The city of Montreal plans to invest half a million dollars in public art, transforming more building walls into an “outdoor museum” with the help of local mural artists.
“We’re giving life to walls, said Anie Samson, vice-president of the city’s executive committee, who announced the $532,476 investment on Friday.
“Often, in some boroughs, some areas are rougher than others. By adorning walls, citizens feel safer,” Samson said.
The new mural art program will finance 21 murals in 10 boroughs, including Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Lachine, Plateau Mont-Royal, Sud-Ouest, Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Ville-Marie, and Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension. The goals are to create high-quality art, develop local creative talent and add to the city’s public art collection, as well as improving borough life.
Samson said murals help improve urban life by warding off graffiti because people tend to respect the work of artists.
“There is no scientific proof but I can attest that we’ve noticed it over the years,” said Jean-Marc Bissonnette, a division chief with the municipal service that acts as a liaison with Montreal’s boroughs.
The city has overseen the creation of 106 murals since 2007. It launched a competition in February for artists to create large murals linked to activities in specific boroughs to embellish public spaces.
One of the chosen projects was submitted by the Table des quartiers Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, a grouping of community organizations, institutions, citizens and private businesses in the borough.
Mural artist Ankh One works on his latest painting on the corner of Joliette and Sainte-Catherine on Friday September 2, 2016. The city of Montreal has launch a $500 000 mural program.
Mural artists Ankh One and Fluke came up with the design for that project and were at Friday’s announcement painting a wall at the corner of Joliette St. and Ste-Catherine St. E. overlooking Edmond-Hamelin park. The duo is part of A’Shop — a collective that has decorated several walls across town.
“The idea is to have a museum of murals that people can enjoy and consider them as works of art that are respected and promoted by the city of Montreal,” Fluke said.
The location of Montreal’s growing list of murals is available online at ville.montreal.qc.ca/murales
