Toast Birmingham Art Garden Growing Fast

The Art Garden project outside Toast Birmingham continues to grow. 

Recently, Detroit artist Malt added his collection of intense landscapes to the mix of murals intended to celebrate new art forms while sparing patrons of the Birmingham hot spot of having to see the ongoing construction on Pierce Street.

If you frequent Franklin, there's a reason Malt's artwork may be familiar. Last week, he spray-painted a colorful landscape on the side of the Market Basket in the heart of village as part of the community's first-ever mural project.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to showcase my work, and to do it in a place that it's not traditionally seen," the 37-year-old Southgate native told Bloomfield-Bloomfield Hills Patch. "I want to make it pleasing to the eye, but at the same time stay true to what I'm doing as an artist."

These featured photos not only show Malt, but also Kobie Solomon aka Rift, whose artwork helped launch the project last month.

The Art Garden, sponsored by the Bank of Birmingham, consists of 60 feet of construction panels that are divided into six-by four-foot sections, at the front of the restaurant. Once the Pierce Street construction is complete, the panels will be auctioned off during the Pierce Street Block Party on July 13. Proceeds will benefit the art and music programs in the Birmingham Public Schools via the Birmingham Education Foundation (BEF).

A full schedule of the weekly unveilings is available on the Toast Facebook page.

Birmingham Patch reaider Ali O'Hara posted these photos. Do you have any pics you'd like to share with the community? Post as many as you like directly to the site through the Pics and Clips gallery.