Liberty Village is not new to beautiful art pieces. From our welcoming entry featuring the “Liberty Village Gateway Sculpture Emerging” at King and Atlantic, our many benches including “Persistence of Liberty Village” at Liberty Street and Mowat, to our newest additions the concrete bench murals along Linear park, we are not short of inspirational art.

The “Liberty Village Gateway Sculpture Emerging”, created by Liberty Village local, Artist Michael Golland, the sculpture was named to signify the new modern urban redevelopment taking place alongside the old industrial buildings throughout Liberty Village.

The next time you pass by pay special attention to this piece, especially in the evening, as the colours from the traffic lights enhance the sculptures totemic presence.

The “Persistence of Liberty Village”, created by Renata Mohamed, doesn’t look like much other than a bench from afar, however, as you come closer, you will notice the 8-metal disks embedded within it. The disks spin on an axis and are inscribed on each side. Next time you take a seat on the bench, be sure to take a minute to stop and take a closer look… One of the disks features the inscription Through persistence of vision, spin the disks to embrace the history of Liberty Village”.

Most recently, Liberty Village got a new burst of colourful inspiration, with our new permanent murals. In collaboration with SKETCH, five talented artists and the City of Toronto we have transformed what were once plain concrete benches, lining Linear Park, into beautiful art pieces with a story.

Our collaboration with SKETCH highlights the role of public art in storytelling. Thank you to SKETCH and all of the artists who have contributed to the culture and community of Liberty Village.

Join us on Tuesday, November 5th, 2019 to celebrate the newly completely benches for the grand unveiling, featuring a walk and talk with the artists; Kaya DaCosta, Ezequiel Morales, Kamika Peters, Rowell Soller, and Amber Williams-King as they provide a Walk & Talk on their designs and the way it comes alive to animate the area.

About SKETCH:

SKETCH is a community arts enterprise engaging diverse young people, ages 16-29, from across Canada, homelessness or on the margins, navigating poverty to: experience the transformative power of the arts, build leadership and self-sufficiency in the arts, and cultivate social and environmental change through the arts.

Link For Bench Mural Art Walk & Talk: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sketch-x-liberty-village-bia-artist-talk-and-walk-tickets-78455932807?fbclid=IwAR1B7LZq8BiHV9P3o1-QDRTh6kbmIweJQD9jXmdiN8tKP6ay0-zwyAWHbGs