Vancouver Mural Festival is bringing its knowhow to brightening up city businesses boarded up due to COVID-19.

They're working with local artists and BIAs to create 40 murals on the shuttered storefronts downtown, along Robson Street, and on South Granville.

Images are meant to spark joy, inspire hope, and celebrate resilience, the group said today, in an announcement that the first wave of works would start this week.

Over five years, the fest has used its August event to transform blank walls in Mount Pleasant and elsewhere, with artists from here and around the world adding about 200 murals to this city's public-art roster.

VMF stresses that City of Vancouver COVID-19 social distancing rules remain in effect and all artists will be following health and safety regulations.

That means the best way to follow the progress of the murals will be to follow the hashtag #makeartwhileapart via the @vanmuralfest Instagram and Facebook.