Explore Canadian and American Street Art with Top Travel Bloggers

I found it interesting that when I asked top travel bloggers to share photos of their favourite Canadian and American street art, nearly all sent photos of people. Is this a trend in North America, or simply a coincidence?

I am a huge fan of street art, generally preferring the colourful and fun over the political, but really I like it all. Street art tells a story in images, something we can all understand, or at least ponder over for a while.

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A few examples of Canadian street art

British Columbia

Hidden in Downtown Vancouver off of Cordova Street is one of the most impressive street art mural collections we’ve ever discovered.
Photo contributed by Lance and Laura of Travel Addicts. See more at Vancouver’s Surprising Street Art Mural

Ontario 

Toronto’s Rush Lane has one of the largest and densest collections of street art in the world. Hundreds of murals extend for over a kilometre. Nearby Chinatown has its own graffiti alley.
Photo contributed by Lance and Laura of Travel Addicts. See more at A Walk Through Graffiti Alley in Toronto.

Quebec

Here are two examples from the French province of Quebec. Both contributed by Paula McInerney of Contented Traveller. The first is from Quebec City, while the second is from Montreal.

A few examples of American street art

California

San Francisco is a city defined by its urban art. Murals in the Mission District depict everything from struggle, to satire, to cultural legacies lost. This Art by CK1
Photo contributed by Taylor and Daniel of Travel Outlandish. See more at Gritty is Pretty: Street Art in San Francisco, USA

Oregon

Starting the American street art section with a shot I took, this piece is from one of the Lovejoy Columns. From 1948 to 1952, long before street art was popular a railway watchman kept himself occupied by painting on these columns, often from the top of train boxcars as they waited at the crossings. See more at A Relaxing Day in Portland

New York

Two contributions from New York:

• Entitled Dream, the first was spotted in New York City. It was painted by Iranian street artists Icy and Sot, and contributed by Paula Morgan of Expert Abroad. See more at Finding Street Art in New York City.
• The second was photographed in Toofly Welling Court in Astoria, a neighbourhood of Queens, New York City. This photo was contributed by Ben and Jazzy of Road Affair.

Texas 

The city of Austin is the least ‘Texas’ thing about The Lone Star State. Populated by ultra-cool looking people and decorated in impressive street art, Austin has got it going on. Some of the most notable street art in Austin is found at Castlehill, close to the hipster So Co area. We actually took advantage of the skilled artwork during the photoshoot of our secret elopement in Austin, posing in front of the Frida Kahlo print (not shown). Other cool spots to find is the ‘I love you so much’ wall as well as the ‘I hate you so much’ counter graffiti! Snapping street art is one of the many cool things to do in Austin.
Photo contributed by Gemma of Two Scots Abroad. Photo Credit: Corey Mendez Photography for Two Scots Abroad.

Thinking about becoming a street artist?

Often larger than life, creating street art takes a certain set of skills. If you’re thinking about becoming a street artist, this “cookbook” might be useful: Street Art Cookbook: Street Art Cookbook: A Guide to Techniques and Materials.

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Any favourites amongst the Canadian and American street art?