Have your say on public art for new Wabash Community Centre
Public art is coming to the Wabash Community Recreation Centre soon to be built at Sorauren Park, and you can have your say on the five finalists short-listed through a City of Toronto public art process.
You can read about the five proposals and leave your comments on a survey published by the City. The survey closes at end of the day on May 13. You can also learn more about the proposals in-person at a City-run pop-up in Sorauren Park on Saturday May 11 and Sunday May 12.
The new artwork will grace the main public lobby area planned for the new centre. You can see renderings for the new centre under the “Preferred Design” tab on the City’s project page.
“While no specific theme was provided to the shortlisted artists, they were encouraged to expand on the project’s vision of inclusion, community-building, and environmental stewardship,” says the City. “They were asked to consider the flow and continuity between the building and Sorauren Park, the town square, and the beadwork patio designs created by Terence Radford [which will form the pattern on the reconstituted town square]. They were also asked to create a community engagement plan detailing ways they would involve community members during the development and/or creation of their proposals, should they be successful. They were also encouraged to create a mentorship plan.”
The City’s survey includes detailed descriptions of each proposal from the artists. They are worth reading for the thought put into each design, and how the art connects with and reflects community.
The short-listed proposals and artists are:
- A Part of the Whole – Shellie Zhang
- Earth, Water and Sky – Michael Belmore
- Hanging Garden – Jyhling Lee
- Swarm and Flock – Lou Sheppard
- The Spiral of our Relations – Alexandra Iorgu, Roark Andrade, Alan Colley
Sorauren Park 