Murals Come Alive on the Main
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There’s a certain kind of magic that St. Laurent Boulevard carries. It could be its revered history that’s glorified within the books of Canadian literature, or the infectious joie de vivre-like positive energy that leaves both tourists and locals craving more.
For me, it’s a distinct charm that’s hard to defeat and is plastered on every wall (pun intended).
That was the takeaway when I spent my Saturday afternoon walking along the Main during MURAL Festival—a collective collaboration of the city’s and the world’s most admired wall artists to transform St. Laurent street into an urban masterpiece.
Admirers were pointing cameras at murals between Sherbrooke and Mont-Royal like targets—capturing the art with iPhones, Androids, analogue cameras, Point-and-Shoots and DSLRs alike.
On the street, sidewalk sales were abound, cheap food from restaurants and merchants kept spectators quenched and the expected few drunken folks wandered here and there.
Of course, the highlights were still the murals unfolding before our eyes.
For each artwork, the artist’s working space was barricaded. Artists like En Masse and Chris Dyer had elevating machines and ladders provided. Some were simply friendly to open up to the public and chat with onlookers. One artist I spoke to, WZRDS GNG, even gave me a chocolate bar as a token of appreciation to nibble on.
Now that the festival is done, I highly suggest checking the pieces out in the wee hours of the morning or in the afternoon to fully appreciate their beauty.
The block party collab with MURAL and Osheaga was just getting started when I had passed by Excentris. The crowd of ravers and photographers was beginning to swell in the parking lot. Trippy tunes completely fit the mood on the street.
For all the artists at MURAL, the festival was a dream-come-true. For your average art enthusiast, it was a colorful eye-candy feast never before seen. Judging from the oohs, aahs and pointing cameras, this festival was a definite success.
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