Billie Holiday

 

Location: Logan Avenue, north of Lakeshore
Date photo taken: 4 September 2020

This beautiful portrait of jazz great Billie Holiday forms the southern part of a huge mural on Logan Avenue, just north of Lakeshore. If you're a fan, you might know that Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia. The northern end of the mural features another jazz legend, also with a Philadelphia connection. You'll have to visit the mural to find out who.

The Blackburns

 

Location: The Esplanade between George & Frederick Streets

Date photo taken: 11 August 2022

This poster appeared on the Esplanade one day this summer. It looks like a movie poster but it is in fact part of a city-wide art project entitled Unveiling Heroes of the Block which tells the stories of Black Canadians who left a lasting legacy. Depicted here are the Blackburns, Lucie and Thornton, who established Toronto's first taxi service after escaping slavery in the United States. Their steampunk look is courtesy of artist Quentin VerCetty. The project was created by the Black Speculative Arts Movement (BSAM) Canada and is part of ArtworxTO. A digital companion to the various sites is available on the Heritage Toronto website. If you click through on the various stories you will find detailed histories of those profiled, including the Blackburns.

Afrophilia

 

Location: Sculpture Garden, King & Church
Date photo taken: 5 October 2022

The Toronto Sculpture Garden is currently occupied by 9 busts on elevated plinths, but these aren't the typical white marble depictions of ancient philosophers or founding fathers. Instead, Jamaican-born artist Frantz Brent-Harris celebrates young black people in hues of bright orange and red. He describes it as a love letter to Black People. From his artist statement: "Unapologetically, my artwork seeks to present a juxtapose palate to the white gaze, standing in defiance of historical notions of heroes, representation of beauty and those worthy of being immortalized in a statue. Grounding my work in an anti-colonial and anti-racist lens, I present images that works to dismantle and provide alternative embodiment of beauty.” The work is presented by Black Artists' Networks in Dialogue (BAND) Gallery and Cultural Centre in partnership with the City of Toronto.