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I HeART Main Street 2023

For its fourth year, I HeART Main Street is presented in partnership with RBC Royal Bank to promote main street recovery through public art projects and community engagement events.

Providing pro-bono creative placemaking support for Canadian Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) and paid opportunities for local artists, STEPS continues to strengthen business-community relationships and foster vibrant public spaces.

Program at a glance

Location: Various locations across Canada: Toronto (ON), Stratford (ON), Paris (ON), New Westminster (BC), Barrie (ON), Vancouver (BC), Halifax (NS), Hamilton (ON), Mississauga (ON), and more!

BIAs: Rosedale, Riverside, Downtown Stratford, Pape Village, Streetsville, Downtown New West, Eglinton Hill, Downtown Barrie, Downtown Port Colborne, Halifax North End Business Association, Trinity Bellwoods, Yonge North York, Mimico Village, South Granville, Downtown Paris, Clarkson Village, Streetsville, Ottawa Street, Bloor Annex BIA and more!

Artist(s): Asli Alin, Ailsa Craigen, Enna Kim, Kseniya Tsoy, Yen Linh Thai, Talie Shalmon, Jenn Mezei, Adrian Forrow, Nyle Miigizi Johnston, Mikayla Seaton, Komal Saxena,  Anushay Sheikh, Alanah Astehtsi Otsistohkwa Jewell, Sarain Fox, Moises Frank, Ballinran Entertainment, Kawama Kasutu, Hour Studio Space, Megan Bennett, Jieun Kim, Jasmine Vanstone, Gosia Komorski, Kayla Buium, WKNDRS, Taryn Henry, Kaya Joan, Que Rock, Julia Prajza, Marcus Jamieson, Ella Mazur, Erin McCluskey, Sherill Tucker and more!

Year: 2023

Project Photographer/Videographers: Anushay Sheikh, Kyle Jarencio, Matt Brickman, Sara Bradford (Downtown Stratford BIA), Thomas Jose, May Shi, Basha Photography, Shanthan Reddy, Chris de Laat, Alicia Reid, David Geary, Dean Ellis, Adam Ibrahim, Astrid Mohr, James Lai

Services: Main Street Recovery

 

52

BIAs enrolled to date

130+

artists commissioned since 2020

17+

cities represented across Canada

About I HeART Main Street

I HeART Main Street began in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to support communities and equity-seeking artists through challenging times. Through unique public art activations (such as murals, street furniture revitalization, storefront wraps, sidewalk decals, light installations, and more) and community engagement workshops, this program works with Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) to realize creative placemaking projects that foster vibrant public spaces and community connections.

Check out the latest public art projects happening across the country that are also eligible for awards and prizes to support future placemaking initiatives! If you are a BIA or community group in Northern or rural Canadian communities, learn more about the I HeART Main Street Program and how to apply for the next round.

I HeART Main Street Participating BIAs and Artists

Rosedale Holiday Windows
Artists Asli Alin, Ailsa Craigen, and Enna Kim animated 10 storefronts in the Rosedale BIA with holiday-themed designs.

Downtown Stratford Snowflake Art
Artist mentor Jenn Mezei worked with 9 local students and the Downtown Stratford BIA to bring snowflake art to 33 windows in the Stratford city center.

Eglinton Hill “Sharing Stories of Migration” Mural
As part of the Inspired Art Impact Toolkit pilot project, Eglinton Hill BIA worked with Moises Frank to produce a mural that depicts West African drummer, educator and cultural keeper Saikou Saho and a student surrounded by symbols of migration. 

Downtown New West Window Illustrations
For British Columbia’s Downtown New Westminster BIA, local artists Mikayla Seaton and Komal Saxena created storefront window illustrations that radiate calm in the cold during the winter season.

Downtown Port Colborne Magic Windows
This storefront window light projection by Ballinran Entertainment Studio brightens Port Colborne with moving images inspired by the area’s reliance on water and its ties to Lake Erie.

Flowers All Around in Trinity Bellwoods
Hour Studio Space designed and built 8 window displays inspired by flower bouquets by Floret. Through photography and crafted paper flowers, the exhibit welcomes spring in the neighbourhood.

Summer Patio Season Picnic Tables
The Yonge North York (formerly Willowdale) BIA commissioned artists Gosia Komorski, Kseniya Tsoy, Jasmine Vanstone, and Jieun Kim to illustrate public patio benches.

South Granville Ground Mural
Vancouver’s South Granville BIA worked with WKNDRS (local artists Claire Ouchie and Rachel Rivera) and the community to bring the concrete street to life with a colourful ground mural.

Clarkson Village Guardrail Murals
Mississauga’s Clarkson Village BIA animated guardrails over Sheridan Creek with painted murals by two local artists: “Ojibway Floral Pattern” by Que Rock and “Crossing the Creek” by Kaya Joan.

Ottawa Street Banners
Riley Jamieson designed the “Prideful Sun” banners for the Ottawa Street BIA to display during Pride Month and beyond, as a symbol of power and protection for the LGBTQIA+ community. The BIA also facilitated community art workshops around the design.

Pape Village Vinyl Mural
Pape Village BIA worked with artist Adrian Farrow to bring a colorful mural to the rooftop of 1036 Pape Avenue.

Riverside Window Wonderland Contest
Artists Asli Alin, Kseniya Tsoy, Yen Linh Thai, Talie Shalmon, Ella Mazur, Erin McCluskey, and Sherill Tucker created 15+ unique window displays in Riverside.

Streetsville Traffic Box Mural
In collaboration with Streetsville BIA, Anishinaabe painter, muralist, sculptor, and traditional storyteller Nyle Migizi Johnston created a bespoke drawing, Odenanging Mtigmishing, that was wrapped on an electrical box on the corner of Queen Street South Center Plaza.

Tapilila Mural
As part of the CreateSpace Public Art Residency and I HeART Main Street, artist Kawama Kasutu worked with the North End Business Association in Halifax to install her Tapilila mural at Agricola Brasserie.

Downtown Barrie Documentary
Anushay Sheikh created this short film exploring Alanah Astehtsi Otsistohkwa (Morningstar) Jewell’s installation, The Land Knows You, through the artist herself and Anishinaabe storyteller, Sarain Fox.

Port Colborne Window Murals
These playful window murals by artist Megan Bennett were inspired by the local businesses they animate: Walters and Neptune and The Belmont at the heart of the Downtown Port Colborne BIA.

Mimico Village Ground Decals
Mimico Village BIA worked with artist Kayla Buium to create an illustrative map of Mimico Village, which was printed as ground decals on sidewalks across the BIA.

Downtown Paris Mural
Artist Taryn Henry created a vivid mural for the Downtown Paris BIA, inspired by the Great Blue Heron and its natural habitat in Paris, Ontario. The project brightens a retaining wall with sunset tones.

Streetsville Pollinator Mural
Artist Julia Prajza took inspiration from the Streetsville Pollinator Garden to create this mural for the Streetsville BIA. The playful design brings local essential pollinators and their floral friends to life.

Bloor Annex Audio Stories
The Band of Storytellers is a mural in Toronto’s Bloor Annex that honours the musical history of the heritage building and the neighbourhood. Audio stories (via YouTube) by lead artist Komi Olaf and Norman Richmond (with audio editing by Saroja Ponnambalam) animate the mural for a unique auditory experience.

I HeART Main Street Partners and Funders

I HeART Main Street is presented in partnership with RBC Royal Bank and generously supported by Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and funding provided by the Government of Ontario.

I HeART Main Street funder logos including RBC Royal Bank, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and the Government of Ontario
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