Toronto Mural Archive Exhibit

The Bluffs Gallery

Scarborough Arts, 1859 Kingston Rd.

March 1- 31, 2018

Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm

An interactive element of the exhibit offers visitors to add your favourite murals to the Mural Archive Timeline!

Closing Reception and Talk

Wed, March 28 from 7-9pm

‘Murals as a Catalyst: The Story of Mural Routes’ Heritage Trail, Toronto’s first themed mural project’ with Karin Eaton and John Hood

About This Exhibit

The Toronto Mural Archive Exhibit reflects on the history of mural art in the city, including the influence of Toronto’s first themed trail of murals created along Kingston Rd, Scarborough.

The exhibit will host a closing reception and talk at the gallery on March 28th from 7-9pm. The talk is titled ‘Murals as a Catalyst: The Story of Mural Routes’ Heritage Trail, Toronto’s first themed mural project’. It will be led by Mural Routes’ Executive and Artistic Director Karin Eaton with artist John Hood, who will re-tell stories and reminisce about the beginning years of Heritage Trail.

The Heritage Trail played a major role in the development of public wall art in Toronto. Inspired by the ‘mural town’ of Chemainus, B.C., Scarborough Arts spearheaded an initiative called the Heritage Trail, which produced murals depicting local Scarborough history along Kingston Road starting in 1990. The success of the first five murals of the Heritage Trail paved the way for the incorporation of Mural Routes in 1994, an arts-service organization that completed 12 Heritage Trail murals before broadening its mandate to include education and community murals across Toronto. 

About The Toronto Mural Archive

The Toronto Mural Archive is a research project and touring informational exhibit, the first of its kind to survey the history of mural art in Toronto. Mural Routes has gathered articles, information and stories, taking time to reflect on the field of public mural art’s developments so far.

We have combined our research together to share ‘the story’ of murals in Toronto in a touring exhibit. The archive provides context to both critically reflect and inspire the future mural art movement in Toronto, and to provide a template for other Ontario cities to follow.

The Touring Exhibit and Events

The Toronto Mural Archive Exhibit will tour in 2018, in gallery spaces across Toronto.  Each exhibit will coincide with an speakers event open to the public – with themes ranging from reflecting on the stories and history of the local mural scene, to innovations and looking towards the future.

Special Events and Talks are to be announced – stay tuned for details!

• May 11th – June 2nd: Downtown Yonge BIA Pop Up Gallery
• June 5 – August 11th: Urbanspace Gallery at 401 Richmond
• August 20th-September 21st: Storefront Gallery at Arts Etobicoke

Special thanks to this exhibit’s partner, Scarborough Arts

The Toronto Mural Archive is generously funded by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario. 

This project has been produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.

 

Contact: Tara Dorey, Curator, The Toronto Mural Archive at programs@muralroutes.ca