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
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
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
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
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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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.