Mural Locations
The Journey to the West tells stories of the exploits of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King born from a stone nourished by the Five Elements, who learns the art of the Tao, 72 polymorphic transformations, combat, and secrets of immortality, and through guile and force makes a name for himself, Qitian Dasheng (simplified Chinese: é½å¤©å¤§å£; traditional Chinese: é½å¤©å¤§č).
Commissioned by Toronto Chinatown B.I.A. Completed Aug 2014
A landscape mural in the Toronto alleyway of Bejing’s Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was the political and ritual center of China for over 500 years. After its completion in 1420, the Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors, their families and servants during the Ming (1368ā1644) and the Qing (1644ā1911) dynasties.
Designed and painted by Allan Bender John Nobrega Jesse McQuaig Jien June Kim
Commissioned by Toronto Chinatown B.I.A. Completed July 2016
A very long time ago, when the King of the Sky created the heavens, he decorated it with stars and asked his beautiful daughter to help him by weaving the clouds and mists. It was a long task and when the king noticed his daughter looking tired and drawn, he ordered her to take a break and go out to play among the stars. The princess headed down towards the Milky Way to bathe, whereupon she came across a handsome herd-boy grazing his water buffalo by the banks of the stream. To this day, on the seventh day of the seventh month of every year a great King sends a flock of magpies over the Milky Way to form a bridge to ensure the return of his daughter. The weather must be clear on this evening or the lovers cannot cross the celestial river to meet each other. If it rains the pair must wait another year. On a clear night you can see their two bright stars together in the sky. If it rains it is said that the drops falling to earth are the tears of the Weaver-Girl Princess.
Designed and painted by Allan Bender John Nobrega Stacey Kinder
This painting was commissioned by the BIA and City of Toronto in 2009, and is regularly touched up and refreshed.
The mural features a rich variety of South Indian themes and motifs, reflecting the neighbourhood’s ‘Little India’ moniker.
Painted in 2009 by Shayona Panth.
Commissioned by The Department of Canadian Heritageās World War Commemorations Community Fund. Completed 2016
Boys & Girls Clubs of Kawartha Lakes engaged Allan Bender for the community-based commemorative and educational murals project entitled āThe Home Frontā. A series of five murals conceived and designed narrating stories and lives of the Kawartha Lakes community during the years of the 1st and Second world wars. Located include the outside east facing wall of Lindsay’s Boys and Girls club onn their interior gymnasium walls.
Mythological Mural narrative is that in 1919 Bathurst and Bloor was visited by the great Korean Imoogi.
The Imoogi is a hornless ocean dragon, sometimes equated with a sea serpent. Literally means, “Great Lizard”. The legend of the Imoogi says that the sun god gave the Imoogi their power through a human girl, which would be transformed into the Imoogi on her 17th birthday.
Designed and painted by: Allan Bender John Nobrega Stacey Kinder
According to Chinese mythology, the Dragonās Gate is located at the top of a waterfall cascading from a legendary mountain. Many carp swim upstream against the riverās strong current, but few are capable or brave enough for the final leap over the waterfall. If a carp successfully makes the jump, it is transformed into a powerful dragon.
Designed and painted by Blinc Studios
Artists: Allan Bender John Nobrega Stacey Kinder
The Iron Workers Tribute Mural was created to commemorate and showcase the Local 721 Iron Workers Union. Paying tribute to all the Ironworkers, Apprentices, their trades and their contributions and sacrifices in building Toronto, the GTA and cities across the province.
To also celebrate I.W.721’s dedication to recruitment and educating future Iron Workers in their largest Canadian accredited training centre.
Designed and Painted by Blinc Studios
Artists: Allan Bender, John Nobrega, Sonny Bascalo.
The Little Free Library was created as a community effort to strengthen and support the neighbourhood during the pandemic. The intention is to give everyone access to free books, especially for young minds to keep growing and learning.
The guideline is to take a book, share a book, so there’s a steady flow of different books throughout the seasons.
Artist: Elena Martoglio
Completed August 2020, this āstreet artā mural was painted by local artists Marshall Borland (Bishops Falls) and Melissa Francis(Gander) for the Botwood Mural Arts Society with the support of the Town of Botwood. The mural expresses the communityās extreme gratitude to all the essential workers and businesses that continued to work and operate to ensure that the residents of Botwood and surrounding area had access to essential food and supplies, personal services, health services and emergency services during the Covid -19 Pandemic. These essential workers and businesses risked their own lives and livelihoods to ensure the safety and security of others. They are our āangelsā deserving of their āhalosā. This large mural was completed outside, which allowed for the required physical distancing. It brought some bright, uplifting color and joy to our community during an otherwise dark and anxious period of time.
Last Spring the Town of Collingwood issued a call for artists to participate in a temporary mural installation with the goal of uplifting the community and helping to inspire happiness and hope in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, five local artists covered the 100-foot long wall in downtown Collingwood, using their own style and technique and garnering much appreciation from the community by way of honks and cheers.
Artists: Rob Saley, Ruth Hurdle, Blaze Wiradharma, Lily Findlay and Sam NellicksĀ
Photo credit:Ā Dave West Photography
Typical to my artistic style, this mural makes use of dynamic imagery, vibrant colours and movement. The background is an aerial map of the Danforth, allowing viewers to recognize their local neighbourhood, and the spots of their favourite patio where friends gather, the street they live on, their favourite local shop, and so on. In the foreground are dynamic, larger than life scaled paintings, which represent local pedestrians in the area, shopping, cycling, walking or playing. There are also some chalk drawing artworks, meant to represent positivity and courage during the pandemic.
Artist: Monica Wickeler
Native flowers provide much needed food for Toronto’s pollinators, like these different species of native bees and butterflies.
Painted in 2019 by: Nick Sweetman, and funded by Street Art Toronto’s Partnership Program, with support from David Suzuki Foundation and Dallington Public School.
Assisted by: Menelik Powell, Meg Oldhues, Omen, Christina Mazzulla and Phil Saunders. Special thanks to Dulux Paint.
The mural depicts two scenes: On the right is a scene from 1955 in Mississippi where Emmett Till’s mother, Mamie Till, is burying her murdered son. His killers were found not guilty after tampering by local law enforcement. On the left is Breonna Taylor’s apartment, where she was killed while sleeping by police officers in Louisville, Kentucky in 2020 – officers who faced no prosecution for her senseless death. However, thanks to the words and actions of Mamie Till, her son’s death led to public outcry and significant change. Breonna’s mother Tamika Palmer has been on the frontlines of the Black Lives Matter protests that exploded all over the US and the world in 2020. Both of these events highlight what James Baldwin meant when he said “Ignorance allied with power is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.”
Painted in 2020 by Elicser, Nick Sweetman, Sight and Spy1
Funded in part by Street Art Toronto.
Two sides of a long underpass on Thirtieth, completed by Nick Sweetman and Philip Cote in 2019 as part of the Street Art Toronto Partnership Program, with support from Lakeshore Arts and the office of Councillor Mark Grimes. Philip’s black designs in the Woodland style depict various indigenous narratives that weave in and out of Nick’s colourful background, populated by wildlife that lives along the lake shore (or in some cases used to). Throughout the mural, smoke from the 4 sacred plants – cedar, sweet grass, tobacco and sage – connects all the living things.
Artists: Nick Sweetman and Philip Cote
This work depicts the thirteen moon calendar at Little Canada, a museum with miniatures of important locations across this great country as well as ancient stories from Indigenous oral histories along with replicas of traditional villages.
The Thirteen Moons is a measure of natural time and marks times of Ceremony and harvest.
Artist: Philip Cote
Created June 2020. ”Joy of Being” for Rose’s garage. Inspired by activist/writer Alice Walker’s words from āāAnything we love can be saved, a writerās activismāā
#blackjoyisresistance #blackjoymatters #blackjoyisrevolutionary #alicewalker
Artist: Julii McMillan
The figure in a business suit is now dealing with a hangover from a capitalist/consumer bender. The “Capitalist Daydreams” is one of seven paintings in a series titled “Waste Wear.” The series addresses issues surrounding pollution and climate change. Presented by the Vancouver Mural Festival and the Gastown BIA.
This underwater floral scene was painted for part of BIG on Bloor Festival where they had a variety of art installations pop up along Bloor Street between Dufferin and Lansdowne. My participation was to turn a door into a creative portal with my art. I decided to take over the whole doorway area and attack it with brushstrokes, Impressionist style. Because of the tight deadline, I used my left over paints to create a colourful array for the background. And to complete this piece, a whimsical and organic floral design was painted on the door as the main focus.
Artist: Julia Prajza
This hand painted mural design was born as homage to Toronto’s historical homes and a celebration of their timeless stained glass windows. As a proud Torontonian, I enjoy walking the quiet residential streets and admiring the older, more charming homes of the different neighbourhoods.
Artist: Julia Prajza
The mural is painted on 3 support pillars at the front entrance to the building. It features front line heroes – a doctor, a nurse, a personal support worker (PSW) and several residents, young and old. The uniformed heroes have their hands raised, working with the community, supporting the building, and protecting the residents. In medical uniforms, but they have superhero crests and the doctors lab coat flies like a cape, offering safety from harm to a senior.
Artist: Karen Roberts
Going Home is a bright colourful mural depicting Canada Geese flying across a stylized sunset, past the tall trees, rocky outcrops and hills of northern Ontario. This commission is on private property that was prone to tagging and graffiti. Medium – spray paint.
Artist: Karen Roberts
8×8 ft hand painted Interactive Balloon Mural at Emerald Hills Shopping Centre.
Client requested an ‘Instagrammable Wall’ with interactive balloons. With the rest being left to my creative freedom, I decided to elevate this popular mural idea with foil balloons that give a 3D effect.
The mural is painted in a trick-of-the-eye abstract style where from up close it appears to be just blocks of colour but from a far the illusion of floating foil balloons is seen.
Artist: Alixandra Jade
24 x 24 ft hand painted mural on the east side of Manchester Square.
Given creative freedom, I carried over similar subject matter and colour palette from the west mural for a unison feel while creating a completely different tone to better suit the location of the wall. All along, with the same goal of complimenting the aesthetic of the building.
The mural is painted in a trick-of-the-eye abstract style where from up close it appears to be just blocks of colour but from a far a woman’s face, peonies, and butterflies can be seen.
Artist: Alixandra JadeĀ
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