A Vancouver neighbourhood will soon be home to 25 new large-scale paintings, as works of art are in progress for the annual Vancouver Mural Festival.
Now in its fourth year, the celebration in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood brings together local artists to create accessible public art and encourage conversation about socio-cultural issues in the city.
This year, events span 10 days – from Aug. 1 to 10 – and culminate in a local street festival, complete with food trucks, beer gardens, live music, a dance party, pop-up roller rink and community painting.
In the week leading up to the Aug. 10 celebration, VMF is holding exhibitions, painting in the park, community runs along the mural route, a "flash tattoo" event and an open-air movie screening of "Exit Through the Gift Shop," a documentary by British street artist Banksy.
And, for anyone interested in seeing the new murals close up, VMF is hosting walking tours for free or by donation. Tours last around an hour go past some of the city's largest displays of public art.
"Our tours showcase the colourful transformation of the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood while connecting you with artists' visions and behind-the-scenes stories," say VMF organizers.
The Mount Pleasant Street Party will take over the neighbourhood's streets and alleyways from 12 to 7 p.m. on Saturday.
