We love projects like this – anyone or anything that acts as an ambassador for art here in Australia is pretty much awesome in our eyes.

Art De La Roo is such a simple concept, yet one that has required a hell of a lot of effort from the organisers, Melbournes I & The Others (Kirrily Anderson) and Torontos Christy Shapely. Gathering together 24 artists whose works many of you who have visited Melbourne would be more than familiar with, and bundling them up to be pasted up onto the walls of T-dot itself, it’s the closest that many in Toronto will get to the real vibrancy of the scene down here, and a great chance for them to get a snapshot of the creative talent that adorns our walls.

“‘Art De La Roo’s Australian and Canadian organizers accepted 24 artists to represent the best of Australia’s street art pasting scene.

The art has been sent from Melbourne, the catalyst location, to Toronto for public display on businesses, buildings and alleys around the west end. The exhibition can be discovered via a map that will be released at the opening on Friday September 28. The opening will kick off at 8pm with a guided bicycle tour of the exhibition, leaving from the newly finished public space at Queen and Dufferin’s North east corner. The tour ends up at up at Bike Pirates for performances, and DJ dance party with PWYC bar and food.

The show’s goals are to increase interest in Australia’s active street art culture, to spread the technique to Toronto’s artists and to increase awareness of street art as public art. Though a small pasting culture exists here, it is much less developed, than that of Australia’s (in particular Melbourne) prolific scene.

The exhibition goes up the week of September 24th, with the support of Toronto street teams.”

Art De La Roo is an idea that we hope we’re only just seeing the beginnings of – this idea, and vision, really has legs.

The only thing that we don’t like about this show, is that its so far away!! Lucky people, those Torontorians – we wish we could join them on the ride …

Who: Alisha Hinds, Asio, Be Free, Blomtrog, Burg, Celeste Potter, Claude, Erin Greer (with Be Free), Ero, Facter, Fezwitch, I & The Others, Joshua Smith, Kitty Art, Klara, Lucy Lucy, Makatron, Nicole Tattersall, Phoenix, Qwux, Rebecca Murphy, Ruskidd, Suki, The Doctor

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28
NIGHT BIKE RIDE 8pm Queen Street and Dufferin Road (on the north east corner)
OFFICIAL LAUNCH PARTY From 9pm. Bike Pirates, 1292 Bloor St

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29
Nuit Blanche

Check out the Art De La Roo website, as well as the Facebook event page for more info.