A woman says she was harassed twice by the same man while painting a mural in a Downtown Vancouver alley this week.
As one of the featured artists in the 2020 Vancouver Mural Festival, Pearl Low puts hours into painting her vibrant, massive mural. Since she has a full-time job, she works on her piece from 6:30 p.m. until roughly 9 p.m. after she gets off work. So far, she's been working on her creation for 10 days.
Low tells Vancouver Is Awesome in an email that she's typically accompanied by someone from VMF's staff or by friends so she's not alone painting in the alleyway behind the Junction on Davie Street. However, she was working alone Tuesday night when she was approached by an unknown male.
"I had my headphones on - so I could just block out any noise and jam along to some music while painting-- and when I turned away from painting on the wall I see him pointing his finger in my face, and then pointing at his ears while mouthing at me, "Take them off". His body language was really aggressive and I already knew then that this interaction wasn't going to be a pleasant one," writes Low.
Low says she took her headphones and the man said, "I actually have a job and i'm going to bed now. I have to get up at 4 a.m. tomorrow." She notes that his tone was harsh and that she feels he didn't consider her work to be "real work."
Following his intitial statement, Low informed the man that she'd be wrapping up in 20 to 25 minutes, but he continued to protest about noise. She says he complained that the lift she was using to paint her mural was making too much noise, but that she shut it off after their exchange. She adds that she packed up and left by 9 p.m. sharp, too.
Photo: Pearl Low / FacebookThe following day around 8 p.m., Low writes that she was working with someone from VMF when he approached her a second time. She notes that the VMF staff member was at the other end of the wall painting - about 31 feet away - so she was not beside anyone.
"He approached me again while I was crouched under the lift painting near the ground, on the wall, and said, "It's time to pack this thing away" and I told him that we'll be wrapping up soon. If he has an issue with me using this lift, I would recommend him talking to a member of the VMF committee about these concerns. I'm just a contracted artist and the scope of this conversation goes beyond my role," says Low.
"He then starts yelling at me saying he has work at 4 a.m. the next day, he's lived in this area for 30 years and then he calls me a stupid bitch and walks away. Each interaction was about 10 minutes or so."
In a Facebook post, Low writes,"So yeah, painting a mural while being a Black woman isn't the best [to be honest].
"He really felt OK yelling at a young Black woman, crouched on the ground painting flowers. And yeah, I cried as I continued to paint the rest of the night."
According to the City of Vancouver Noise Control Bylaw No.655, it is unlikely the noise from Low's lift exceeded the permitted amount. The sound would need to be continuous and exceed 65 to 70 decibels prior to 10 p.m. Intermittent noise would not count unless it was continuously intermittent (e.g. 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off repeatedly for an extended period). Further, she would be permitted to work until 10 p.m. According to the by-law, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. is considered quiet time.
For comparison's sake, a normal conversation can range from 60 to 70 decibels. A vacuum cleaner is 70 to 75, and city traffic is around 85 decibels.
Below the Facebook post, a number of people write that they will support Low by standing with her while she paints on Saturday.
In her artist statement for the mural entitled "Precious Fruit, Low writes the following:
"Black joy is so important to see because not only is it revolutionary, it is extraordinary, and beautiful. I wanted to paint a Black woman exuding joy, in all her glory, in front of a deconstructed sun, surrounded by oranges on branches. Oranges have many meanings, but the ones that resonate with me are Joy, Happiness and Prosperity. Through my lens, I hope to showcase a form of Black joy that is beautiful to me, and how even in a world that doesn't support us, we still bloom and grow, like precious fruit."
The Vancouver Mural Festival returns this summer with an expanded three-week celebration of murals across the city from Aug. 18 through Sep. 7. It will feature over 60 new murals in 9 neighbourhoods across the city. Plus, a new mobile App to help you discover them all.
Low is a multi-disciplinary artist who does everything from comics to portraits to murals and more. Have a look at the scope of her talent HERE.
