New downtown Burlington art mural allows viewers to be part of the experience
Published August 31, 2022 at 11:37 am
A new installation by an internationally-renowned artist and commissioned by Tourism Burlington was recently unveiled in the downtown core.
The Garden Swing, an iconic way to marry the perfect selfie with creative street art, has been created by Kelsey Montague, the latest in her #WhatLiftsYou collection.
“Traditionally, destination marketing organizations have relied on large, branded installations to bring attention to their destination,” said Kristene Smith, executive director of Tourism Burlington.
“But marketing a destination is about more than just reinforcing the name of a geographic area. We want to showcase Burlington’s diverse offerings uniquely and creatively. We have an abundance of natural attractions, two unique business districts, activities, and events, year-round, for all ages. It’s those experiences that make people fall in love with a place. That’s what we wanted for Burlington; a connection to our place.”
The mural design features five unique images of the city hidden within its design. In addition to these hidden gems, the mural’s interactive component is a large jungle swing, featuring bright, vibrant florals, and enchanting green space, a nod to Burlington’s Royal Botanical Gardens, which is a few kilometres away.
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A spokesperson for Montague said she creates large-scale, interactive street murals around the world, including Cape Town, Galway, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Manchester, Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York. Each piece provides an opportunity for people to become a ‘living work of art.’ Participants are encouraged to post pictures with the work on social media under the hashtag #whatliftsyou with the intent of making social media a kinder place.
“Burlington has a rich cultural footprint, known for its art gallery, museums, performing arts centre public art, and culturally diverse events. Kelsey’s style and desire for her murals to be interactive and memorable was a natural fit for visitors to Burlington,” said Smith.
“We are so grateful residents will also be able to experience this beautiful piece of art for a long time to come.”
The mural is located at the intersection of Elizabeth St. and Lakeshore Rd.
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