Montreal's Mural Programme Looking for Artists to Assist

....We are looking for muralists. If you or other artists you know could be interested in submitting candidacy for our mural project in Montreal, please contact me, Elizabeth-Ann Doyle at elizabeth@mu-art.ca

Long live the mural arts in Canada!

Mue [en francais] Means Rejuvenation ...

MU is a non-profit organization which supports and promotes public art in the Greater Montréal region. Its mission is both artistic and social as the project involves creating murals within and for local communities.

In French, the word “Mue” means rejuvenation through the shedding of an old skin. Similarly, the goal of the project is to embellish and bring new life to the faded, neglected and/or graffiti-ed walls of our city, thereby triggering other social changes.

MU defines itself as a catalyst between the following key groups: wall owners, companies wishing financially to support a mural, artists, residents, youth at risk and various levels of government.

Philadelphia as a Role Model City

To attain its objective, MU has developed an original approach inspired by the outstanding success of the Philadelphia Mural Art Project.

MU’s methods and philosophy are based on two complementary and inter-related concepts: SUPPORT TO THE ARTS and SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. The first implies the production and promotion of varied artistic projects supporting local artists. Through this beautification process, the city establishes itself as an open-air gallery. Furthermore, this corresponds to the objectives set out by the City of Montréal in an effort to brand itself and reinforce its image as a “Cultural Capital”.

Social development is achieved in two ways: through the involvement of the local community in the validation process of the mural as well as through the participation of young people in the creative process. Similar projects have been successful in demonstrating that the community input provides leverage to local development, to the improvement of quality of life, to the revitalization of neighborhoods, to civic education and to help residents in reclaiming their community.[Haven't they just - Ed.]

MU intends to finance its activities with the support of private sector corporations and foundations, through multiple partnerships with the city center and boroughs, as well as with various organizations and government programs. MU has already established a partnership with Cirque du Soleil, the City of Montréal and the St-Michel Boroughs to produce a mural in the St-Michel district in the summer of 2007.

Both founders of MU have earned masters degrees in the social sciences and have a combined experience of 15 years in event management and large-scale special projects (Cirque du Soleil, Équipe Spectra, Just for Laughs Festival). They are also involved in socio-political, community and arts-related activities. Emmanuelle Hébert is a member of the Conseil des Montréalaises. In addition, MU is part of the workgroup for the youth civic commitment program of the Institut du Nouveau Monde.

For more information: e-mail: info@mu-art.ca

Ph: Emmanuelle Hébert: [1] 514-490-0394
Ph: Elizabeth-Ann Doyle: [1] 514-737-1197 or [1] 514-814-3043