New murals mark the start of Up Here in Sudbury

Up Here Festival is starting its 11th year in Sudbury, with a number of new murals that are beautifying the city one stroke at a time.

With Sudbury’s Up Here Festival kicking off this weekend, organizers have planned some new murals that are beautifying the city one stroke at a time.

Ashley Guenette, the festival’s mural coordinator, said the pieces are an essential element.

“Eleven years of bringing art and music to the community -- especially murals, which are a way of uplifting, bringing colour, activating artists in our spaces,” Guenette said.

“So I’m really excited for the murals.”

The mural artists include one from northern Ontario, along with artists from Toronto, Montreal, Saskatoon and Brazil.

Dinho Beanto, who painted the Beech Street mural, said murals establish a connection with people.

“You are making something that is for them (and) for the city,” Beanto said.

Gift for the city

“It’s like a gift for the city ... I’m feeling so, so glad to be here and make this wall here because … people here are so kind.”

Kezna Delz, the artist who painted the mural on Notre Dame Avenue, also said the people she has met are kind.

“They’re just super nice and they come check out the mural and they’re super interested,” Delz said.

“A bunch of people, like, are honking while we’re painting, to be like, hey, it’s really nice. So generally, like really good vibes.”

The new murals this year are located in Azilda, downtown Sudbury and the Flour Mill, with installation at the arena in Azilda painted by Brody Burns.

The mural at 43 Elm St. was painted by Raven, who is from northern Ontario. The Larch Street mural was painted by Curtia Wright -- in Medina Lane on the back of Pho Noodle House.

Beanto spoke about his interaction with someone who is experiencing homelessness, who said his art brightened his day.

“I cried a lot when he told me,” Beanto said.

“He felt so good to see my art.”

“I believe art should be accessible and I don’t think that anyone needs to have, like, a knowledge of art to appreciate art,” Delz added.

The five new murals will be added to the Greater Sudbury collection of murals from the Up Here festival.

Organizers said that this is just the beginning, as the festival’s installation arts and musical performances run from Aug. 15-17.