Lilie Zendel, StART Manager Friday, October 23, 2015

PUBLIC REALM SECTION, TRANSPORTATION SERVICES,

CITY OF TORONTO

MISSION

Inspiring neighbourhoods one wall at a time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6IRK2Dg440

ABOUT StART

StreetARToronto (StART) is:

• A program of the City's Transportation Services Division, launched in 2012

• An innovative, public-private partnership designed to develop, support, promote and increase awareness of street art and its role in adding beauty and character to neighbourhoods throughout the city

• An integral part of the City's Graffiti Management Plan

StART MISSION

Support and celebrate permitted graffiti and street art.

Provide more opportunities for emerging and established

street artists to develop and showcase their talent.

See Toronto as a “living work of art.”

Reduce graffiti vandalism and its negative effects on neighbourhoods and property owners.

Create a sense of place and neighborhood cohesiveness.

Raise awareness of Toronto’s street art and artists on a local, national and international level

Redefine the city’s philosophy and attitude towards street art.

Bridge relationships between the city, its residents, businesses and creative community.

THE ART OF CREATING URBAN CANVASES

• Educate the public and demonstrate how creative endeavours can generate community cohesiveness

• Seek ways to redefine the philosophy and attitude towards street art

• Encourage civic discussion about public art

PRECEDENCE

Philadelphia Mural Art Program

• Largest public art program in the U.S.

• 30 years in the making, it’s earned Philadelphia international praise as “City of Murals”

• Through a collaborative process rooted in mural making, it creates art that transforms public spaces and individual lives

• Economic benefits – serves as a huge tourist attraction for the city

APPROACH

• Encourage works that have relevance to

their site or environment.

• Ensure that what goes up is of the highest

standard.

• Ensure works are well managed,

maintained, and promoted.

• Seek opportunities for street art

installations across the entire city.

• Use street art as a way to tell Toronto’s

stories.

• Create work that is located in high traffic,

areas with high visibility from the public

right of way.

• Work with professional artists, while

providing mentorship and training

opportunities for emerging and youth

artists.

StART ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE 2012

Created over 100 murals

Ensured high artistic standards are achieved for all artist-led projects

Cleaned up over 3,000 graffiti tags

Provided residents with a tool to discover the value of community driven art in public space

Mentored over 300 youth & emerging artists

Launched 6 different street art programs

StART PROGRAM OVERVIEW

1. Partnership Program – a public-private partnership for large-scale mural projects

throughout the city

4. Underpass Program – a program that transforms underpasses and bridges to

encourage walkability and the feeling of safety

2. Outside the Box – a program that transforms essential transportation infrastructure

into works of art that contribute to the vitality of the streetscape

3. Support Mural Program - a program that assists private residential and commercial

property owners to prevent graffiti vandalism

5. Exposed Laneways/Police Partnership – a partnership program that beautifies

residential garages located on exposed laneways to prevent graffiti vandalism

6. StART-Metrolinx Collaboration – a program that manages the mural design and

installation process along the new airport-downtown rail corridor

1. PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

• Public – private grant program for

large-scale mural projects throughout

the city

• Since 2012, over 100 murals have

been created

1. PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9_EQfzjl0M

1. PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

• Maximum $40,000 grant per project

• StART funding cannot be the sole

source of funds for projects

• Commitment to maintain the project

for a minimum of 5 years (5% of

budget) required

• BIAs and not-for profit/charitable

organizations are eligible to apply

1. PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

Evaluation Criteria:

• Achieving StART’s overall objectives and

priorities, including strong local support

• Ability to illustrate how the project reflects the

distinct character of the community and overall

artistic quality

• Ability to leverage in kind, private or public

support

• Organizational background

• Mentorship

• Technical feasibility

2. OUTSIDE THE BOX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7e_yKFqUUU

2. OUTSIDE THE BOX

• Launched in 2013, with the aim of

beautifying traffic signal boxes, preventing

graffiti vandalism, and providing

opportunities for artwork to contribute to

the vitality and attractiveness of the

streetscape

• To date, numerous boxes have been

transformed into works of art:

120 hand-painted

100 wrapped

• In 2015 alone, 64 hand-painted boxes

were completed

Wrapped

Before Painted

Wrapped

2. OUTSIDE THE BOX – HAND-PAINTED BOXES

3. SUPPORT MURAL PROGRAM

• Launched in April 2014 to assist

private residential and commercial

property owners experiencing

repeated graffiti vandalism problems

• For property owners who have

received at least one City Notice of

Violation for graffiti vandalism or

experienced persistent vandalism

• Must be clearly visible from a city

street

• City provides up to $2,000 for direct

purchase of materials required for art

murals or graffiti art

4. UNDERPASS PROGRAM

• Aims to beautify streetscapes,

encourage walkability, and the

feeling of safety along the City’s

900 bridges and underpasses

• Since 2014, five projects approved

annually

5. EXPOSED LANEWAY / POLICE PARTNERSHIP

• Partnership between the City, Toronto Police Services, local youth, and home and

business owners

• Designed for residential homes with garages located on a laneway exposed to a

park or a parking lot and often experiencing repeated graffiti vandalism

6. METROLINX COLLABORATION

• Metrolinx engaged StART to manage

mural design process and installation

along the Union – Pearson (UP Express)

rail corridor

• 13 projects, with strong focus on

community engagement

ARTIST DIRECTORY

• StART’s Artist Directory has expanded

to profile over 90 local mural, street

and graffiti artists

• Connects residents and businesses to

local Toronto artists interested in

graffiti art and street art projects

Websites:

Toronto.ca/streetart

Toronto.ca/startsupport

Social Media:

Facebook.com/StreetARToronto

Twitter.com/StART_Toronto

General Questions:

streetart@toronto.ca

graffiti@toronto.ca