« From traffic signal boxes to 32-storey highrises, Toronto is enjoying a great new splash of mural art. Keeping pace with an expanding public art scene, local arts service organization Mural Routes will be hosting influential figures from the mural art world during the 16th National Mural Symposium in Toronto from October 25 – 27.
Keynote speaker Will Shank is a sought-after international consultant on techniques, value and the preservation of modern and contemporary murals. Former Chief Conservator at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Shank is the co-founder and co-chair of Rescue Public Murals, an initiative of Heritage Preservation in Washington. His presentation on Saturday, October 26 will focus on international trends in mural creation and efforts being made to preserve them.
The political power of mural art will be explored in Murals of Resistance, a panel presentation about how murals inspire change in society. It will be followed by a screening of the National Film Board’s The Portrait, which follows Toronto artist Phil Richards as he prepares to paint Canada’s Diamond Jubilee portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Richards and film producer Lea Marin will attend a Q&A after the screening, to be followed by a reception.
This summer, the local spotlight turned to acclaimed interdisciplinary artist Sean Martindale, Toronto Muralists and youth artists from St. James Town led by public art group STEPS Initiative. They created the world’s tallest mural on the side of a 32-storey community housing building at 200 Wellesley Street East, scene of a tragic fire in 2010. Lead artist Martindale’s presentation Pushing the Boundaries will share his work on this and other innovative public projects. A walking tour of Bell Canada’s utility box murals will end at the site of the sky-scraping mural.
Administrative sessions will discuss vital issues in completing a successful mural art project. Dive into Social Media focuses on using social media strategies to develop a unique voice that will promote your work and connect with followers. A panel discussing Business Practices in Mural Making will examine factors that create successful partnerships in community mural art projects.
The National Mural Symposium runs at Metro Hall and Centre for Social Innovation Regent Park from October 25-27, and promises three inspiring and informative days of creative, technical and administrative conference sessions about public wall art. It also offers second-to-none networking opportunities with the most knowledgeable muralists and project administrators in the field. »
-submitted by Tara Dorey, Mural Routes
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