MURAD HOSTS GRAFFITI SHOW
By Adnews Staff
A company that paints pictures on walls for money wants to gain more respect for people who do it for artistic expression. Toronto-based Murad Communications is hosting Flexpo at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto from Aug. 18 to Sept. 4. Murad is billing it as a "live graffiti show" although it has nothing to do with spray painting subway cars or drawing dirty pictures in washrooms. Murad is staging the event because it wants to to raise awareness of decorating building walls with paintings as an art form. Murad president Michael Chesney told Adnews yesterday that he would like to see more building owners give permission for artists to decorate their walls. Chesney wants artists to have a way in which to find out about available walls, such as an 800 number. TV commercials for Flexpo, created by Murad began airing yesterday on the specialty channels YTV, Showcase and MuchMusic. Murad earns its revenues by putting up large signs for advertisers. Many of these are wall paintings, the medium with which Murad originally went into business.