In celebration of contemporary muralism and public art, the second edition of Yorkville Murals features new murals throughout the neighbourhood, a ticketed dinner series at Sofia Restaurant & Bar, a solo-exhibition with Ben Johnston, an intimate art talk, a private movie screening, and more.

To say 2020 came as a surprise would be an understatement. With many ups and downs, remaining optimistic has never been as important. With the sole purpose of celebrating contemporary muralism and public art, Yorkville Murals is pleased to return and promote positivity this August 28th to 30th.

Presented by Romeo’s gin and supported by partners at Daily Hive and the Bloor-Yorkville BIA, the returning three-day festival features exciting new programming including a three-course dinner series at the fine dining establishment Sofia Restaurant & Bar, a solo-exhibition presenting Toronto’s very own Ben Johnston on August 29th at Taglialatella Galleries, an Art Talk presented by Art Toronto and Waddington’s Auctioneers, and a screening of the film Underbelly followed by a Q&A session with the film’s directors on August 30th.

“One of the reasons I love art and this festival is its ability to bring people together,” says Alan Ganev, director, Yorkville Murals and Taglialatella Galleries. “Art is subjective. It can mean different things to different people, but it usually evokes a certain positive emotion that we believe is much needed in the community right now. Our team works on Yorkville Murals year-round, and we are thrilled to have been able to safely add vibrant new works throughout the neighbourhood, even during some of the darkest times we collectively were experiencing. It is so rewarding to see people stop, observe, and forget their stress, even if just for a moment. This is the purpose of Yorkville Murals and we are so proud of our festival that continues to grow.”

To view the Yorkville Murals, the festival has launched an interactive map that pinpoints the colourful new works now extending beyond the festival’s hub in the courtyard of 99 Yorkville Avenue.

Artists involved in this year’s festival include Jason Botkin, Jarus, Birdo, Kirsten Mccrea, Jacquie Comrie, Jin Ke Wang, and Bruno Billio. Murals from last year’s festival still currently on display include works by Risk, Ola Volo, Xray, Whatisadam, Ben Johnston, Getso, and Peru143.

To keep the community and all guests in attendance safe, Yorkville Murals asks all guests to respect physical distancing, to wear a mask when possible, and will operate at a limited capacity for the Art Talk, film screening and exhibition at Taglialatella Galleries.

For the full festival schedule and programming details, visit www.yorkvillemurals.com and follow @yorkvillemurals on social media for live updates.