Ballets Jazz Montreal Unveils Mural for its 50th Anniversary
On Tuesday October 19, Ballets Jazz Montreal unveiled an uplifting tribute mural — at 4580 Avenue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville — in the heart of the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood. Created in concert with MU, this artwork by talented visual artist Franco Égalité highlights the world-renowned contemporary dance company’s 50th anniversary and celebrates it reaching this milestone.
Belonging alongside the works of great artists, the mural crafted by Franco E. consists of five dancers in ecstatic movement who seem to be floating up towards a beaconing sun.
Combining forms in motion with minimalist compositions, the Montreal artist skillfully explores different aspects of the body, light and colour theory, enabling him to express complex feelings and ideas.
This vivid mural is the 25th piece of street art in the growing Tribute to Montreal’s Great Artists series, an award-winning initiative launched in 2010 by MU, a mural arts organization seeking to transform Montreal into an open-air museum.
The inclusive project aims to recognize and highlight the invaluable contributions made by the city’s artists in various fields. More than 20 Montreal legends have been featured to date, including Leonard Cohen, Alanis Obomsawin, Oscar Peterson and many others.
Fueled by the success of Dance Me, a tribute to Leonard Cohen, the Ballets Jazz Montreal company will mark the start of its 50th season, on November 2, 2021, by presenting its brand-new show VANISHING MÉLODIES – Music by Patrick Watson at Théâtre Maisonneuve in Place des Arts. The rest of the programming to celebrate the 50th anniversary will be announced in the coming months. So stay tuned!
Here is what you need to know about the Ballets Jazz Montreal Tribute Mural
Name: Hommage à Ballets Jazz Montréal
Location: 4580 Av. de Hôtel-de-Ville, Montréal, QC H2T 2B1
Creator: Franco Égalité with the assistance of Zoë Gelfant
Production: MU
Initiative: BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal
Partners: Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, OMHM, Benjamin Moore, and Accès Location +
Date of completion: October 19, 2021
NEXT: ARICO X DUVAL | Beyond the Visible Expo @ Gallery Nicolas Robert
