Busyrawk: Murals & Illustrations unveils the Black Tortoise of the North 北方玄武, the newest piece in the Four Guardians of Chinatown mural series, at the King Thunderbird Centre.
The unveiling centers on the Black Tortoise's themes of grief, remembrance, and healing, honouring the lives lost in Edmonton's Chinatown and reflecting on the deeper conditions shaping the community's ongoing challenges.
A light show projection countdown brings the mural to life outdoors, alongside a candlelight vigil, a grieving lion dance from Ging Wu Martial Arts Association, an Indigenous hand drum round dance led by Chubby Cree, and live music blending piano, harp, and erhu with the 6-piece band Melafrique.
Indoors, Diversified Grieving Spaces offer a range of ways to process — private quiet space, private space for loud grieving, peer support, and licensed professional support. Boyle Street's outreach teams will be on site throughout for de-escalation, harm reduction, and emergency response.
The event is all ages and runs 3pm to 8pm, with doors at 2:30pm. It's presented with support from the Edmonton Arts Council, the City of Edmonton, Boyle Street Community Services, and the Edmonton Mural Festival.