Guest Post via @belizeadventure
Montreal is one of my favorite cities. They throw good parties, the food is delicious, the culture is interesting, the architecture is breathtaking, and the women are gorgeous.
Oh, and the street art is amazing. Let me tell you of the time when I encountered one of the most beautiful graffiti murals I’ve ever seen.
The morning of St. Patrick’s Day found me in Montreal and I was searching for a store the buy beer. Finding a beer store in Montreal should be easy – due to the fact that every convenience store sells beer (contrary to Toronto) – but I couldn’t find a store near the neighbourhood I was staying.
My quest took me down Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, where I stopped at the sight of a five-storey building with a frieze covering its west end. The view was sufficient to get me out of the comfort of my car and brave the -10 Celsius weather. I had stumbled upon the stunning mural of Our Lady of Grace in the residential area of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG).
After doing some research I found out that the NDG was done by Ashop, an artist-run collective that specialises in graffiti art and urban aesthetics. Those guys have cool jobs, right?
What I liked the most about the NDG project is that it was officially commissioned by the city of Montreal. I love graffiti in public spaces but don’t condone vandalism. Therefore it’s great to hear of instances when the government works with artists to find a place where they can display their creative expression.
Designating graffiti locales has several wonderful benefits: it is a great way of beautifying neighbourhoods in need of facelifts, it cultivates a vibrant and creative urban environment, and it can even be used to promote tourism: similar to what Toronto does with its Graffiti Alley.
I’m sure not everyone shares my interest in street art and they can sum up various reasons why it’s the most terrible thing for society leading to how it will make the world end soon! But if you don’t take life so serious, make sure you go graffiti hunting whenever you’re in Montreal. It’s good fun.
Bio:
Lorenzo is a Belizean blogger living in Toronto. He writes at belizeadventure.ca
26 Comments
I can’t wait to see Montreal. I’m hoping to go this winter during one of their arts festivals. I will freeze, but it will be worth it.
It’s definitely a place on my travel list!
How awesome is this!? x
I hate it when I visit a new place and can’t find a convenience store. I reckon you can’t walk more than 100 metres in any city in Britain without finding one! As for street art, if you haven’t been to Valparaiso in Chile, you should. It’s amazing!
Some great work Along with great pics
Wow, I must admit this graffiti work is just incredible. Nothing like dirty Berlin :).
That is a stunning work of art!
That’s what I call art work!I believe that was done before 19 century.
Holy moly is that gorgeous!
It’s so beautifully neo art nouveau!
Street art = more stimuli for people to take in. It can add a museum-like feel to a city. It’s wonderful for people to be able to express themselves for the public to see and interpret, for free. Art breeds optimism.
I love how so many conventional cities (e.g. London) are doing street art. Montreal has quite a few…this one is beautiful!
Wow, that is awesome. I saw a smaller mural in Como that was done in a very similar style. Gorgeous!
So every convenience store sells beer AND they have awesome street art?? Wondering why I’ve never been to Montreal now…
Seeking out street art is one of my favorite things to do while traveling and it looks like Montreal would be a great place to do it!
Wow! Ashop should be let loose on more cities. This is incredible. Also, I’m incredibly jealous that you can buy alcohol in the convenience store in Montreal. I live in Sydney right now and you can’t even buy a bottle of wine in the grocery store.
I visited Montreal for the first time this summer and fell in love- with the food. I couldn’t believe how many good meals I had in my visit. Need to plan a trip that gets me out a little more besides just what I can eat! 🙂
Love this mural!
WOW! SUCH BEAUTY! I love Paris
I lived in Montreal most of my life, until June last year, when I hit the road for good (and sold everything I had)
Montreal is a very vibrant and cultural city, where both French and English cultures meet in harmony. From early June to late September it’s a non-stop roll of festivals.
In winter, there are a few festivals too… and for the last few years, you can also sleep in an ice hotel on the Ste-Hélène island. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s quite an experience (I did it in Quebec City over 10 years ago).
If I were to try to list the pros and cons of street art, I can’t imagine any negatives being jotted down.
You’re right. This is the biggest and the most beautiful graffiti murals I’ve ever seen! wonderful!
Wow, it’s absolutely amazing. Lot’s of work for sure.
Hello,
I will be coming to Montreal this weekend. I’m very exciting to visit the street art. I’ve been researching to find the secret street art and others but I don’t know where is that exactly. Its hard to find the address. Are all the graffiti in one place or it spread out from place to place? And where’s the Lady of Grace exactly at? Please let me know I’ll be very much appreciate. Thank you! 🙂
This indeed a great form and style of street art as displayed here. I love to do and carry out this art as a form even in India as well.
Hi Dear, are you genuinely visiting this web site on a regular basis, if
so after that you will definitely get pleasant experience.