Vancouver Mural Festival head David Vertesi to step down at end of 2020
Andrea Curtis will act as interim executive director at an organization that’s been transforming city streets throughout the pandemic
David Vertesi and Andrea Curtis
VANCOUVER MURAL FESTIVAL cofounder and executive director David Vertesi has announced he’ll step down at the end of this year.
He helped launch the fest five years ago via the Create Vancouver Society. Since then, the event has grown from a grassroots happening in and around Mount Pleasant to adding more than 300 pieces of public art throughout the Lower Mainland. Such big names in street art as Fintan Magee and Shepard Fairey have contributed works to the program, as have a strong contingent of Indigenous artists in recent years.
During COVID lockdown, VMF stepped in to help bring 60 murals to boarded-up storefronts, beautifying what was then a bleak urban landscape. This summer, the festival expanded to nine neighbourhoods with more than 60 new murals, as well as launching a VMF mobile app.
Andrea Curtis, who currently works as VMF’s director of operations, will step in as interim executive director. Curtis has been with the organization since its inception. She has more than 18 years of experience and education in arts and culture, most recently as co-founder of Transformation Projects.
“In some ways, it feels like an unusual time to leave given our continued incredible growth and success, despite a pandemic,” said Vertesi, who is also a musician best known for his bass work with indie-pop band Hey Ocean!.
"But the timing is right to make space and pass the torch to our amazing team as I pursue new opportunities," Vertesi continues. "My hands are full at the moment with my music career and a toddler running around, however, I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next opportunity.”
Carson Ting and Annie Chen’s recent mural at Nicola Dry Cleaning as part of VMF.
Related Articles
