fbpx

SERVICES

Main Street Recovery

Revitalizing Neighbourhoods and Business Development Districts

STEPS believes Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) and local community business groups (including those in Northern and rural towns and cities) are the heart of our communities. By leveraging the power of public art and creative placemaking, STEPS can support your vision in revitalizing neighbourhoods and business development districts with the help of talented Canadian artists and designers. 

Explore our main street recovery programs and services that are designed to foster meaningful business-community relationships, create paid opportunities for local artists, and transform your community into cultural destinations attracting visitors from near and far.

Our Work

We collaborate with communities of all sizes to revitalize your neighbourhood through one-of-a-kind public art and placemaking initiatives as part of your main street recovery strategy!

Light Strainers

Light Strainers

Main Street Recovery Project, Toronto

Bloor Annex BIA and artists Chris Foster and Layne Hinton animated three community parkettes with kinetic light sculptures that brought vibrancy during the pandemic winter. This project reimagines art that the community could safely engage with during COVID.

NoVacancy Storefronts

NoVacancy Storefronts

Main Street Recovery Project, North York

DUKE Heights BIA engaged with STEPS, seven artists and one youth group to revitalize empty storefronts with public artwork for NoVacancy to encourage local residents to explore their neighbourhoods during the pandemic.

Celebrating Black Queer Lives

Celebrating Black Queer Lives

I HeART Main Street Program, Toronto

Oakwood Village BIA in collaboration with artist Curtia Wright, Loma Marketing Agency and Nia Centre participated in I HeART Main Street to produce an award-winning mural that honours queer Black lives, community, connection and solidarity.

Riverside Window Wonderland

Riverside Window Wonderland

I HeART Main Street Program, Toronto

As a 2020 I HeART Main Street award recipient, Riverside BIA put their winnings towards Window Wonderland to engage with four artists on twenty storefront activations!

Jocelyn Kearns and local business owners posing in front of a newly painted mural in Belle River, Ontario

About Main Street Recovery

From storefront installations to mural productions and creative sidewalk decals, STEPS can work with you to bring your creative placemaking ideas to life as part of main street recovery strategy!

Our main street recovery supports include:

  • Community asset mapping
  • Community cultural planning
  • Connections to multidisciplinary artists
  • Call for artists facilitation
  • Permanent public art management
  • Audio-visual documentation 
  • Promotional marketing tools
  • Features in the STEPS Public Art App 
  • I HeART Main Street, a program designed for fast turnaround and temporary public art installations with high community impact!  
FAQ

I HeART Main Street Recovery Program

I HeART Main Street (also known as Main Street Art Challenge) is a main street recovery program with limited spots available to support Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) and Northern and rural community groups in bringing their public art ideas to life! 

Supports include access to artist fee subsidies and hiring artists to create new public artwork; creative placemaking and building staff capacity to realize initiatives as part of main street recovery strategy, and showcasing local business success stories through promotional support. Participating BIAs are also eligible for I HeART Main Street prizes valued at $30,000! Learn more about I HeART Main Street and how to apply. 

Photo of artist Wenting Li standing in front of her mural in Chinatown. It has three giant cranes intertwined with lotus flowers and roots, and carrying multiple human figures. It has colours of yellow, green, teal, red and pink.

The Hope in Chinatown
I HeART Main Street Program, Toronto

Chinatown BIA engaged with artist Wenting Li on a 1,008 square foot mural in Toronto’s chinatown that expresses courage, light and community resiliency during the pandemic.

Artists Mar Lewis and Katie Green pose with the polinator piano in Downtown Barrie

Painted Public Piano
I HeART Main Street Program, Barrie

Downtown Barrie BIA worked with local artists Mar Lewis and Katie Green to bring a vibrant and playful piano installation to the downtown square for the community to enjoy during the summer months! 

Graphic for Reimagining Community Engagement shows a group of participants in a free park activation

Timmins Storefronts
I HeART Main Street Program, Timmins

Downtown Timmins BIA engaged with artists Jennifer Ilett and Sophie Paas-Lang on award-winning large-scale window installations to brighten vacant storefronts and celebrate the community’s great outdoors.

Our Process

Thinking about main street recovery and not sure what type of project is right for you? Interested in developing a project that you can secure external funding to produce? Nervous about not having the expertise to deliver on your creative placemaking and public art vision? 

Take a look at our process to help realize your revitalization project with STEPS!

Step 1: Think about your main street recovery goals, creative public art ideas and available resources. Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to learn more about our main street recovery supports and programs available.

Step 2: Contact STEPS with information about your goals and ideas. If you are interested in participating in I HeART Main Street, view the separate FAQ, application process and application deadline.

Step 3: We will respond within two (2) business days and set up a meeting. 

Step 4: After the meeting, STEPS will develop a custom proposal unique to support your main street recovery strategies and public art ideas for your community!

A group of people dressed warmly and in face masks celebrating and pointing at a large mural of queer Black femmes

Engage, Design and Inspire with STEPS

STEPS Public Art is an award-winning Canadian-based national public art and cultural organization that fosters inclusive communities through one-of-a-kind art initiatives, such as Main Street Recovery and Creative Placemaking.

Hear From Our Collaborators!

From the moment the art hit the street, the community was intrigued and interacted with the pieces. We couldn’t have done it without the support and guidance of the STEPS Public Art team.

Downtown Tillsonburg BIA

Our alleyways boast a ton of potential, but are not being put to use. With an increase in demand for outdoor patios, we’re reimagining these spaces with STEPS to make the area more welcoming.

Downtown Whitby BIA

“This program highlights what artists do for society— they inspire excitement, bring happiness and encourage people to look at their community in a different way.”

Erin McCluskey
Artist, Port Credit BIA’s 2020 Activation

“These murals brightened up more than the buildings, they put smiles on faces and brought much joy to our community. Thank you for selecting us to be a part of the program.”

Belle River On the Lake BIA

“By showcasing stories of business owners through art, we’re engaging visitors in the true essence of the area.”

Albion Islington Square BIA

“It was nice to feel part of a network of BIAs. It created light and life during difficult times for local businesses.”

Riverside BIA

Main Street BIA client logos including Lakeshore Village, Bloor Annex, Timmins, Eglinton Way, Whitby, Danforth, Belle River, Cabbagetown, Malton, Burlington, Port Credit, Chinatown, Leslieville

FAQ

What is main street recovery?

Main street recovery encompasses services and resources to support Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), small businesses and local community groups in Northern and rural areas in driving economic development and pandemic recovery. Main streets and local businesses are the heart of our communities and greatly contribute to community health, safety and well-being. 

At STEPS, we support BIAs through creative placemaking aimed to revitalize business development areas and neighbourhoods through public art and community engagement initiatives. Our projects also create equitable and paid opportunities for artists and designers with a focus on providing opportunities to equity-seeking artists.

What is I HeART Main Street?

I HeART Main Street is a main street recovery program by STEPS that began in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that greatly affected small businesses, communities and artists. This program invites Business Improvement Areas and community groups in Northern and rural Ontario to participate. Supports through this program include:

  • Pro-bono creative placemaking and public art services
  • Connections to multidisciplinary artists and creatives
  • Artist fee subsidies 
  • Audio-visual documentation support
  • Promotional tools 
  • Recognition and resources for main street recovery

This program accepts a limited number of BIAs. Visit I HeART Main Street for full eligibility requirements, BIA information sessions, and application deadlines.

What are some public art and creative placemaking ideas we can engage in?

Some project examples that can be part of your main street recovery strategy include:

  • Storefront installations (window murals, light and multimedia installations, storefront wrapd, etc.)
  • Street furniture design or revitalization 
  • Murals productions
  • Sidewalk decals
  • Parkette activations
  • Hoarding or fence exhibitions
  • Street pole banners and murals
  • Planter box ornamentation
  • Audio storytelling 

The ideas are endless! We can work with you and your available resources to brainstorm and bring public art installations reflective of your community vision.

Does STEPS work within Northern or rural communities?

Yes! As a national organization, STEPS is especially interested in supporting Northern and rural communities and working with local artists from these regions.

What are the benefits of placemaking for main street and community recovery?

Benefits for Canadian main streets, local businesses and the community through placemaking and public art include:

  • Beautification and streetscaping
  • Safe community and business connections
  • Sense of activity and safety in public spaces
  • Contribution to cultural tourism for locals and visitors
  • Supporting local emerging and BIPOC artists with paid artistic opportunities

Contact Us

STEPS Public Art

c/o Art Hub 27
39 Queens Quay E, Suite 100
Toronto, ON, M5E 0A4

P: 1-888-STEPS-80 / 1-888-783-7780
E: info@stepspublicart.org

Please send us an email to info@stepspublicart.org and include the following details:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Phone Number
  • Inquiry and details about your main street recovery project, public art and placemaking ideas for your main streets
  • How did you hear about STEPS (e.g. Google/Internet Search, word of mouth)

 

Want to get involved with STEPs Public Art?

Let’s Work Together!

Explore our opportunities

See our latest events, calls for artists, and employment opportunities.

Tell us about your needs

We can’t wait to help you reimagine public spaces in your community.

Let’s make community impact

Support artists and communities to breathe creativity into public spaces.