New street mural coming to Kitchener Market in June

A new colourful street mural will be going on a section of road on Eby Street right outside the Kitchener Market this June.

The large mural, Market Walk, was inspired by the atmosphere and people that make up the Kitchener Market, said Nicole Beno, the local artist who created the piece.

She often frequents the Kitchener Market on Saturdays.

"I don't live far from downtown and I often walk to the market when I can and I got inspired by the whole experience of meeting people there, the community, the smells, the sounds," Beno told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo.

She said the mural will be an abstract piece that incorporates different images and colours of the market. 

"I wanted to create it so that every time you see it, you pick out something new," Beno addes.

Some of Beno's work has been featured locally at Open Sesame in downtown Kitchener and in CAFKA's Lèche Vitrine window series in 2018.

But this is the first time her work will be incorporated on a road, she said.

The mural is part of the Shape DTK initiative, which aims to engage the community though the creation of more fun and vibrant streets.

"We strive to tell a story about downtown and create connections to the larger community," Linda Jutzi, executive director for the Downtown Kitchener BIA, said in a release.

"Nicole's Market Walk is a cultural beacon created to connect with the thousands of people across the region visiting the Kitchener Market every Saturday."

The mural has been designed to last up to 10 years and will be installed in sections starting in early June.