Every 15 minutes a small crowd assembles in an orderly and circular fashion around Vancouver's defacto landmark, the Gastown Steam Clock. With arms raised and phones ready, onlookers wait patiently for the iconic whistles and snoots of steam that ceases to disappoint onlookers. 

It's no wonder Gastown is a must-see destination for Vancouver visitors. Cobblestone streets flanked by rows of 60 foot trees create a cozy and welcoming environment for tourists to appreciate our city's heritage while experiencing the diversity of shops, restaurants and bars that is uniquely Gastown.

For our summer installation we wanted to give those discovering our neighbourhood and concept store a way to share how they were feeling in the moment. In real life, right here, right now. We covered our entrance floor-to-ceiling a simple white, presented coloured markers, then asked the question,

"Given a blank canvas, how would you leave your mark?"

The canvas...

The markers...

The result...

Our installation - effectively a crowd-sourced mural - engaged people in a way we could not have foreseen. From its simple beginning to charmingly chaotic end two months later, we made countless new friends and savoured the sheer variety, colour and authenticity of marks left. 

The early days...

The event...

Leave Your Mark, IRL was launched with an upbeat and interactive evening celebration. While some sipped our Remy Martin-inspired drink affectionately dubbed "Brandy Bunch"poured from an elegant ice luge, others spent significant time adorning said white canvas with memorable words and pictures. All the while, the cool beats of saxophonist and loop pedalist Alex Maher rung throughout our space.  

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