681. East Chinatown Goes Multicultural – 2016

Toronto’s East Chinatown should look even more multicultural by the end of August if all goes well. Twenty-one professional painters are currently working on seven giant murals, each with an image of one of the world’s great “Wonders”.

The City of Toronto’s StreetARToronto program (StART) is leading, organizing and largely funding the projects but it is a joint neighbourhood effort. On July 29, 15 student volunteers from Riverdale Collegiate prepped three walls with white paint, covering much of the existing graffiti. The owners of the properties of course have given permission to use their walls.

Image Copyright ©2016 Valerie Mah

Image Copyright ©2016 Valerie Mah

 Artist Mike Kennedy is the co-ordinator of the project. He worked on Project Picasso, last year’s mural at the East Chinatown Parking Lot and archway at Broadview and Gerrard. This year he has been working closely with Jodi Callan, Project Manager for the City of Toronto’s Beautiful Streets program.

Police Constable Kent Vuong of 55 Division and Valerie Mah of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce (East Toronto) who is a former principal of nearby Bruce Public School helped organize the project. They can be reached at kent.vuongtopolice.ca or vmah@ican.net respectively for more information.

If you want to see these works in progress, the first sites are at 665 Gerrard Street East and 349 Broadview Avenue. Other sites are at 585, 577, 590, and 651 Gerrard Street East and 318 Broadview.

The New7Wonders of the World are Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer, China’s Great Wall, India’s Taj Mahal, Italy’s Colosseum, Jordan’s Petra, Mexico’s Chichen Itza, and Peru’s Machu Pichu. These were chosen as such in 2007. See: http://world.new7wonders.com/?n7w-page=new7wonders-of-the-world. Do visit the East Chinatown art this month  and see if you can identify  each of these famous places. It’s free.

Our featured image shows artist Alexander Bacon working on Peru’s Machu Picchu. Image Copyright ©2016 Valerie Mah.

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