Reader at Harbord Collegiate

 

Location: Harbord Collegiate

Date photo taken: 8 February 2016

With it being back to school time, here's a figure to inspire the scholar in each of us. This rather serious looking fellow is one of a pair gracing the doors at the western edge of the building on Harbord. 

Brew Buddies

Location: 297 Victoria Street, between Gould and Dundas

Date photo taken: 15 September 2015

These figures can be found palling around over the doors of the limestone-clad heritage facade at 297 Victoria Street, which today is part of the Ryerson downtown campus. The facade was recently incorporated into the newly constructed Heaslip House which houses the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Studies but for those who look closely, and who can identify the flora depicted, there are clues to the origins of the building. O'Keefe House as it was once known was constructed in the late 1930s to serve as the head office of Canadian Breweries Ltd., which bought up or merged with many smaller breweries after the end of prohibition, including, in 1934, the O'Keefe Brewery, located on Victoria Street. This relief includes both grain and hops, key ingredients of beer.

When I Was a Stranger

Location: in front of St. Paul's Anglican on Bloor, east of Church

Date photo taken: 6 January

This hooded figure, presented life-sized and sitting outside St. Paul's Anglican on Bloor Street, is one of Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz' representations of Jesus. His first and arguably most famous depicted Jesus similarly cloaked, hooded and barefoot, sleeping on a bench. He explained his inspiration to the CBC: "If you look at the history of Christian artwork, most of the representations of Jesus have him embodied as physical perfection... So this is a breakaway from that. I started thinking, how would Jesus want to be portrayed? Would he want to be made out of marble, perfect and wavy, with beautiful gowns? And if you read the Gospels, I don't think that would really interest him. I think he would want to be represented like the least of his brothers.

This installation includes a ring of bronze stools surrounding the figure which welcome passers-by to sit awhile. St. Paul's encourages those who do to take a picture and post it using the hashtag #SittingWithJesus.

Central Tech Gnome

Location: Above the western entrance to Central Technical School, Bathurst & Harbord
Date photo taken: 11 July 2013
Image 3 in the Figures Series

This is one of a pair of figures that sit above the doors of TDSB's Central Technical School. This figure, working with a hammer and chisel, represents the technical education available at the school which today includes access to Ontario Youth Access Programs. These allow secondary school students to begin their apprenticeships in trades related to automotive, carpentry, cooking, electrical, plumbing and HVAC while completing their diplomas. The other figure, holding a book and representing the academic side of the school's programming, was featured on NeaTO in September 2013.

Gupolo

Location: 129 Jarvis Street
Date photo taken: 17 March 2013
Image 2 in the Figures Series

This figure is called Gupolo and it is a common site in front of houses or government offices in Java. Its purpose is to protect the building and those inside from evil spirits. The snake being held by the figure represents the power of evil, which the Gupolo has mastered.

This particular figure is one of two that sit in front of the Consulate General building for the Republic of Indonesia on Jarvis St. The building opened in 1994 but Toronto has had an Indonesian consulate since 1982.

Central Tech Gnome

Location: Above the western entrance to Central Technical School, Bathurst & Harbord
Date photo taken: 11 July 2013
Image 1 in the Figures Series

This figure is one of two that sits above the main entrance on the west side of the Toronto District School Board's Central Technical School. The two figures together represent the two sides of the school's curriculum. This one in cap and gown, reading a book, represents the academic side. The other, in work clothes, holding a hammer and chisel, represents the technical side. They were not included in the original design for the building but were instead, according to a history of the school, a gift by the Scottish stonemasons who worked on the construction.