Pride Weekend in Toronto is soon upon us. In preparation, this month an explosion of rainbows and inclusion messages from local business and merchants have been appearing in the downtown core. Here’s some of what I’ve come across in the last few weeks:
Eaton Centre
Rogers Headquarters, 333 Bloor Street East
Manulife Head Office, 250 Bloor Street East
OrangeTheory Fitness, 160 Bloor Street East
160 Bloor Street East
175 Bloor Street East
Circle K, 121 Bloor Street East
The Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA)
RBC, 2 Bloor Street East
Holt Renfrew, 50 Bloor Street West
TD Canada Trust
Bay & Bloor StreetsBay & Bloor StreetsChurch & Wellesley Streets
A Pride Chicken at Nandos, 832 Bay Street
Ontario Nurses’ Association, 85 Grenville Street
Pride Bicycle Lock, Church Street
LCBO
Underneath Hudson Bay Centre, 2 Bloor Street EastUnderneath Hudson Bay Centre, 2 Bloor Street EastYonge & Wellesley Streets
Rexall, Church & Wellesley Streets
Scotiabank, Yonge & Wellesley Streets
Shopper’s Drug Mart, Yonge & Charles Streets
Jack Astor’s, Yonge & Bloor Streets
Toronto Public Library, Yorkville Branch
The Wine Rack, Church & Wellesley Streets
Dudley’s Hardware, Church Street
And, of course, the epicentre of it all: the corner of Church & Wellesley Streets
These cast bronze figures, located in the driveway of the Park Hyatt Toronto hotel at 4 Avenue Road, are entitled Mixer. The work is created by sculptor An Te Liu, a Taiwanese-Canadian artist living and working in Toronto.
Mixer envisions its installation as a stage inhabited by a pair of cast bronze figures engaged in dialogue with passersby, hotel visitors, and each other. Bold and distinctive in silhouette and richly finished in a lustrous deep gold patina, the sculptural ensemble forms a vivid and iconic tableau establishing the Park Hyatt as a singular destination.
As a public artwork, Mixer is monumental in scale – visible from afar and instantly recognizable. Open and intimate, the work invites visitors to experience the artwork fully and in the round. People become a critical part of the scenography, which unfolds within the architectural proscenium and extends out into the city.
Mixer finds shape and expression in the rich history of Park Hyatt Toronto, merging classical figurative allusions with industrial, artisanal, and organic forms culled from glassware, vessels, and couture. The forms also stem from a reinterpretation of the artistic legacy of Henry Moore, a seminal figure in the history of the modern era in Toronto.
Mixer captures the allure of social encounters and celebrates imbibing in all the senses. They form a continuity between the illustrious past of Park Hyatt Toronto and its present renaissance as an exemplar of elegance and luxury. An Te Liu’s inspiration for this work comes more specifically from an archival photograph of the Park Hyatt Rooftop Lounge, commonly known as “The Rooftop bar at Park Plaza,” years ago. An Te Liu would visit during his years as a student at the University of Toronto – understanding its social significance as a landmark in the city.
Park Hyatt Toronto invites visitors to experience the artwork in the round, as this ensemble of works seems like an encounter or conversation. The hotel program inspired this meaningful concept as a place of social convergence, where friends and strangers cross paths and mingle.
While in the Bloor Street West and Lansdowne area to photograph some utility box murals, I came across this colourful alley off Lansdowne Avenue, one block north of Bloor Street West. It was good to see a generous hit of colour in such a drab neighbourhood:
As I roam the city with camera in hand I’ve discovered one sculptor whose work appears in several places: Timothy Schmalz.
Timothy Schmalz is a prolific and gifted Canadian sculptor from St. Jacobs, Ontario. Most of his work personifies his devotion to Catholicism. Cast editions of his life-sized sculptures have been installed in major cities in front of some of the most historically significant Christian sites in the world.
Notable Work
Timothy Schmalz is best known for his Homeless Jesus sculpture he created in reaction to the many homeless living on the streets. That bronze sculpture was intended to be provocative, with Schmalz commenting: That’s essentially what the sculpture is there to do. It’s meant to challenge people.
As of today, over 50 bronze casts of Homeless Jesus are installed in religiously significant and historical locations around the world from Vatican City to Capernaum, Israel to Johannesburg, South Africa to Singapore.
We are fortunate to have a copy of Homeless Jesus here in Toronto, located at the doors to Regis College, 100 Wellesley Street West. If you would like to read my post on Toronto’s Homeless Jesus, you will find it here.
When I Was Sick
During the course of one day I recently came across two new (to me) sculptures by Timothy Schmalz. The first is entitled When I Was Sick and it can be found in front of the Church of the Redeemer at 162 Bloor Street West, on the corner of Bloor Street West and Avenue Road. It was unveiled on September 24, 2023:
Let The Oppressed Go Free
The other new Schmalz sculptor I’ve discovered is entitled Let The Oppressed Go Free. This enormous sculpture is located in front of Regis College at 100 Wellesley Street West, at the corner of Queen’s Park Crescent. The work was unveiled on October 25, 2023.
Schmalz was requested by the Vatican to create a sculpture on the theme of human trafficking. The depicts former slave St. Josephine Bakhita opening a trapdoor as she frees figures that represent human-trafficking victims.
The sculpture contains almost a hundred figures representing the different faces of human trafficking including sex exploitation, forced labour, debt bondage and more. Men, women, and children, including an infant are shown to demonstrate the wide range of victims of human trafficking:
The sculpture’s inspiration and name come from the Bible passage Isaiah 58:6:
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
The original of this massive bronze sculpture is installed in the Shrine of St. Bahkita in Schio, Italy.
Honourable Mention
Also of note, there is a Timothy Schmalz sculpture in front of St. Paul’s Bloor Street (227 Bloor Street East), entitled When I Was a Stranger. This piece invites pedestrians to sit on bronze stools, joining the cloaked figure of Jesus Christ. I will be publishing a future post about this sculpture, so stay tuned for that.
If you would like to learn more about the artist, Timothy Schmalz’s website is found here.
This will bring back memories for a lot of people. These shots are from February 2017, so they’re too new to fall into my From the Vaults category, but too old to be considered new cityscapes (if that makes any sense).
Ah yes, Honest Ed Mirvish’s little empire of kitsch at 581 Bloor Street West. This photoset was taken on the last weekend that Honest Eds was open to the public. The store had been emptied and closed prior to this date, but reopened on this particular weekend only for a couple of farewell parties and a massive art installation which took up the entire store. After that weekend the store closed permanently and the demolition began. A new condo building now sits on that famous corner of Bloor and Bathurst, and yet another piece of Toronto history has sadly died.
Passing by the Bloor Street United Church at 300 Bloor Street West a couple of weeks ago, I was quite surprised by the renovation/demolition taking place there.
Located in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood, the 19th century Neo-gothic structure is undergoing a major interior and exterior restoration and renovation that includes the redesign of 20,000 square feet of community and commercial office spaces. For the time being the congregation is worshipping with St. Matthew’s United Church at 729 St. Clair Avenue West.
The mixed-use project aims to add approximately 40,000 square feet of leaseable space which will support the congregation’s ongoing programs. The completion of the project will carry out the original mission of the church, providing a community space for gathering and worship.
A glimpse into the future
Respecting the heritage building, the commercial and residential program form a podium and a 29-storey-high tower – the Cielo Condos – that is set back from the church. The tower takes cues in geometry and materials from its neighbourhood. The brick fabric of the Annex is reflected along the accordion-like podium of the building and features panels of windows that connect residents to the city and neighbourhood. In contrast to the intricate detailing of the church, the tower’s minimal form and gold detailing complement the existing structure.
A Bit Of History
The church began as a Presbyterian congregation in 1887 to serve the rapidly growing population of then-northern Toronto, with the church building opening in 1890. In 1924, the church voted by a substantial majority to join the United Church. Three years later, a portion of the church was demolished when the city decided to widen Bloor Street.
The church grew in size in the 1940s and 1950s as an influx of immigrants arrived in the area. The congregation was so large that on several occasions, Massey Hall was rented to hold some services. It was decided to renovate the church in 1954. As it was nearing completion, however, a fire broke out and the church was badly damaged, with most of the sanctuary destroyed. Money was quickly raised to rebuild the church; in the interim the congregation met at nearby churches and U of T’s Convocation Hall.
The Church of the Redeemer, at 162 Bloor Street West, sits at the very busy intersection of Bloor Street West and Avenue Road. This Anglican Church was founded in 1871 and opened its doors at this site on June 15, 1879. At that time the area was still on the fringe of the city (hard to imagine now…). The Church’s architectural style is Gothic Revival.
The Church of the Redeemer is known for its progressive stance on social issues, especially gay rights. In 1998, the congregation published An Honourable Estate: Same Sex Unions and the Church, advocating the blessing of same-sex unions. The parish uses exclusively the Book of Alternative Services.
From time to time the church also hosts a range of musical events and concerts. I remember seeing singer-songwriter Gary Jules here several years ago and thinking what a cool venue it was for a concert.
I love the stately and dignified architecture of this building. The condos/offices behind the Church wrap around the building, hugging it; a great contrast of old and new.
“The walls were covered with rubble stone from the Credit Valley, near Georgetown. The term rubble stone means that the stones were the rubble that remained after stones were cut in the quarry. They were irregular in shape and their sizes varied. However, though rough in texture and inexpensive, they created a pleasing effect when assembled on the church walls. Ohio sandstone was imported for the stone ornamentation and the trim around the windows of the church. The interior walls were of white and red bricks, enhanced by including geometric patterns. The support columns in the interior were constructed of polished granite from the Bay of Fundy area.”1
The Church underwent major renovations in the 1980s. At that time the parish hall on the north side of the Church was sold; because of this the Church lacked sufficient space for offices and meetings. The problem was solved by raising a section of the floor of the Church to expand the basement level. Pews were removed from the raised section at the rear of the nave and replaced with chairs, as you see here:
These mural shots are from a wall behind the buildings on Bloor Street West at Bathurst Street. When you exit the Bathurst subway station you will see these murals on your left, at least you could when I took these images a while ago. There’s a chance these murals may have since changed on this wall, so it’s soon time for a revisit to investigate.
I couldn’t find anything on the web regarding the history or backstories of these murals, but I think they’re fairly impressive.
Time For Tims: Mural behind the CIBC at 532 Bloor St. W. (Bloor & Bathurst)
This condo project is named The One, which is a nod to its address at 1 Bloor Street West. When completed, the tower will stand 85 floors high and be the absolute last word in luxury downtown living.
If you’d like to dream a bit and see how the other half lives, check out the developer’s website.
This is such a lovely part of the city. I love how they fixed up that square and the fountain…