The 2021 edition of Mural Festival, held from 12 to 22 August, was unfortunately less about the murals and more about shows and concerts. Publicity about the event was geared mostly towards these paying events and not much about the visual art and artists.

For the first time since the beginning of the festival, no murals were done on site for people coming to see artists at work, except for Birdo’s in the VIP area, which was only accessible to paying visitors. The only other mural of this edition was the one designed by Teddy Kelly and executed by Jamie Janx, Arnold and William Marceau-Briggs two months after the festival. The Hotel St-Germain downtown had its front painted by Michelle Hoogveld a few weeks before the festival. The ground of a basketball court in Little Italy was painted by Francorama also some time before the event took place.

The other artists on the bill were hired for non-street art creations, such as Marie-Pier Primeau who painted the walls of a private gym’s pool. The talents of Julian Palma Luque, Garbage Beauty’s Monsieur Boz and Zoe Gelfant were unfortunately wasted on painting sponsored bars, picnic tables and furniture in and around the paying zone instead of murals.

The great aspect of the 2021 edition was Mural’s incursion into virtual public art, with famous local street artists Waxhead and Cryote as well as Samuel Arsenault-Brassard and Iregular. They created virtual pieces only visible through the festival’s app. Cryote also virtually created pieces live as they were being projected on a screen for the guests in the paying area to see.

You may want to check out this walking tour map connecting all Mural Festival creations and other major murals in the area.

L’édition 2021 du Festival Mural, tenue du 12 au 22 août, a été malheureusement axée sur les spectacles et concerts plutôt que les murales. D’ailleurs, la publicité de l’événement mettaient principalement de l’avant le programme d’événements payants tels que ces concert et très peu les artistes visuels.

Pour la première fois depuis la création du festival les visiteurs n’ont pas pu voir d’artistes à l’oeuvre créant leur murale, sauf celle de Birdo dans la section VIP, mais celle-ci était inaccessible sans payer. La seule autre murale de l’édition 2021 a été celle conçue par Teddy Kelly et exécutée deux mois plus tard par Jamie Janx, Arnold Vincent et William Marceau-Briggs. L’Hôtel Germain au centre-ville a été repeint par Michelle Hoogveld quelques semaines avant le début du festival. Le sol d’un terrain de basketball de la Petite Italie a aussi été peint par Francorama quelques temps avant la tenue du festival.

Les autres artistes prévus au programme n’ont pas été engagés pour du street art. Marie-Pier Primeau a peint les murs d’une piscine d’un gym privé. Les talents de Julian Palma Luque, Monsieur Boz de Garbage Beauty et Zoe Gelfant ont malheureusement été gaspillés à peindre des murets de bars et des tables de picnic dans la zone payante ou devant celle-ci, plutôt que des murales.

Un bon coup des organisateurs du festival a été l’ajout d’un nouveau volet virtuel grâce à la participation des artistes Waxhead et Cryote, tous deux bien connus dans le milieu du street art montréalais, ainsi que Samuel Arsenault-Brassard et Iregular. Ces artistes ont créé des pièces virtuelles seulement visible via l’application du festival. Cryote a aussi créé des oeuvres virtuelles live, projetées sur un écran pour les visiteurs dans la section payante du festival.

Vous êtes invités à jeter un coup d’oeil à cet itinéraire pédestre reliant toutes les murales produites dans le cadre de toutes les éditions du Festival ainsi que les autres créations majeures dans le même quartier.

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This awesome mural by Toronto’s Birdo was the only one done during the festival, unfortunately only visible to paying users during its creation.

This building front was designed by Teddy Kelly and executed in October following the festival by Jamie Janx, Arnold Vincent and William Marceau-Briggs.

This installation by June Barry served as an entrance through which paying visitors could access the VIP area.

Michelle Hoogveld painted the front of the Hotel Germain before the beginning of the festival.

Extra shot showing the side of the Hotel Germain painted by Michelle Hoogveld before the festival.

Francorama painted the ground of this Little Italy basketball court shortly before the festival happened. Photo © abcdf.ca

Julian Palma Luque on a terrasse side wall which was unfortunately in the paying area and hidden behind material following its completion. Photo © JF Galipeau.

One more angle of Julian Palma Luque‘s contribution to this year’s edition. Photo © JF Galipeau.

Zoe Gelfant painted the sides of this sponsored bar area as well as its picnic tables as the festival took place.

One more angle of Zoe Gelfant‘s contribution to the 2021 edition of Mural.

Also on the 2021 Mural Festival bill:
– Marie-Pier Primeau painted the walls of the pool area of a private gym.
– Drew Young was meant to paint another downtown hotel, but this seems to have been canceled.
– Monsieur Boz from Garbage Beauty was also on the bill, it is unclear if he has ended up painting for the festival or not.
– Waxhead, Cryote, Samuel Arsenault-Brassard and Iregular created virtual art.