A street artist from Saskatchewan is creating murals for Nanaimo’s Wisteria Lane as locals work to improve the neighbourhood

Alyssa Glassford, aka Humanity, has been doing street art for the past twelve years. She has traveled around the world and lived across Canada, experiences that have given a unique edge to her work. At the moment, Humanity is spending hours painting along Wisteria Lane in Nanaimo’s Nob Hill neighbourhood.

Wisteria Lane residents Tanya and Doug Hiltz, Norman Abbey, and others who live along the laneway, have applied a systematic approach to discourage drug use and prostitution in the area. It’s called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and it focuses on good design and enhancements to the built environment.

“The environmental design model includes a plethora of easy-to-do items such as removing graffiti, increase the lighting, adding no trespassing signs, adding garbage cans, and adding public art,” reports Aaron Hinks in the Nanaimo Daily News. “Residents are starting to work on their own properties by lowering their fence height so they can see what’s taking place in the alleyway from the safety of their home.”

Humanity has been working many hours creating an Alice-in-Wonderland-themed mural running from the south end of the laneway north. She’s working primarily in spray paint and aims to create bright colourful images for all ages to enjoy.

We speak with street artist Alyssa Glassford, aka Humanity, and with Wisteria Lane resident Tanya Hiltz.

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Images: (top) Alyssa Glassford working at the entrance to Wisteria Lane; (bottom) large mural at the north end of the lane is nearly finished (image from Tanya Hiltz).