Do you know who makes that "Press On Winnipeg" street art? I see them all the time on bridges and posts and stuff and it lifts my spirits.
For non-locals, here's a little bit about the Press On Winnipeg project.
In 2020, the first of the now 300-some Press On Winnipeg swallows were posted around the city. The artists wish to remain anonymous, but they are a collective with the shared purpose of spreading hope. These swallows are posted in unexpected places, such as the tops of bridges and on the sides of silos. The collective is also often represented by a bike wheel.
^ from the collective's instagram
The free press and the global news both have short articles on the project.
From an analysis perspective, we should consider how a simple symbol and message , repeated over and over, can have such an impact. This is public art, non-profit. It's typically crunchy and folksy, which seems to be the throughline of a lot of these public art projects. But it does have an edge to it, being graffiti or street art. I think the image of the swallow speaks to people because of the comforting wholesomeness of the innocuous bird symbol and uplifting message, paired with the rebelliousness of being "illegal art".
If anyone has pictures they've taken of the birds, i'd love to see!
