It was a sunny day when I took a spin through a bit of the redeveloped Regent Park in downtown Toronto. Most noticeable in the new section is the art instalment. Toronto artist Dan Bergeron has captured the essence and character of the neighbourhood’s residents by featuring a cross-section of individuals in this piece entitled Faces Of Regent Park. The permanent installation consists of 12 large laminate glass portraits positioned around the entry plaza to Regent Park on the north side of Dundas Street.

In a Toronto Life article, Dan Bergeron says he began the project by photographing around 45 subjects, then narrowed the roster down to a dozen faces that he felt best represented the area’s diversity. He painted over the black and white photographs with swaths of colours, graffiti scrawls and patterns.

I wanted to use high-contrast hues because where the pieces are located in the plaza, the concrete is grey and the buildings are dark. I really wanted to make these bright pieces as a juxtaposition to the surroundings.

Artist Dan Bergeron

Faces Of Regent Park

Green Belt Mural

On my way out of the plaza I found these murals on the side of one of the community buildings