Mural
DCS Mural 2025
The mural shows the DUDES Club Society logo and its evolution from the original artwork as created by Fred Anderson Jr., to the current iteration, which is still in use by the various DUDES Clubs, including the Vancouver DC. The mural shows four men paddling together in a canoe, each wearing regalia from different coastal nations to represent the multicultural and multi-ethnic composition of DUDES Club members. The paddling also represents the journey of Indigenous men to reclaim their culture, wellness, health, and community, all of which have been disrupted by the institutions of colonization and contact.
Timeline
The Society, DUDES Men, and our community has experienced changes and tremendous growth since the initial mural made by Corey Bulpitt. Men requested that the mural reflected this growth, leading to a mural that better represented the current work of DUDES Club.
DUDES Men and Staff reached out to the community and identified Jay Morven as our artist to revitalize the DUDES Club mural. First, we worked with the City of Vancouver to prime the wall and start fresh. Jay Morven provided DUDES Club Society with an Artwork Proposal. Within two weeks, Jay Morven started and completed the outline of the mural.
Next, Jay gathered his community, artists, and invited DUDES men and neXup youth to participate in the creation of the mural. The mural was completed within a month, with only a few touch ups needed. Jay Morven and DUDES Club Society planned a feast to celebrate Jay, our community, and the future.
The celebration brought together over 50 people. The ceremony was stewarded by the Nisga’a Dance Group, a community affiliate group lead by Jay Morven that uses DUDES Clubhouse as their practice space. We hosted a BBQ, danced, shared knowledge, and created relationships.
Jay Morven, our donors, and our DTES community came together and created a mural that exudes strength and empowerment through the visual representation of the journey DUDES Club and DUDES men are undertaking in this healing work. This mural creates space for those walking by to take a moment, reflect, and understand the strength of Indigenous peoples in their journey of healing within an urban context. Most importantly, when current and future DUDES men and youth approach our clubhouse, they know they belong here, and the invitation is clear:
Leave Your Armour at the Door
This project would not have been possible without the support of our partners:
