Kingston's Art All Around project breathes new life into bus stops and city streets

Yessica Rivera Belsham stands in front of her original artwork "Gratefulness for Every Breath of Life" on the corner of Division St. and Railway St. in Kingston. (Kimberley Johnson/CTV News Ottawa)

KINGSTON, ONT. -

A new street art project in Kingston is looking to breathe new life into bus stops and city streets.

"Art All Around" is part of a new art installation project. The city has asked 20 artists to create unique works of art, which have been displayed at the public transit stations. 

For some of those artists, like Yessica Rivera Belsham, it’s been a way to heal through the pandemic.

Rivera Belsham has lost family members due to COVID-19. She says her artwork, titled "Gratefulness for every breath of life", has helped her process.

"For me it was more, in honouring them, my family members," she explains. "But it’s also in connection to honouring and paying tribute to everyone that's been impacted around the world. That have had so many losses."

A print of her painting now sits on the bus shelter on the intersection of Division Street and Railway Street, near Concession Street. 

The project asked the artists to reflect on their time during the pandemic, and what comes next.

Rivera Belsham says for her that meant depicting bright colours, and drawing marigolds for those who have been lost. 

"It helped me in my grieving process in so many ways," she says. "People (seeing it at bus stops) may not know the back story.... but I’m just grateful that it’s out here and it allows people to connect in different ways."

For graphic design artist Eric Williams that meant capturing how much COVID-19 is on our minds. His work, titled "I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately", sits on Kingscourt Avenue and Fifth Avenue, in the Kingscourt District. 

"It’s heavily influenced by comic books, cartoons," he says of the design.

The city says "Art All Around" aims to support local artists, and to add accessible public art.

Williams says he hopes it sparks creativity in those who see it. 

"I hope people start to pay attention to their visual landscape a little bit more," he explains. "We can make changes to it, we can add things to it, we can make it more interesting."

The city says it plans to add to the collection in the coming months.

As for Rivera Belsham, she says she hopes her work, which has meant so much to her, can mean something for someone else.

"I’m so grateful to be apart of anything that’s public, that it’s accessible," she says. "Not putting barriers, not putting things behind walls."

A list of locations of the art installed around the city can be found on the city’s website.