Liberty Village just got a little more colorful thanks to the addition of some new street art. Last year, a mural by Jarus was added alongside the Liberty Street Cyclery. A chalk art piece was completed by whatsvictorupto at the Toronto Carpet Factory. For 2017, the Liberty Village BIA participated in a unique program called Bell Box Murals. A partnership between Bell, Benjamin Moore and Toronto-based artist Michael Cavanaugh make it happen. In addition, the LVBIA also updated one if its artist benches, inviting one of the original creators back to give it a refresh.
Five Bell Boxes Given a Refresh
Multiple Bell Boxes are placed throughout all of the neighbourhoods in the city to provide a necessary service to our day to day life for communication purposes. While some naturally blend into their surroundings, others can stick out like a sore thumb, especially when disrespectfully tagged. Many local artists are always eager to find a new canvas or medium to display their creativity and work. The Bell Box Mural Project fulfils a couple of these key objectives. Over 175 Bell Boxes have been completed to date in many Toronto and Ontario communities. And there are no signs of the program slowing down! They have been extremely well received no matter where they are. The artists that have beautified Liberty Village include Andre Kan, Devlin Ralph, Jim Bravo, Peru 143 and Michael Cavanaugh. To see all of the Bell Boxes and their locations or to learn more about the program, click here.
Updated Artist Bench
A few years back, the LVBIA had launched a Bench Art Program. Over 20 benches were originally curated, created and placed throughout the community for everyone’s enjoyment. Over time, some of these benches have been well used and well loved but could certainly benefit from a refresh. One of the original creators, Jess Perlitz, was invited back to reimagine her idea. The bench is located just west at the north-west corner of Liberty St and Fraser Ave. A wooden bench was used in the first iteration with a set of speakers bookending the bench. A guest would sit on the bench and talk into one speaker, while another guest would be at the other speaker to receive the message. Just completed, a new delightful purple bench sits where the old wooden one was and a new set of polished and refined speakers have been added.
More to Come!
The Liberty Village BIA has another street art beautification project that will be completed by the end of the Fall. Through a Street Art Toronto Program, two utility boxes along King St will be given a makeover.
Know of any other street art projects happening in the area? Share them in the comments!
Note that the feature image is of Michael Cavanaugh’s Bell Box.
