Kate Young and Jim Bravo are well into an art project that will eventually see a series of photos of Parkdale people and places put on tree planters along Jameson Avenue between Queen and King Streets.
New outdoor art project stars the residents of Parkdale
Beautiful, glorified passports – that’s how artist James Bravo describes the series of photographs that will soon line the planter boxes running along Jameson Avenue in Parkdale.
Sixty-five tree planters were installed on Jameson Avenue between King and Queen streets after the recent resurfacing of the road and it’s these planters that will soon become an outdoor art gallery titled Jameson Avenue Impressions.
The City of Toronto, in partnership with Mural Routes, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of wall art as a public art form, launched Jameson Avenue Impressions. It’s a public art project to gather a photographic record of the community, and then create a permanent outdoor gallery.
In this project each of the planters will have a series of ceramic tiles, on the north and south sides, baring photographs of people and places in Parkdale.
Bravo, the artist spearheading the project, is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design where he majored in drawing and painting. Born in Ecuador, South America, Bravo was raised in the west end of downtown Toronto.
“I think of Jameson as this launching pad, people come here and you have different languages and cultures,” Bravo said. “So why not try to capture those kind of people and do a passport-style idea?”
With the help of Calgary-born photographer Kate Young, Bravo is creating the tiles.
Young, who now lives at Queen Street and Jameson Avenue, is in the process of taking the more than 500 photographs needed for the exhibition.
The pair has organized booths and are tagging onto local events to source out the people to photograph.
“We are trying to get as many local characters and portraits and people as we can get,” Young said.
Bravo said he hopes to have the entire project completed and installed by fall.
The Jameson Avenue art project is a Clean and Beautiful City project run through the City of Toronto. Clean and Beautiful City aims to renew public spaces with the participation of everyone who lives and works there. Mural Routes invites Jameson Avenue residents of all ages to participate in a photo shoot. For information, email bridgette@muralroutes.com or call 416-698-7995
By ERIN HATFIELD
MuralRoutes's Blog 