Muralists take inspiration from comic books for murals and street art at the Montreal MURAL Festival.
Montreal isn't all about poutine; it's an international destination for world-renowned street artists. Each year, the city hosts the MURAL Festival; a celebration of all things mural and street art; which aims to celebrate the creativity and democratize urban art.
The festival attracts mural artists from such mural-fueled corners of the world as Poland, France, Chili, Puerto Rico, and Italy. Their work colorfully graces the side of buildings largely on St. Laurent Boulevard. MURAL Festival takes place June 12th-15th; but the work lives on throughout the year; adding to the lively/artistic atmosphere of Montreal. Travelers coming to Montreal can savor in the beautiful eye-candy of such legendary street artists as 123 Klan, Zilon, Bezt from Etam Cru, Alex Scaner, and Vilx.
A large number of the artists take inspiration from both video game and comic book art. You'll be amazed by a wall-sized Tweety Bird hovering over a parking lot while brandishing a gun, a granny chiseling away at granite on the side of a building that sells tombstones, and a herd of elephants floating through a blue cloudscape.
During MURAL, twenty local and international artists participated in the four day event; to create twenty new murals that can be observed throughout the year, free of charge of course...The festival recorded over 800,000 visits and was so well received that it was awarded the Montreal Grand Prix du Tourisme.
Most of the artists that partake in this Montreal's public arts festival are represented by the Station 16 Street Art Gallery (3523 St. Laurent Boulevard); where enthusiasts can view smaller, canvas-sized works of the street artists that encompass the gallery walls.
Can't make it to Montreal to savor in the public art? No worries - here's a little taste of Montreal's magical mural tour:
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