BIA Grant Projects
This branch of ArtworxTO grants was open to Toronto's Business Improvement Areas (BIAs). BIAs work in partnership with the City to enhance and promote business areas as safe, vibrant places, unique destinations for tourists, and focal points for neighbourhood activity. The projects below have been developed by BIAs specifically for ArtworxTO.
Image Credit: Winter Stations
Winter Stations
Originally installed in the Distillery District, Beach Village BIA brought the sculptures to Queen Street East for the first time ever! Part of the annual Winter Stations competition, the winners were featured around the neighbourhood for the month of August in 2021.
Image Credit: Chinatown BIA
Yue Moon
Celebrating the diverse culture of Toronto through a series of intergenerational and interdisciplinary art workshops that culminated in a co-created public art installation in spring 2021. Chinatown BIA worked with the lead Canadian-Chinese artist PUFF Paddy, in partnership with the STEPS Initiative and supported by Ontario Arts Council (OAC), to create opportunities for Torontonians to understand the diversity of Asian culture during the workshops and exhibitions.
Image Credit: Church Wellesley Village BIA
The Church Street Hub
Animating a transitional space with Indigenous art placed on a large storefront sign of a business that had to leave due to condo development. The proposed piece will be illuminated from behind and bring light, creativity, and colour to the street in the darker months. The project will be installed in September 2021 at the storefront of 560 Church Street (aka The Church Street Hub).
Image Credit: Duke Heights BIA
Discover DUKE
Through community engagement, “Discover DUKE” will promote a more welcoming, vibrant place around the construction sites in Duke Heights and will capture the best of our BIA. Our goal is to create a virtual photo gallery. Selected photography will be exhibited on hoarding walls surrounding the construction site at Keele and Finch.
Image Credit: Eglinton Way BIA
Eglinton Art Walk
The Eglinton Way BIA has an extraordinary, exciting vision for the next 5 years: To have 25 unique art sculptures/statues/paintings up and down our BIA to drive residents, customers, and art-enthusiasts and to our BIA, and create a truly unique destination in Toronto featuring art and shopping. These fixtures will be permanent additions to the street, so the art investment will be everlasting.
Image Credit: Greektown on the Danforth BIA
Not All Shadows Are Dark
GreekTown on the Danforth BIA, East End Arts, and Monica Gutierrez
People walking on the Danforth during the darkest nights in Spring 2021 may have encountered Monica Gutierrez’s surprising and delightful light installation in a vacant storefront. Silhouettes that represent the vibrance of the Danforth strip were pulled from both the Toronto Archives and GreekTown BIA’s archives and their shadows were projected onto the windows transforming them with colourful shadows.
Image Credit: Kensington Market BIA
Bellevue Square Mosaic
Kensington Market BIA and Red Pepper Spectacle Arts
The historic Bellevue Square Park, in the heart of Kensington Market is a center of community gatherings. Kensington Market’s heritage, though a home for all people of all backgrounds, has yet to engage in a formal acknowledgment of Indigenous history and culture. The project is Indigenous- led, youth engaged and community involved.
Image Credit: Lakeshore Village BIA
Bringing the Lake to Lake Shore
Through a series of banners, the Lakeshore Village BIA celebrate the area and community, shining a spotlight on local talent while honouring the lake, the water, our environment and our shared sacred spaces. Banners are now up and will remain until November 15, 2021.
Image Credit: Little Portugal on Dundas BIA
Night Lights
Night Lights is an interactive visual display which takes inspiration from the rose window at St. Helen’s church at Dundas and St. Clarens, a landmark in the neighbourhood. The project creates an event to draw people to the neighbourhood, to participate in an outdoor activity while being encouraged to walk from one end of the neighbourhood to the other to take in the sights.
Image Credit: Oakwood Village BIA
Soulful Toronto
A video installation and accompanying soundscape, comprised of sound and images submitted by Torontonians in combination with archival material, reflecting the places around the city where Torontonians find Soul. Soulful Toronto explores the relationship we have with our busy urban environment, and where Soulful moments can be found amidst the hustle. Activations beginning September 2021.
Image Credit: Ossington BIA
Good Fortunes
Ossington BIA and curator Darren Leu
A large-scale version of the classic fortune teller machine, remade for the current times to provide positive and mindful readings to those who dare to accept them. The light-hearted activation was available in summer 2021 and encouraged participants to find some inspiration from their community and asked them to explore what their version of "good fortune" actually is.
Image Credit: Jessica Lin
The Serenity Experience
Riverside BIA and artist Jessica Lin
Experience it here! The project brings Toronto-artist Jessica Lin's multi-sensory exhibit The Serenity Experience to Riverside neighbourhood and storefront windows along Queen Street East in Toronto's East End. Exploring the question of what triggers our brains to feel calmness and happiness, and how we can deliberately harness this to increase our sense of personal wellbeing. The first iteration was live from January to March 2021. The project will be back in a physical form with outdoor screenings on the first weekend of October 2021.
Image Credit: Edward Gajdel
Resilience Lives in WQW
West Queen West BIA and Edward Gajdel
Through our partnership with a long time resident, photographer and film maker, Edward Gajdel and WQW artist and resident, Angela Milana acting as producer, we will seek out subjects that represent the incredible diversity and creative spirit that lives in WQW to produce a short documentary film on the power of resilience. Screenings coming spring 2022.
Image Credit: York Eglinton BIA
Concrete Jungle Mural
The Concrete Jungle Mural will be painted by well known Toronto-based artist Adrian Hayles at 1531 Eglinton Ave W. directly across from the Reggae Lane Mural Adrian painted in 2015. The background will be a lively jungle that will have vines, roots and branches of the jungle's trees and plant life. The entire mural will be painted in spray paint on the existing aluminum sided wall adjacent to the Reggae Lane Mural. The addition of the Concrete Jungle mural will turn the entire Green P parking lot into an immersive experience.