National Mural Symposium 2009 is a unique professional development opportunity for artists, arts administrators, arts educators, public art consultants and creative developers of community space. This year we are hosted by Midland, Ontario, home of North America’s largest outdoor historic mural, and 34 heritage murals in the downtown area.

Mat Hand, Fortune, Ring Road, Nottingham, June 2007

Featured keynote address on Saturday October 17
by UK/Berlin public artist Mat Hand - www.handmademurals.com

Mat Hand has established a reputation as a professional artist and mentor with a passion for public art. His bold site-specific murals create dynamic living, learning and working environments. In addition, Mat's public art performances have earned several titles in the Guinness World Record Book -  www.mathand.co.uk.

Program information

Changing the Landscape will be hosted at the Best Western Highland Inn & Conference Centre, the premier full service hotel in the Southern Georgian Bay area of Ontario.

Full symposium registrants enjoy a Friday evening reception on the waterfront, Saturday buffet breakfast & luncheon, Sunday brunch and all refreshment breaks.
Special hotel rates available for symposium registrants:
Ensure a room by calling Best Western Highland Inn at 1-800-461-4265 or email. The hotel is conveniently located at 924 King Street, at the corner of Highway 12 and King St. in Midland ON.

Midland is 145 km or 90 minutes north of Toronto ON; 675 km from Montreal QC; 580 km from Ottawa ON; and 490 km from Windsor ON.

For shuttle bus information from Toronto Pearson International Airport: Simcoe County Airport Service click here

For other bus information to Midland:
Greyhound Lines click here.
 

Friday October 16
1:00 - 3:00 pm - Registration and delegate setup of display material in Burgundy Ballroom

3:00 - 4:30 pm - Session 1: The Big Picture: Current Trends in Wall Art continues from last year’s “History of Mural Art”. An illustrated look at murals in the current context, including contemporary styles and the role of today’s murals in the community. With Karin Eaton, Executive Director, Mural Routes

4:45 pm - Free bus transfers from hotel to downtown Midland

5:00 - 6:30 pm - Walking Tour: The Murals of Downtown Midland - Bill Smith, author of Midland on Georgian Bay, with mural artists Ruth Hurdle and Sonya Rathke, lead a tour through 34 murals in the downtown core, including the largest historic outdoor mural in North America.

6:30 pm - Meet and greet reception - Walking tour ends at Scully’s Crab Shack, overlooking Georgian Bay,
177 King Street. Followed by free bus transfers back to hotel.

Saturday October 17
8:00 am - Breakfast Buffet. Delegate setup of display material continues in Burgundy Ballroom

9:00 - 10:45 am - Welcome
Session 2: Keynote address - Mat Hand (Berlin/UK) will reference his own arts practice in order to explore portraiture within the public realm, the possibility of working off the wall with non-traditional media, the merits of temporary murals and challenges posed by the client-led brief.

11:00 - 12:15 pm - Session 3: The Entrepreneur and Mural-Making - Serge Malenfant, artist/President of M.U.R.I R.S. (Urban Murals for the Revitalization of Buildings and Social Reconciliation) and passionate promoter of mural art, shares the story and strategies behind his successful not-for-profit community mural program in Sherbrooke QC.

12:30 pm - Lunch

2:00 - 3:30 pm - Session 4a (For Artists): From the corner of your eye, to the back of your mind -
A little something can make a huge difference. That something just might be the right typeface for your mural. Cameron Stewart, Sign Specialist from District of North Vancouver, talks typestyle from Trajan to Frutiger - and invites us to have some fun along the way.
OR Session 4b (For Administrators): The Fellowship of the Wall - An interactive session that follows a mural project from concept to completion, demonstrating ways to streamline the process and clarify roles for organizers, artist(s), property owners and funders. Facilitated by Karin Eaton.

3:45 - 5:15 pm -  Session 5: Our Space, Our Stories - a delegate roundtable that offers an opportunity to share news about projects, make connections, ask questions and learn from each other.

Sunday October 18
8:00 am - Morning refreshments

9:00 - 10:30 am - Session 6: Off the Wall (Part II) - Working with alternative materials, an introduction to painting on utility boxes with Sarah Collard, and techniques to working on non-woven material with Sonja Rathke.

10:45 - 12:30 pm - Session 7: The Writing on the Wall - Understanding the graffiti art culture and its eclectic history. Join WonG for a hands-on workshop to create your own graffiti tag.

12:30 pm - Buffet brunch and farewell