These folks were at the Eaton Centre last Saturday, promoting the release of Hocus Pocus 2
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These guys were from a music school called Juicy Bowtie Music. There was some pretty fierce drumming to AC-DC when I took these shots this past Saturday at Yonge & Dundas.
After living in Toronto all these years I admit I’ve never been to one of the Nuit Blanche events… until now. This past weekend I took in just a few installations of this massive event – it was great! So many gifted and talented artists. Here’s a synopsis of the few installations I attended.
As with many of my posts, shots from the entire event can be found on my Flickr page (link at bottom of post).
Saputiit โ Fish Weir Skate Plaza
Yonge-Dundas Square
Saputiit โ Fish Weir Skate Plaza transformed Yonge-Dundas Square into an Indigenous space for skateboarders to flip and manipulate their boards.
Shapeshifter
Yonge Street Below Dundas
Shapeshifter is a series of sculptural works that expands the investigation into folklore, history, personal mythology, and how identity constantly fluctuates.
An Occupation
Queen Street West, Outside Saks Fifth Avenue
An Occupation is a participatory performance involving backup dancers, a giant inflatable, and karaoke celebrating the themes of Occupation/Labour/Work.
Good Tonight, Good Tomorrow with Johnnie Walker & NoPattern
Outside City Hall, Queen Street West
The installation by fine artist NoPattern in collaboration with Johnnie Walker is an exploration of pace. Colours travel around the screens at a slow and purposeful speed. There is a beautiful restraint in the movement that encourages viewers to come together and take a second to appreciate this moment of clarity.
Creepy Old Guy On Steps
Old City Hall, Queen Street West
I couldn’t find any description from Nuit Blanche on this performer, but he seemed to be enjoying what he was doing.
iskocฤs: okihcitฤw-iskwฤw-kamik ohci (sparks/embers for the leading-woman-lodge)
Nathan Phillips Square
Beams of light converged at Nathan Philips Square to create the illusion of a luminous tipi. Under its glowing poles, artist Cheryl L’Hirondelle hosted 13 performances by musicians, poets, Indigenous knowledge keepers and other invited guests.
Untying Space
8 Adelaide Street West
Made with masking tape and adhesive vinyl, this abstract whorl envelops the Deloitte building at Bay and Adelaide.
Avataq
Yonge & Temperance Streets
This 30-foot silver balloon bobbed around at the intersection of Yonge and Temperance Streets. The work is in reference to a traditional Inuit hunting tool, a lure that’s usually made of sealskin.
The Dinner Table
Yonge and Adelaide Streets
An outlet and valuable source of social recovery, The Dinner Table explores collective celebration in a city with a thirst to rebuild connections and renew social identity. Participants showered the table with coloured (non-toxic, biodegradable) dust in a dynamic celebration to mark the many gatherings sacrificed over the last two years.
Yonge & Front Streets
Not sure what this installation was called, but the man was getting a selfie of himself and his dog.
CN Tower Projections
Transformed through video animations by three unique artists, the CN Tower acts as a beacon. Created by Indigenous artists Blackpowerbarbie, Caroline Monnet and Kereama Taepa.
Avataq
Yonge & Front Streets
A smaller version of the Avataq installation that was floating further up Yonge Street.
Blankets (Under) Cover
25 Queens Quay West, Harbour Square Park
By artist Shelley Niro, Brantford/Six Nations of Grand River. These stretched point blankets, imprinted with images of past Indigenous life, as well as contemporary Indigenous experience, ask the viewer to reflect on the histories embedded in these objects.
Mana Moana
25 Queens Quay West
Mana Moana is an artist-led collaboration between Mฤori and Pacifica visual artists, musicians, writers and choreographers to bring to life video through a water screen.
This past weekend I found these on Walton Street, just south of Gerrard Street West. They’re not actually murals, but are window coverings for a shop that is soon going to open – sure beats brown paper. On these, moods and characteristics are displayed in several languages; an interesting and unique concept.
The Pasture by Sculptor Joe Fafard
Cow sculptures in the TD Centre Courtyard. The Pasture features seven life-sized cows relaxing in the grass. The cows are made of brass, and were put in place in 1985 at the TD Waterhouse Tower just across the street from its current location at 77 King Street West. The sculptures have been moved between these locations numerous times over the years due to construction at the different properties.
Seen on Elizabeth Street
The Cathedral Church of St. James is an Anglican cathedral at 106 King Street East, at the corner of Church Street. It is the location of the oldest congregation in the city, with the parish being established in 1797. The cathedral, with construction beginning in 1850 and opening for services on June 19, 1853, was one of the largest buildings in the city at that time. It was designed by Frederick William Cumberland and is a prime example of Gothic Revival architecture.
The Cathedral has been designated as an Ontario Heritage Property by the Ministry of Culture and also designated as a heritage site by Heritage Toronto.
St. Georgeโs Chapel was dedicated in 1936, and the organ was overhauled at that time. It is a 30-seat Chapel. A design overview of St. George’s Chapel can be found here.
The Indonesian Food Festival was back for another year at Yonge & Dundas Square. It featured a bazaar of Indonesian food, spices and food products, cooking demos with Indonesian products, music performances, a batik fashion show and an exhibition of handicrafts.
A little wandering around on a Saturday afternoon…
An odd combination found on Jarvis Street
Somewhere on Jarvis Street
56 Queen Street East
30 Bond Street
Spanning Shuter Street
178 Victoria Street
Yonge Dundas Square with the SAMS sign atop 77 Victoria Street
Who remembers The World’s Biggest Bookstore? This is the site where it used to stand; now there’s a high-rise condo. The World’s Biggest Bookstore operated from 1980 until 2014. The 3-storey store covered 64,000 square feet and was noted for its bright lights and over 20 kilometres of bookshelves. I still miss it.
Somewhere on Yonge Street, north of Edward Street
The condos continue to rise on Jarvis Street. I took a walk down Jarvis this afternoon to check out the building progress.
314 Jarvis Street
Future home of JAC condos. The McClear Digital studio used to occupy this building. It was CHUMs first live recording studio (built in 1948). RCA took it over and turned it into a recording studio. Apparently some big names had recorded there over the years: James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Picket, Ringo Starr. The condo developer has paid homage to the area, calling the lane beside the building “McClear Lane”.
319 Jarvis Street
The condo continues to rise. I pity those poor souls living in the townhouses beside the site.
225 Jarvis Street
The former location of the Grand Hotel, now demolished. The original building was built in 1972 as the headquarters to the Royal Canadian Mounted Policeโs “O” Division detachment. That RCMP detachment relocated to London, Ontario in 1993 and the building was later converted into the 177-suite Grand Hotel & Suites.
203 Jarvis Street
Going up on the northeast corner of Jarvis Street and Shuter Street. The building is being built by Manga Hotels, and will be a shared hotel/rental tower known as “Hyatt Place & The 203 Residences on Jarvis”.
Latest Comments
You know what Marvin ? I never knew about this. I really have never got close enough to see all…
Yes Marvin. I have been to a couple of these festivals in the past. It is a HUGE EVENT now…
I have always admired this sculpture but it seems to disappear amongst all the grey facades of the surrounding buildings.…
11 Walmer Road was originally clad as it is clad post 2018 with black bricks and white bricks etc. They…
Yes I've seen these sculptures and have enjoyed them. Sculptures and statues really liven up a city!