Toronto's Tallest Mural - 200 Wellesley

  

Location: South side of 200 Wellesley, at Bleeker

Date photo taken: 20 October 2013

Image 7 in the Mural Series

This shot of colour on 200 Wellesley may just be the tallest mural in the world. At 32 storeys, the artists are hoping that it qualifies for a spot in the Guinness record book. A community project, the mural took 2 months to complete and was done with the help of lots of teenage artists under the direction of lead artist Sean Martindale. The upper portion of the mural, depicting a phoenix, was done by Jason Rouleau and Ryan Dineen of Toronto Muralists. The colourful phoenix was chosen as a fitting symbol for both the building, which suffered a six-alarm fire in 2010, and for the resilient spirit of the neighbourhood.

Groundhog

Location: Milliken Park, Steeles Ave. & McCowan Rd.
Date photo taken: 5 September 2013

When you think of urban wildlife, raccoons and squirrels are usually the first critters to come to mind, but groundhogs (or woodchucks if you prefer) are common urban dwellers as well. This one was strolling along the lawn next to the lake in Milliken Park. I may go back in the spring to try and spot some kits. And here's an interesting fact: apparently, groundhogs can climb trees.

Hav A Nap Motel

Location: Kingston Road at Brimley
Date photo taken: 5 September 2013

The Hav A Nap Motel is one of the many vintage motels lining this strip of Kingston Road. A throw-back to the days when Highway 2 was a main route in and out of Toronto, the construction of the 401 signaled the start of hard times for these motels. There continued existence owes quite a bit to the city's practice of renting rooms to house overflow from the city's shelters. Now that the city is focusing on the revitalization of Kingston Road, these motels might go the way of their western counterparts, replaced by condos. If this happens, I like Dave LeBlanc's idea, expressed in a Globe & Mail article in 2009: "...save a few of the old motel signs and gather them up in a new public park... Electrified once again, they'll remind us that 'amenities' along here once meant massaging beds, colour TV, kitchenettes, heated pools and air conditioning."

Autumn Foliage - Leventhal Mural

Location: Side of railway overpass, Macpherson Ave. west of Avenue Rd.
Date photo taken: 25 September 2013
Image 6 in the Mural Series

These beautiful fall trees are part of a much larger mural by Ian Leventhal located on the side of a railway overpass along Macpherson Avenue. After the surface was tagged several times, the neighbourhood took action. Local artist Celia Squires did some touch ups and the fixing of the mural became a community affair and point of pride.

Garden Tower in Toronto - Nuit Blanche 2013

Location: Grounds of the Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St. E.
Date photo taken: 2 October 2013

This Saturday night, starting at 6:51 pm and lasting until sunrise, is Nuit Blanche, the free all-night celebration of contemporary art that started in Paris in 2002 and came to Toronto in 2006. This tower of chairs by Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata is one of more than 110 art projects that are part of this year's offerings. It will be interesting to see how this piece will transform after dark.

To read the description of the installation, and to plan your Nuit Blanche adventure, visit the official site.