Toronto’s street art. New York is considered the center of the art world but whenever I visit Toronto, it’s their art scene that I’m most interested in experiencing.

This time around, I was taken by the amount of street art I noticed mostly on the sides of buildings. Here in Toronto, graffiti is legal provided it is approved by the property owner or occupant. It must also enhance the surface it covers and add to the general community surroundings.

The city has even implemented a graffiti management program called StreetARToronto. Its mission, according to its website, is “to counteract graffiti vandalism by developing, supporting, promoting and increasing awareness of street art and its indispensable role to add beauty and character to neighbourhoods across the city.” You gotta admit, that’s pretty progressive, right?

Here’s a taste of the street art I was able to photograph.

My friend and I happened upon a rock balancing artist at work. We joined the crowd and watched as he painstakingly placed small and large rocks, and cinder blocks on top of each other without them toppling over. It was my first time seeing rock balancing done and it was fascinating. You could see the concentration on his face, like he was willing the rocks to stay in place. When he finished a piece, the tension in his facial muscles relaxed ever so slowly.

I overheard him tell someone in the crowd how centering the work was but he can’t do it if he’s angry.

 

This is my submission to this week’s Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday series. Be sure to check out their website for other travel photos from around the world.