Why Vancouver Should Take Note of Montreal’s MURAL Festival

Last year Montreal was introduced to MURAL, a festival “aiming to celebrate creativity and democratize urban art.” This event garnered over 800,000 attendees in 2013, and it was awarded the Montreal Grand Prix du Tourisme.

This year MURAL is considerably larger with exhibitions like arcades, wine tastings, and even show rooms for student residences. These installations are important because, for the average person, viewing art can only last so long. MURAL is doing a great job of keeping people interested by making sure they stay stimulated in a social and fun environment.

From June 12-15 visitors can walk Montreal’s iconic Boulevard Saint-Laurent to view the murals being produced in real time. The 20 artists are mostly Canadian, but Poland, France, Chili, USA, and Italy are also represented. Some of their previous work is below.

(Seth, Miss Me, Kashink, 123 Klan, 2501)

Vancouver should definitely consider this a wakeup call because it shows that Canadians really are interested in art. Whether it’s the painting of the murals, live music, or dance performances taking place, everyone is able to find something to enjoy themselves with. However, the attendees are not the only group benefitting from this type of event. MURAL is making the field of street art more accepted, and the artists are able to share their work in more traditional ways to enhance viewership. Furthermore, the city of Montreal is housing transformations from grey historic buildings to vibrant masterpieces in a matter of days. Although the festivities eventually conclude, the final products remain to remind Montreal that what was once considered an eyesore is now considered art.

By Victoria Gies