October 17, 2014
A striking new outdoor mural painted on the walls of the Kingston Road underpass at Danforth Avenue was unveiled today by project partners.
The mural, which celebrates and honours Scarborough's natural environment, is a collaboration between two City of Toronto initiatives, StreetARToronto and the Cultural Hotspot, working in conjunction with Mural Routes, the Birch Cliff community and mural artist Bill Wrigley.
Depicting the migration of birds and butterflies, the mural wraps around both sides of the underpass at Kingston Road and Danforth Avenue, welcoming residents and visitors to the Birch Cliff community with a vibrant visual display of the Scarborough Bluffs. The mural also features flora and fauna and the many grasses and plants that thrive in the region.
Launched in 2012, StART is an innovative public-private partnership designed to develop, support, promote and increase awareness of street art and its ability to beautify the city's visual landscape. StART's Underpass Program provides opportunities for artists to create works of art that make Toronto's underpasses more appealing and strengthens the sense of place, inclusion and belonging within communities.
This western gateway mural is one of two gateway murals created as Cultural Hotspot Signature Projects. From May through October, the Cultural Hotspot program shines a spotlight on the arts, culture and community in south Scarborough. This City- and partner-produced initiative features a series of signature projects designed to inspire residents and visitors to discover the Hotspot neighbourhoods.
Mural Routes is the only member-based not-for-profit arts service organization in Canada dedicated to the creation, development and promotion of public wall art. Its vision is to inspire the creation of extraordinary public wall art that serves as a catalyst for community building.
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit
http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.
- 30 -
Media contact: Shane Gerard, Strategic Communications, 416-397-5711, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
