Toronto’s fanciest neighbourhood, Yorkville, is doing to be the centre of the street art world next month with the return of a popular festival dedicated to street art and murals.
On Aug. 24 and 25, Yorkville Avenue from Bellair Street to Hazelton Avenue will transform into a vibrant cultural celebration as part of the sixth annual Yorkville Murals festival.
The self-guided experience is considered a must-see event for art enthusiasts and cultural explorers across the GTA.
This year’s theme is “No Empty Spaces”, so culture lovers will be sure to find something new and exciting on each day of the festival. Visitors will be entertained with captivating murals, inflatables, art installations, live painting, art talks, music, dance battles, pop-up shops, and evening an evening block party.
For an idea about what you can expect — last year’s installations included a seven-foot sphere composed entirely of basketballs. The work, titled “Natural Selection,” served as a visual metaphor for the aspirations we often strive for as humans, even when these aspirations may seem unattainable.
There was also this installation by local artist Jules Monson — she used a combination of colorful vinyls and handmade bespoke carpets to transform a hallway of Manulife Centre into a mystical art installation inspired by the power of snakes!
And who could forget this large inflatable installation in ’02 by Fidia Falaschetti at Taglialatella Galleries?
The Yorkville Murals festival is presented by Taglialatella Galleries and INK Entertainment and is organized in partnership with the Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area. It builds on Yorkville’s historic reputation as an enclave of Toronto’s early twentieth-century art scene.
Click here for more information, or to sign up to be an event artist.