Black Lives Matter Mural, Ottawa, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

The Black Lives Matter Mural in Ottawa is a community artwork by the artist Kalkidan Assefa, found in the Centretown area of the city and tied to the McNabb Community Centre. It matters as much for what happened to it as for how it looks: it was defaced, repainted and moved, and it became a conversation about care, ownership and public art.

The story behind it

Kalkidan Assefa painted the mural under the title Black Lives Matter. The first version was defaced, but it was repainted and reinstalled at the McNabb Community Centre. The artist described the response in simple terms: although there was some negativity, the positivity heavily outweighed it.

It was not the first time his work had been damaged. Another of his murals was harmed and repaired several times, and each time it was repainted. For the artist, that cycle strengthens what the murals are meant to be about: community ownership of artwork, care, engagement and support. The mural was later repainted and placed in a new, less busy spot to reduce the risk of more vandalism. Assefa has voiced frustration at that reasoning. He wants people to keep talking about the mural itself, and says vandalism should not be the centre of the story. The original message of love and awareness should be.

What to look for

• Look at the mural as a repainted work: it exists in its present form because the community and the artist chose to restore it.
• Take in the message of love and awareness that the artist wants to stay at the heart of the piece.
• Notice the setting beside a community centre, which fits the idea of art that belongs to the neighbourhood.
• Look at the surrounding Centretown streets, where more public art and everyday city life sit close together.

Tips for your visit

• Plan on 10 to 15 minutes at the mural itself, longer if you want to read about its history on the spot.
• Daylight is best for seeing colours and details clearly, and for photographing the wall.
• Be respectful of the place: it is a community site, and the artist has spoken about care and support around the work.
• Pair it with other stops in downtown Ottawa rather than making a separate trip, since it sits within easy walking distance of the centre. Check current access if you want to go close to the building.

See it on a quest

The mural is one stop on Ottawa: In the Eyes of a Street Artist, a self-guided street art walk. You reach it on foot as part of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about the work as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. It is a good way to look more closely at a piece like this, and one ticket covers the whole group. Start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join.