You may notice a new collection of colourful murals the next time you’re in downtown Halifax.

Nineteen circular murals are now decorating Scotia Square with each one telling a unique story. The pieces were created by local Indigenous artists ranging between the ages of nine and 55.

The Downtown Business Commission (DHBC) led the project and it’s part of their “Gritty to Pretty” place making project to brighten up areas of the city.

“Our Stories” is one of DHBC’s ‘Gritty to Pretty’ placemaking projects that were announced earlier this year and was created by BIPOC mural grant recipients Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre (MNFC), and Open Studio One (OSO) planning + design.

In May 2022, DHBC launched a call for submissions for the ‘Gritty to Pretty’ Placemaking Grant Program.

This is the eighth year of the program, which was developed to award grants for placemaking projects located in Downtown Halifax. This year, two new grant streams were introduced to provide financial support to BIPOC artists and art collectives, BIPOC-led, BIPOC-focused, and BIPOC-serving organizations.

“The building is in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people and we’re really hoping the location of the murals will build awareness of the Mi’kmaq history and the land that we all stand on,” says project lead Kieran Stepan, co-founder of OSO planning + design.

The mural concepts were developed over five workshops.