Mural Routes
Mural Routes is a Canadian not-for-profit arts service organization that facilitates community-engaged mural projects, delivers training and career development for mural artists, and operates the Mural Map of Canada digital platform cataloging public wall art nationwide for municipalities, BIAs, and property owners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersScarborough, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Mural Routes does
Mural Routes is a Canadian not-for-profit arts service organization founded in 1991 and headquartered at 2229 Kingston Road in Scarborough, Ontario. It supports the creation, promotion, and education of public wall art by facilitating community-engaged mural projects and providing career development resources for mural artists across Canada. The organization operates with a small team (1-10 employees) and partners with municipalities, business improvement areas, property owners, and community organizations to commission, produce, and document murals.
Its core offerings include the Mural Map of Canada — an interactive WordPress-based platform at muralmapofcanada.ca cataloging murals nationwide — and MR Circle, a membership program launched in 2024 that connects mural artists with job opportunities, calls for submissions, and professional development resources. Additional services encompass mural consulting, sponsorship coordination, health and safety certification training (Working at Heights, Scissor Lift, Boom Lift) delivered through partnerships with StreetARToronto and implementation provider STS Group, and specialized programs such as the Wall Art Learning Series and Mosaic Workshops for Seniors funded by the federal New Horizons for Seniors Program. The organization also sells limited edition prints and offers downloadable digital backgrounds for video calls.
Mural Routes generates revenue through a mix of government arts council grants (Canada Council for the Arts, City of Toronto, Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council), fees from managed mural projects, MR Circle membership subscriptions, charitable donations, and modest merchandise sales. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging direct municipal engagement, a recurring artist call pipeline, and a hybrid distribution approach that combines in-person project services with digital self-serve membership discovery. The organization completed a leadership transition in late 2025, with Kim Dayman appointed Executive Director effective October 1, 2025, succeeding Managing Director Marta Keller-Hernandez.
Mural Routes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mural Routes
- Legal name
- Mural Routes Incorporated
- Website
- https://muralroutes.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Mural Routes is a Canadian not-for-profit arts service organization that facilitates community-engaged mural projects, delivers training and career development for mural artists, and operates the Mural Map of Canada digital platform cataloging public wall art nationwide for municipalities, BIAs, and property owners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mural Routes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Arts Services
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)
Keywords
Where Mural Routes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Scarborough
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Mural Routes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Mural Project Fees: Fees charged for managing and producing mural projects in partnership with municipalities, businesses, and community organizations
- MR Circle Membership: Annual membership program providing networking, job alerts, and professional development access for mural artists
- Government Funding and Grants: Core funding from Canada Council for the Arts, City of Toronto, Toronto Arts Council, and Ontario Arts Council to support operations and programs
- Donations: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations supporting mural art and community engagement
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Artist fees for mural projects |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Training programs |
| Subscription | Annual | MR Circle Membership |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Mural Routes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mural Routes is a not-for-profit arts service organization that activates communities by facilitating the creation of responsive, collaborative murals and advancing careers in mural art. It delivers mural project consulting and production services to municipalities, BIAs, developers, and property owners; runs the MR Circle membership and Mural Map of Canada platform for artist networking and discovery; and provides artist training programs including subsidized health and safety certification. The organization also delivers community engagement programs such as the Wall Art Learning Series and Mosaic Workshops for Seniors.
Product overview
Mural Routes is a not-for-profit arts service organization operating primarily as a community facilitation and professional development platform for mural artists across Canada. The organization functions as a unified service offering centered around its core Platform (muralroutes.ca and muralmapofcanada.ca), which hosts the interactive Mural Map of Canada for mural discovery and submission. The MR Circle membership program provides artist networking and career development services. The organization offers consulting, sponsorship, and training services directly, while Digital Backgrounds provides downloadable artwork for video conferencing. Programs like the Wall Art Learning Series and Mosaic Workshops for Seniors deliver community engagement and education. Prints for Sale represents a merchandise component. The ecosystem connects mural artists with communities, property owners, and sponsors through facilitated project coordination.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mural Map of Canada: Interactive mural map platform available through muralmapofcanada.ca
- MR Circle
- Wall Art Learning Series
Quantifiable outcome
- 10 small-scale mural artworks produced during Celebrate Dundalk festival weekend
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Mural Routes
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mural Routes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Mural Routes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LCH DevelopmentscoreLCH Developments is collaborating with Mural Routes on the Cliffside Village Mural Project at 2229 Kingston Road in Scarborough. The project will replace three community murals removed due to redevelopment, creating new artwork that honors the neighbourhood's history and natural identity.
- Township of SouthgatecorePartnership to produce 10 small-scale mural artworks in Downtown Dundalk, Ontario during the Celebrate Dundalk festival (September 27-29, 2024). Township provides venue and coordination while Mural Routes manages artist selection and production.
- StreetARTorontocoreStreetARToronto partners with Mural Routes to offer subsidized practical training in Health and Safety specifically for mural artists, including Working at Heights, Scissor Lift, and Boom Lift certification courses.
- East End ArtsminorEast End Arts serves as venue partner for mosaic workshops for seniors and artist talks events organized by Mural Routes.
- City of BramptoncoreCity of Brampton partnered with Mural Routes to deliver a two-part professional development program for Brampton artists looking to expand skills into mural art making.
- Jaku Konbit OttawaminorJaku Konbit Ottawa collaborated on The Proudest Plumage mural project through their Youth Mentorship Program, engaging youth in mural creation for Wellington West BIA.
- STS GroupcoreSTS Group (Ministry of Labour approved provider) delivers practical training courses including Working at Heights, Scissor Lift, and Boom Lift certification for mural artists through the StreetARToronto partnership.
- E.W.O.C. ProjectminorE.W.O.C. Project partnered with Mural Routes on the In Our Nature community-minded multidisciplinary public art project celebrating Women of Colour in Scarborough.
- Community Arts GuildminorCommunity Arts Guild collaborated on In Our Nature project, a 2021 City of Toronto Cultural Hotspot Signature Project in partnership with the Toronto Zoo.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mural Routes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Art Gallery of Ontario: The Art Gallery of Ontario is one of Canada's largest art museums with significant community, education, and public programming — a broader incumbent in the Canadian visual arts ecosystem that competes for similar grant funding and engages in overlapping community art initiatives.
- Toronto Arts Council: Toronto Arts Council is a municipal arts funder that grants to Toronto-based arts organizations including Mural Routes — a broader incumbent in the Canadian arts ecosystem that is also a funder rather than direct competitor, providing both overlap and partnership context.
- Canada Council for the Arts: Canada Council for the Arts is Canada's federal arts funding body and a core funder of Mural Routes — a much larger incumbent in the Canadian arts sector that provides grants to Mural Routes and comparable organizations across all artistic disciplines.
- National Arts Centre (Canada): The National Arts Centre is a federal Crown corporation and Canada's largest performing arts venue, with national education and artist development programs — a broader Canadian arts organization with overlapping artist development and community engagement mandates.
Direct peers
- Creative Time: Creative Time is a New York-based public art nonprofit that commissions ambitious, socially-engaged public art projects — directly comparable in commissioning, curating, and facilitating public artworks with community engagement, though at a much larger scale.
- Artscape (Toronto): Artscape is a Toronto-based nonprofit that develops and manages creative spaces and supports artists and cultural organizations — a peer Canadian arts nonprofit serving a similar mission of artist development and community cultural activation, with overlapping funder and partner networks.
- ArtStarts (Vancouver): ArtStarts is a British Columbia-based nonprofit that provides young people with arts experiences and showcases young artists — a peer Canadian arts nonprofit with similar grants-based funding, community programming, and artist career development focus.
- Mural Arts Philadelphia: Mural Arts Philadelphia is the largest US public art nonprofit dedicated to mural creation, community engagement, and artist professional development — directly comparable to Mural Routes' mission and operating model, though operating at substantially greater scale.
- Pangea Seed Foundation: Pangea Seed Foundation is a nonprofit that uses public art (including murals) to raise awareness of ocean conservation, with an artist residency and public mural program — comparable mission of artist-driven community murals and public art activation.
- Chicago Public Art Group: Chicago Public Art Group is a community mural nonprofit producing collaborative public murals and training artists in mural-making — a direct analog to Mural Routes' facilitation, community engagement, and artist development model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Mural Routes social profiles
Digital presenceMural Routes compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Mural Routes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mural Routes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Mural Routes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mural Routes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mural Routes
What does Mural Routes do?
Mural Routes is a not-for-profit arts service organization that activates communities by facilitating the creation of responsive, collaborative murals and advancing careers in mural art. It delivers mural project consulting and production services to municipalities, BIAs, developers, and property owners; runs the MR Circle membership and Mural Map of Canada platform for artist networking and discovery; and provides artist training programs including subsidized health and safety certification. The organization also delivers community engagement programs such as the Wall Art Learning Series and Mosaic Workshops for Seniors.
Is Mural Routes a public or private company?
Mural Routes is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Mural Routes founded?
Mural Routes was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Mural Routes based?
Mural Routes is headquartered in Scarborough, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Mural Routes make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Mural Project Fees are the primary driver. The others are MR Circle Membership, government Funding and Grants and donations.
Who are Mural Routes's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts and National Arts Centre (Canada). Direct peers are Creative Time, Artscape (Toronto), ArtStarts (Vancouver), Mural Arts Philadelphia, Pangea Seed Foundation and Chicago Public Art Group.
Does Mural Routes have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mural Routes.
What industry is Mural Routes in?
Mural Routes's product category is Public Arts Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAG, Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations, with a secondary code of THAJAKAA, Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture). Its NAICS code is 71 and its SIC code is 7900.