Church Street
Mural Project
Co-curated by Syrus Marcus Ware and James Fowler.
Enacted in 2013, the Church Street Mural Project was aimed at invigorating the visual appeal of the Church-Wellesley Village by connecting public spaces with community organizations and visual artists. A group of 11 artists were selected, each to interpret the history, culture, and community of the neighbourhood through a series of publicly-accessible murals.
As one of the largest urban lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) neighbourhoods in the world, Toronto’s Church-Wellesley Village and the Church Street Mural Project acted as a central hub for World Pride 2014 events. Having visually invigorated the neighbourhood in preparation for World Pride, it provided a distinctive legacy for the neighbourhood and Toronto. As one of Canada’s largest outdoor art projects, each mural in the Church Street Mural Project strengthens the diverse identity of the neighbourhood and offers a visual story of the rich political and cultural significance of the LGBTQ neighbourhood.
This project could not have been possible without the generous support from the following sponsors: BMO Bank of Montreal, Tourism Toronto, StreetARt, Dulux Paints, The Home Depot and Scafoam Canada. Community supporters include the Lesbian and Gay Archives, The 519 Church Street Community Centre and the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Mural Project List
Alex Flores, Love Makes Community (89 Church St, north wall)
Tristan Whiston and Anna Camilleri (Red Dress Productions), Homage (399 Church St, south wall)
Christiano De Araujo and Troy Brooks, The Bathhouse Raids (418 Church St, south wall)
Nadijah Robinson and Elicser, The Dandelions: Queer and Trans* Performers in the Wind (508 Church St, east and south walls)
Rocky Lawrence Green, Lupus Inter Homo (518 Church St, panels to be installed on second floor)
Meera Sethi, Intersections (552 Church St, south wall)
Patrick Thompson and Alexa Hatanaka, Platinum China Anniversary (552 Church St, north wall)
Natalie Wood, Kiss and Tell (66 Wellesley St E, alleyway, west side, nearest road)
Lily Butter Land, UltraChurch, 50 VIP Party People 1948–2014 (66 Wellesley St E, alleyway, west side, furthest from road)
William Craddock, Pin Button Pride (66A Wellesley St E, alleyway, east side, nearest road)
John Kuna & Christiano De Araujo, The 519: LGBTQ History & Community (519 Church St, north wall)
*As of 2021 the murals listed above are in various states. Please visit the exact site in order to view.
PRESS
World Pride 2014: The Church a street Mural Project, Gay Guide Network. January 2014.
Murals help show off Church and Wellesley history, CBC News, October 2013.
Photos courtesy of the curators, artists, mcfcrandall, Bret Kelly, and Snuffy.