The Inside Out art project has come to Toronto in a big way for the 2011 Manifesto Festival. Part of global initiative to turn city streets into gallery walls — hence the name — the large-scale art project involves the use of black and white portraits to construct narratives about personal and community identities. 24 photographers have pasted various posters throughout the city in such neighbourhoods as Regent Park, Kensington Market, Queen West, Parkdale, Liberty Village, Jane and Finch, and Rexdale (to name only a few).

"Public art is a vital form of communication and a critical part of the city's vibrancy. With pending cuts to public funding for the arts in Toronto we needed to send a loud message to the decision makers that art makes people feel good and brings global attention to our city," says Che Kothari, Manifesto Executive Director, of the initiative. "This is the largest group action of the Inside Out Project in the world to date."

Presented in grid-patterns of various sizes, the portraits are quite stunning when one comes across them. Depending on the context, they appear to be ads of some sort. That is, until you realize there's no product being pitched. Nope, what these posters sell instead is the idea that a little art goes a long way towards making neighbourhoods more vibrant places. For more info on the project, check out the Manifesto website.

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Photos courtesy of Manifesto