YORKVILLE MURALS RETURNS TO TORONTO AUGUST 20-28, 2022
Renowned Annual Cultural Festival Celebrates Contemporary Muralism and Public Art
Ben Johnson’s new typographic mural Look on the Brightside can be experienced during Yorkville Murals August 20-28, 2022. Credit: Yorkville Murals
Yorkville Murals, Toronto’s favourite cultural festival celebrating contemporary muralism and public art will take place August 20-28, 2022. The landmark event, celebrated over two weekends, is anchored by exceptional new public artist murals throughout the Yorkville neighbourhood alongside special events, food and drink, dynamic art and retail experiences and the summer’s best street party.
This year, new works include murals and art installations by Matt Gondek, Ben Johnston, Shelby and Sandy, Mikael B., Florence Solis, Sage Barnes, Fidia and Jordan Sook among others. The festival is divided into two zones and offers six additional initiatives. The cultural zones are connected to the pedestrian village on Yorkville Avenue and Bellair Street, and accessible to all.
Yorkville Murals is presented by INK Entertainment, powered by Taglialatella Galleries and organized in partnership with the Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Association. Yorkville Murals is a program partner of ArtworxTO: Toronto’s Year of Public Art 2021–2022. All events are free to the general public.
In celebration of the festival, Yorkville Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic between Bellair Street and Hazelton Avenue on August 20 and 21, and again on August 27 and 28, making way for special activations including the installation of distinctive pop-up shipping containers hosted by W Toronto, Hennessy, SuperRare and StockX respectively. Each container will offer festival goers unique attractions and limited-edition retail, including hyper-collectible Yorkville Murals apparel offered in collaboration with StockX and Almost Home. The exclusive merchandise will also be available for purchase on StockX via DropX, the platform’s direct-to-consumer product release method, starting on Saturday, August 20.
Additionally, the Stella Artois Lounge will feature music, drinks and food, and the neighbourhood will also see special installations including Sage Szkabarnicki-Stuart’s powerful family of ten photographs on five large outdoor walls, a whimsical collection of inflatable sculptures by artist Jeremy Shantz, Art Talks: artists in conversation with Destructive Pop Artist Matt Gondek will feature in-depth discussions with this year’s featured Yorkville Mural Fest artists who will share insights about their art, ideas, careers and the importance of art culture to urban centres like Toronto; and other interactive happenings, activations and art displays with many of the artists in attendance.
The legendary Yorkville Murals Block Party will take place on July 27th from from 1 p.m. – 11 p.m. The penultimate art meets all-day revelry event, the Block Party is a not to be missed affair featuring DJs curated by NOMAD, VIP bottle service, art, food, and drink to cap off the culturally charged summer festival. Tickets are available beginning August 8 at www.yorkvillemurals.com.
“We are so proud that in just three years, Yorkville Murals has been embraced worldwide, and celebrates public mural art in such a significant way,” said Alan Ganev, founder Yorkville Murals. “Painted murals have been part of the cultural landscape for tens of thousands of years, and modern murals are important neighbourhood touchpoints that celebrate a community’s essence, create conversations and beautify the surroundings. We are so excited to introduce many new and remarkable art installations and exciting events this year so that people can enjoy art and all that comes with it.”
The annual festival will see a variety of local and international artists showcasing their creative expressions in the heart of Toronto’s famed Yorkville neighbourhood with visual and interactive art accessible to people of all ages. Highlights include:
- NFT Digital Exhibition presented by SuperRare
- W Hotel Art Capsule
- Sage Barnes Art Installation presented by Hennessy
- Discover the work of seven different muralists inside Yorkville Murals intimate courtyard at 99 Yorkville Avenue.
- Enjoy the one-of-a-kind, Hennessy Gallery Artist Bottle Exhibition at Taglialatella Galleries bringing together important artists that have designed distinctive versions of iconic Hennessy bottles.
- Guests can enjoy an artistic, fun and playful space at the Woodford Reserve Terrace where they can order specialty cocktails in a designated area built with mural viewing in mind.
- A pop-up shopping experience by Blackbook featuring a series of exclusive plush toys, t-shirts, and prints by the celebrated Los Angeles based artist Matt Gondek.
For more information, complete programming and site map, please visit www.yorkvillemurals.com
