Dozens of friends met under the 5th Avenue flyover on Sunday morning to remember the life and artistic contributions of Ryan Delve.
The body of the 43-year-old artist, who had lived on the streets for years, was discovered on Thursday near the Bow River pathway, steps away from the site of Sunday’s memorial.
A mural underneath the flyover includes a tree and a series of hands surrounding a landscape with cascading water painted by Ryan. The artwork contains symbols of growth, prosperity, strength and life.
To honour Ryan’s legacy, his friends cleaned the mural on Sunday.
“Ryan had more enthusiasm and ambition than anyone that I’ve ever worked with,” said Mark Vazquez-Mackay, an artist and art instructor who worked on the mural with Ryan. “He was just off-the-wall.”
Mark says Ryan’s enthusiasm for the project, and for art in general, was always on display..
“We would agree to come out here and start the mural at 8:30 every morning,” said Mark. “Ryan had the cart out and he was already painting before anyone showed up, and he was the last one painting every day. He was so excited to be involved in the arts community.”
Despite the issues of his past, Ryan was determined to make things work and to exit the life of addiction.
“He was a recovering drug addict, he understood the different paths in life and how sometimes you go down the wrong path and you’re trying to find the right path,” said Mark. “He was recovered. He was clean.”
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ryan’s death. Anyone who witnessed suspicious activity on Thursday morning near the Bow River pathway in the East Village is asked to contact the Calgary Police Service, 403-266-1234, or Crime Stoppers.
