflix’s Meateater and championed by conservation groups, including Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance and Wild Sheep Society of BC. He has exhibited work at Vancouver’s Pacific Arts Market, Skeena Salmon Arts Festival, and Kitimat Museum and Gallery. Casey’s work can be seen in local cafes and restaurants, and as far away as Vancouver Island, where an orca hunts salmon on the walls of Riverquest Fishing Charters.
Casey can’t remember a time when he didn’t have a pencil in his backpack or a mountain goat on his mind. He paints what he knows – roaring rivers, majestic eagles, alpine meadows and bugling elk. As an outdoorsman, Casey’s live-off-the-land lifestyle is fully integrated with his artistic pursuits. He loves to cook with wild game and fill his kitchen with friends and family always eager to enjoy the feast.
Creativity runs through Casey’s veins and across his family tree. His grandfather, who shares the same name, was renown locally for his historical pen and ink drawings. Casey’s family, including his father, a talented wood carver, are also sources of artistic inspiration and encouragement.
Whether a mural or a sketch, Casey’s art always invites his viewers to reflect on the immediacy of the natural world. There is no space between the viewer and the charcoal eyes of a suspicious owl or the inked fur of a hackled black bear. Even the smallest grouse demands attention thanks to the detailed work of Casey’s brush or digital pen.
Large scale projects are a passion for Casey and the walls of Terrace’s downtown testify to the power his big-picture thinking and collaborative style. These ambitious mural projects bring the wilderness and the city into the same world. When the gentle gaze of a grazing moose catches the eyes of a passerby, the stop lights and traffic fade away, and for a moment, they are immersed in the wild.
Check out Casey's other work: