StreetART (StART) Toronto
StreetART (StART) Toronto is a program aimed to showcase local artists while deterring graffiti vandalism. StART was initiated in 2012 as a part of the city’s Graffiti Management Plan. The program has produced over 1000+ street art works across the city. The art can be seen on smaller items like Toronto traffic boxes as well as some of the city’s high-rise buildings. StART provides workshops where artists can strengthen their skills, engage with their communities as well as receive access to resources aiding in mental health.
Goodbye Graffiti has worked closely with the StART team to prepare traffic boxes as well as power washing city buildings in preparation for mural application. Completed murals can also be protected by anti-graffiti coating so as to ease the removal of future vandalism while protecting the substrate. Our “zero-impact” process is non-destructive, environmentally friendly and inexpensive. Our GP1000 coating is fully reversible and can protect art for 3-5 years!
Most recently, the StreetART team has commissioned a number of local mural artists to showcase their creativity while showing the city’s gratitude to the Frontline Workers during the pandemic. These murals can be seen across the city and can be easily located using StreetArt Toronto’s – The Map on streetarttoronto.ca. Natalie Very B (@natalieveryb) is a StreetArt commissioned artist, whose mural ‘Stronger Together’ can be seen here, discusses what this mural means to her.
“[Stronger Together] depicts eight distinct groups of frontline heroes, each represented by one character: farmers, librarians, musicians, laboratory staff, telehealth workers, doctors, visual artists and food delivery services; strong, courageous and smiling.
The mural is meant to be an artistic expression of lasting gratitude to remind people that we can always find strength in the community even in the toughest of times. More importantly, it will serve in remembrance of the global pandemic”.
The City of Toronto will continue to commission artists throughout the 2021 summer to pay tribute to the city’s essential workers and their crucial contribution to our communities.
