Edmonton mural artist catches attention of famous musician

Josh Harnack's murals can be found in several places across Edmonton, but it was a smaller venture of his that caught Barenaked Ladies frontman's attention.

Josh Harnack is finishing up his final mural for the Chantal Brube Youth Centre in Beaumont, Alta.

His art is eye-catching to onlookers, some unaware he’s amassed more than 200,000 followers on social media, even catching the attention of Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies.

“He was pretty open-minded to what I wanted to do,” Harnack told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday of his interaction with the band’s front man. “He just said, ‘I love monsters and aliens, and I don’t really want to influence you too much.’”

Robertson commissioned two paintings from Harnack, who also puts a unique spin on existing work. The two for Robertson came from 6,000 he purchased in a storage locker off Facebook Marketplace.

“I spent all my life savings on the storage locker,” Harnack said.

He believes he’s giving these paintings a second chance, one they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.

“That makes me feel good that I’m saving him from the dump,” Harnack said. “And I get to play within the physics of the world and these other artists.”

Harnack’s work can be found across the city and region, particularly his murals, from school basketball courts to Whyte Avenue apartments.

While he may be stepping into national recognition, his goal is to make sure his pieces resonate with even his smallest clients, “to create this really fun, whimsical, mural that speaks to the kids and their imaginations, as well as the community.

“I just hope I can make a really awesome and fruitful career, continuing to move forward,” Harnack said.