If you have ever wondered about the enormous portrait of the man with a film reel against a striking yellow background on the MTNL building while driving through the western express highway off Bandra reclamation; its time you put your thoughts to rest. It was a part of St+art India foundation’s Bollywood Art Project back in 2014 among many other murals painted throughout the city.

The St+art India foundation aims to make our streets more interactive through the medium of urban art festivals across India. It is a not-for-profit organization that works on art projects in public spaces with a vision to make it a specimen of creative redevelopment. Their modus operandi is to make art accessible to a wider audience and encourage their interaction by exhibiting it away from the conventional art galleries famous for a selective congregation.

The foundation brings together renowned Indian and international artists to transform city spaces through art and add a pop of colour in the concrete jungle we reside in today.They received an overwhelming response for their project in Mumbai this year with the Mahim Art District being their most recent project where they successfully transformed the image of Dharavi by making it India’s second largest open-air walk through art district. Each space they work on is thoughtfully curated with the common people and everyday lives in mind. From depicting the lives of the Koli women to murals of Gandhi; they have explored a plethora of options to colour the city in. In the recent past, they successfully create a temporary cultural hub at Sassoon Dock in collaboration with the local fishing community which became an instant hit.

They bring together a clique of creative minds to create content, art, manage events and assemble resources to work on their project sites. The foundation actively encourages the general public with a flair for art to volunteer and participate in their activities leading to a constant buzz in every city they work in. Apart from Mumbai, the foundation has also taken up projects in Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Their ultimate objective has always been to bring art to the people and not confine it to only certain sections of society. Art for all, is thus, their motto.