EDMONTON -- New art at the University of Alberta Hospital pays tribute to the effort of health-care workers.
"Hero Haven" is complete and was installed in the McMullen Gallery on Saturday.
As the 16x8-foot mural suggests, resilience and togetherness have shone through a dark cloud of loss and loneliness.
"All these combinations of words emerged that even, again, represented the complicatedness of the feelings," local artist AJA Louden said.
"There's the word humbling and the word resilient next to each other, and I think that's a really interesting, powerful combination of words."
Frontline workers were asked to share their honest opinions about life during the pandemic for the project, and it was Louden's job to illustrate those complex emotions.
"It is truly a collaborative effort," echoed Tyler Sherard, the gallery's director.
"We've had actual staff who have been on the front lines involved in the piece all along, and I think that's what made it really special."
"Hero Haven" will stay at McMullen Gallery for about six months before being moved to a permanent display.
