Art Created By Youth From Every Province and Territory Unveiled Today At Scarborough Town Centre
SCARBOROUGH, ON, May 26, 2017 /CNW/ - VIBE Arts, an award-winning charitable arts education organization and Scarborough Town Centre (STC), the largest shopping centre in the east GTA, recognize Canada's 150th birthday by unveiling 60 awe-inspiring murals hand-painted by youth from every Province and Territory. The national 150+ Reasons We Love Canada project was created by VIBE Arts. The artists, aged 9 to 29, come from thirty community organizations across the country including homeless shelters, under-resourced schools and youth agencies. Their hand-painted murals express the spirit of Canada from their many unique perspectives.
"The 150+ murals represent the creative ability and leadership of 500 young Canadians, brought together to transform public space and inspire a nation through their collective art making," says Julie Frost, Executive and Artistic Director of VIBE Arts. "As muralists, youth are making new connections for themselves, their communities and country, while creating an impressive public art legacy."
The murals express meaningful stories of Canada through the eyes of Canada's youth acknowledging the diversity, culture, character and strength of our nation. Today, the original murals will be unveiled at STC with beautiful large scale reproductions on exhibit until July 3, 2017, for everyone to experience. The original murals (4'x 6') will be installed in Toronto subway stations throughout July and August, with digital displays in 15 airports and on more than 300 PATTISON Outdoor billboards across Canada.
"This impactful initiative commemorates our nation's 150th birthday and recognizes Canada's future cultural leaders," says Robert Horst, Director and General Manager, Scarborough Town Centre, Oxford Properties Group. "We want to celebrate with our community by creating a unique, memorable art space we can all enjoy."
"It's a great feeling to share this experience with so many others," says Jacob Carter, a student at the Urban Aboriginal School in Sault-Ste-Marie. "Everyone put so much into the project. It's fantastic the way it's come together."
The 150+ Reasons We Love Canada project is funded by Pattison Outdoor Advertising, KPMG, TD Canada Trust, Toronto Pearson Airport, the Hal Jackman Foundation, the Chawkers Foundation, CIBC Mellon, and the Community Fund for Canada's 150th: a collaboration between the Government of Canada, Community Foundations of Canada, the Laidlaw Foundation and 191 community foundations across Canada.
About VIBE Arts
VIBE Arts is an innovative and award-winning charitable organization committed to providing children and youth in under-resourced communities with high quality community and school based arts education programming. With a 20+ year trajectory, VIBE Arts has become one of the most celebrated community arts organizations in Toronto. For more information, please visit: www.VIBEArts.ca.
About Scarborough Town Centre and Oxford Properties
Scarborough Town Centre (STC) is the largest regional shopping centre on the eastern edge of the Greater Toronto Area, with 1.6 million square feet of retail space. Located at Hwy 401, between Brimley Road and McCowan Road, STC is open Monday to Friday, 10 am to 9 pm; Saturday 9:30 am to 9 pm; and Sunday 11 am to 7 pm. STC is managed by Oxford Properties Group and owned by AIMCo and OMERS Realty. For more information, please visit: www.scarboroughtowncentre.com.
About Oxford Properties
Oxford Properties Group is a global platform for real estate investment, development and management, with approximately 2,000 employees and more than $40 billion worth of real assets that it manages for itself and on behalf of its co-owners and investment partners. Established in 1960, Oxford has regional offices in Toronto, London and New York, and the company's portfolio includes approximately 60 million square feet of office, retail, industrial, and multi-family and hotel properties. Oxford is the real estate arm of OMERS. For more information, please visit: oxfordproperties.com.
SOURCE VIBE Arts
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