Urban canvas: Halifax murals and the city that inspires them
Local muralists make Halifax's walls and buildings a part of the city's vibrant arts scene
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A passerby steps into local muralist Daniel Burt’s mural of Miles Davis playing a tune on Gottingen Street on March 14.
The Halifax Mural Festival, organized by local artist Michael Burt and his company, Trackside Studios, has played a significant role in making Halifax an urban art landscape.
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Halifax artist Boma Nnaji’s piece celebrating “Black is Beautiful” through legendary west African Queen Idia uplifts Quinpool Road on March 17.Murals, commissioned as public art pieces, are carefully planned with themes that are meant to be universally appealing.
“To beautify our city, give back to the community, and allow our work to be displayed for everyone to enjoy,” Burt said of the purpose of the projects.
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Hunter Fournier’s floral dynamic design decorates The Black Market Boutique on Grafton Street on March 17.Burt said that the time it takes to complete a mural can vary, ranging from two days to two weeks, depending on the complexity and size of the artwork, as well as the number of artists involved.
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Local muralist John McPartland’s large scale piece on Gottingen Street brings the street into its vibrant world on March 14.As Burt explains, street art — particularly murals — has become a popular and growing feature of Halifax’s urban canvas. What sets Halifax’s mural scene apart is the high number of talented local artists who contribute to this ever-expanding collection, giving the city its distinctive and unique East Coast artistic character.
“I love seeing everybody, creating and taking back some space in our city and the things we have to look at,” Burt commented. “I hope it keeps going.”
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Mi’kmaw artist Alan Syliboy’s commemorative piece outside the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic pays homage to his ancestors. “Every part [of Kjipuktuk] is a story and I feel that our story needs to be told,” Syliboy told The Signal. “That’s really one of the main reasons that I do my art, is that we are not forgotten, that we are still here and that we have a history that needs to have more of a light on it.”
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Visual artist Matty Brew’s mural on Quinpool Road brings passerby’s eye-catching colours and design that standout in the area on March 17.
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Artists Dan Metcalf and Christian Toth’s collaborative piece on Portland Street Dartmouth on March 15.
