Colourful and creative, for the past four years, stunning professional wall murals have been drawing attention and changing the urban landscape of Montreal.
The 20 art installations, sometimes as large as 45 square metres, began as a community project by MU, a non-profit organization which supports and promotes public art in Montreal.
"At the heart of our involvement and engagement was really to change the city, bring colours to its walls, and create windows of beauty," said Emmanuelle Hebert, one of the founders of MU.
The murals, which cost an average of $50,000 to create, are paid for by the city of Montreal and corporate and private donations.
The result, said co-founder Elizabeth-Ann Doyle, is the stunning revitalization of a bare wall that brings art to the public sphere.
"It's art for everybody. It's accessible to everyone and also it's not only in downtown, it's in all neighbourhoods," said Doyle.
From St Michel to Notre Dame de Grace to Villeray and Mile End, the murals add a touch of beauty to drab downtown facades.
Further, the installations create interaction between professional artists and community life, said Hebert.
"Once the scaffolding is up, and the artist is there for four to six weeks. There's really a relationship that is established," she said. "The first day they just look, and after a week, they stop and say ‘hi' and then at the end, it's, ‘my' artist and ‘my' mural."
Artist Laurence Petit, who created a mural at the downtown social housing complex Habitations Jeanne-Mance, said she hopes to see more of the murals through the city.
"I wish they could have mosaic mural everywhere in Montreal after this project," she said.
For more information on MU community murals, click here.
