Artscape Bayside Lofts - Natia Lemay

 

Location: 30 Merchants' Wharf

Date photo taken: 16 June 2021

I feel like you never know what you're going to see when you visit the East Bayfront these days. Sure, lots of cute dogs being walked is a given. Also construction and views of the water, but surprises also abound. One day recently part of the promenade was decorated with candy coloured paper lanterns and huge pots of flowers. The same day I saw that I also noticed this streetside gallery. It's probably been there for awhile but I've never noticed it. It runs along the west side of the new development at 30 Merchants' Wharf, a building which houses 80 affordable housing units geared to artists and artist-run families. Known as Artscape Bayside Lofts, the units are part of the larger Hines-Tridel Aquavista development and are owned by the City of Toronto.

This particular exhibit is called "Family in Art" and all the works are by Natia Lemay. 

Toronto Hearts

Location: Yonge-Dundas Square

Date photo taken: 14 July 2021

Exploring the ravines is definitely one of the things I love about Toronto. Also Cafes and Patios, The Raptors and the Toronto Zoo. Apparently I'm not alone in loving these things. Members of the community were recently asked what they love about the city and their responses can now be found on hearts like this one, carefully spaced across Yonge-Dundas Square. In addition to calling out all the things we love about our city, these hearts also help us with physical distancing as the city starts to re-open. 

Tentacles

 

Location: Bremner Blvd.

Date photo taken: 1 July 2021

It made me smile when I spotted this on the pavement outside the Ripley's Aquarium. I think this is actually a film that's been applied to the ground, but it reminded me a bit of the sweet little chalk drawings that David Zinn creates. Unfortunately he lives in Michigan, but that's not that far - I live in hope that he'll visit Toronto one day. 

AIDS Memorial

Location: Barbara Hall Park, Church north of Wellesley

Date photo taken: 1 July 2021

Tucked in a beautiful green space behind The 519 Community Centre on Church Street stands Toronto's AIDS memorial. The thirteen pillars contain the names of people, most from the local community, who lost their lives to AIDS-related illnesses. For me, the experience of walking along the path, noting as the number of plates needed per year swelled, was visceral. The memorial was designed by Patrick Fahn, but it was the work of Michael Lynch. He and a group of other gay men developed the idea of a permanent memorial, a place where friends and family could gather. By its existence, it "counters the silence, denial, isolation and rejection that are so often connected with AIDs" and it also provides a focal point for the annual AIDs Candlelight Vigil, usually held each year in June. Friends and family can submit names for the memorial to The 519.