Henderson Connections
The City of Lethbridge Public Art Program is working with an artist who will paint a series of asphalt murals on park pathways, with the goal of promoting awareness, connection and movement of people between various amenities in and around Henderson Park
Henderson Connections – Asphalt Art Pilot
The City of Lethbridge Public Art Program is working with an artist who will paint a series of asphalt murals on park pathways, with the goal of promoting awareness, connection and movement of people between various amenities in and around Henderson Park. This pilot project also involves elements of skill sharing and community participation and will help inform future ground mural projects in our community.
The selected artist will paint a series of temporary works of public art on paved paths and gathering areas used primarily by pedestrians and cyclists. The proposed designs are intended to encourage exploration and movement around the emerging “Henderson District”, celebrating the park and the many surrounding amenities. Through the eye of the artist, these temporary installations reflect the spirit and history of the site, capture the imagination of a diverse range of audiences, and offer opportunities to connect with others around the park.
ARTIST SELECTION:
An open call to artists was advertised from June through July 2025 and attracted 12 applications from artists across Canada. After a careful deliberation process, the selection committee unanimously chose local artist and storyteller Eric Dyck for the project.
Eric is a cartoonist, illustrator and art educator in Lethbridge, Alberta. Over the past 20 years, his professional and independent art-making has focused on interactions with the public and illustrated depictions of the community, including a popular series of pop-up tempera and chalk murals previously installed at events in Rotary Square and Henderson Lake Park. His art practice demonstrates a long-term commitment to sharing a sense of place and community experienced while living and working in Lethbridge. Though the artist has a long history of creating art in public space, this project represents his first time working with the Lethbridge Public Art Program. Eric’s experience as an illustrator and educator, his keen interest in Henderson Lake Park, and his passion for creating moments of shared connection among artists and community members all align with the goals of this pilot project.
We look forward to sharing more updates as the project progresses.
UPDATE 1 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2025:
The first Henderson Connections ground mural will be installed in early October, on a stretch of asphalt pathway along the south side of the lake adjacent to the Henderson Lake Golf Course.
While access to the path will be partially affected, we strongly encourage park-goers to continue to use the space (at a reduced speed), view the artwork in progress, and chat with the artist. Only half of the width of the path will be closed while painting is in progress, and will remain cordoned off for a period of time afterwards to allow the artwork to dry sufficiently. Notices and detours will be provided by Parks for users who may require or prefer access to uninterrupted pathways.
UPDATE 2 – OCTOBER 21, 2025:
The first ground mural is underway! Thank you to all the park goers and golf course users who have stopped to talk to local artist Eric Dyck as he continues work on the pathway adjacent to Henderson Lake Golf Club, along the south side of the lake. A friendly reminder to please use caution on this section of narrow pathway during the installation period.
A message from the artist:
“The weather forecast looks promising for more painting this week! As many of you have come to visit in person, a lot of you already know about the Henderson Lake Asphalt Art project! I will be painting a series of murals at Henderson Lake, aka Slaughterhouse Slough, over the next year. The first, and most fantastical, is in progress on the south side of the lake. Due to weather and asphalt temperatures, it can be hard to predict when I’m on-site, but hey, the walk will still be good for you!”
UPDATE 3 – November 21, 2025:
The first ground mural is now complete! Thank you to all the park goers and golf course users who stopped to talk to local artist Eric Dyck as worked on the pathway adjacent to Henderson Lake Golf Club, along the south side of the lake.
A message from the artist:
The hard work on the south side of Henderson Lake has come to an end despite the challenges of unpredictable weather, discourteous goose bowels, and wayward golf balls. The last week of painting the Slough Serpent mural was a lot of fun as folks who visited every day were finally seeing the whole image in all of its fanciful and ridiculous glory! There were a lot of questions about lore, vigorous discussions of the plausibility of a Lethbridge cryptid, and confusion over the prairie pronunciation of the word slough as “sloo”. Head on down to see all 30 metres of Lethbridge’s very own Slough Serpent!
Slough Serpent and Critter Buddies
The Slough Serpent is a fantastical character Eric has been drawing for 10 years and now stars in the first of several ground murals to be installed along pathways around Henderson Lake. At just about 100 ft long, the artwork features the creature flowing through slough weeds and is accompanied at either end by actual aquatic species living in Henderson Lake.
UPDATE 4 – May 22, 2026: Summer Murals
Returning to Henderson Park this spring and summer: Henderson Connections Asphalt Art Pilot!
Local artist Eric Dyck is back in the park starting this week, working on the rest of his pathway mural series. The project is a collaboration between the City of Lethbridge Public Art Program and Parks. It began in the fall of 2025 with the installation of Slough Serpent on the south side of the lake near Henderson Golf Club. The mural is painted directly on the asphalt and meant to be walked on is a whimsical ode to the history of the lake and imagination itself.
The project continues through 2026, with several more murals appearing on pathways on the north side of the lake. These designs pay tribute to the history of the park as well as its current users.
Between May and September 2026, temporary closures will occur on short stretches of pathway during active painting and drying periods. Signage and barricades will indicate whether parkgoers should make a minor detour or – and this might feel weird, but we promise it’s ok – walk on the (dry) work-in-progress. Several sites will be in progress simultaneously to maximize the efficiency of installation and minimize pathway disruptions.
UPDATE 5 – July 31, 2026:
Local artist Eric Dyck has been hard at work this summer bringing more of his colourful joy to the pathways around Henderson Lake. Most recently, Eric finished up two new pathway murals on the north side of the park. On the outer loop just north of the main playground, you can find a pathway mural depicting the historic Lethbridge Streetcar along with some very delightful animal critters exiting the streetcar. The Lethbridge Streetcar used to run all the way from Galt Gardens to the Exhibition Grounds and was in use from 1912-1947. The location of this mural is adjacent to where an old streetcar stop used to be.
On the inner loop, the Park Run start and finish line are now brought to life with a series of diverse park visitors enjoying a wide range of mobility devices to traverse the pathway. You might see Eric putting the final touches on this mural, and you can also spot some local mascots from around the park in the parade of runners, including Tomo the cat of Nikka Yuko, and T-Bone the bull of Spitz Stadium.
A third project that is nearing completion is the Great Outdoor Colouring Book located around the bumpers of the main playground and the east side playground near Excite Lethbridge. This mural offers a more interactive experience for park visitors, encouraging them to use chalk to colour in the various shapes, fauna and flora depicted by Eric’s black outlines. On August 21, 2026, Eric will be hosting an event at the main playground to celebrate Great Outdoor Colouring Book Day. This will be a free event for all ages and guaranteed to be a good time for kids (and adults) who love to colour.
Another exciting update came to the original Slaughterhouse Slough pathway mural that was completed last fall on the south side of the park. This pathway mural is now an official PokéStop in the mobile augmented reality game Pokemon Go. A PokéStop (often called a poke spot) is a real-world map location where players can collect free virtual items like Poké Balls, eggs, and potions.
Eric’s work continues over the rest of the summer with a few more surprises in store. Be sure to stop and say hello when you see him. He’s always happy to chat about the art as well as some of the fun facts about the lake and local history.
UPDATE 6 – August, 2026
August was another busy month for Eric Dyck! He is currently wrapping up the fifth and final pathway mural of this project. This mural is fondly known as the Dogpile, featuring a large pile of dogs inspired by the most prolific visitors to the lake – our doggy friends and companions. The Dogpile can be found on the forest trail near the northeast corner of the park. One of the exciting things about this location is that it also currently is home to two adolescent great horned owls so if you visit that mural, keep an eye and an ear out for them!
In addition to the Dogpile, Eric finished the Park Run mural and the Giant Outdoor Colouring Book this month. The Outdoor Colouring Book was a highlight of one of Eric’s public engagement events – the Great Outdoor Colouring Book Day that took place on Friday August 21st during Whoop-Up Days. This event celebrated a full day of chalk colouring and button making at the main playground where kids, as well as anyone young at heart, could join the fun by colouring in the cute characters and critters that Eric has outlined in black around the edges of the playground. The idea of this mural is that it will allow for kids to interact with it throughout the life of the mural. Members of the public are welcome to bring sidewalk chalk to the park and add more colour to the Colouring Book mural whenever they are at the playground.
Also in August, Eric led a skill-sharing workshop for artists. This event took place the last week of August over two days near the bike racks next to the pool. Artists learned some of the skills involved in pathway mural making such as how using a doodle grid is much faster than attempting to work with a traditional math-based grid. They also learned not to be precious about the type of brushes used as well as about the nature of the K1 Cloverdale paint used in this project. This is the same paint used for gymnasium flooring, so it has great longevity. However, the asphalt and concrete surfaces throughout the park absorb the paint quite differently than a smoother surface. The results of this workshop with 6 local artists represented are currently still visible for a limited time.
As a celebration of the completion of the Henderson Connections public art project, Eric will be presenting a talk about his experiences with this year-long project at the Bunka Centre on September 17th at 5:30 pm. The talk will be followed by a leisurely walk/ride/scoot to some of the murals. Guests are welcome to bring mobility devices, and maps will be provided to locate each mural.
