Etobicoke murals unveiled today at Royal York Road underpass

TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2015 /CNW/ - StreetARToronto (StART) murals unveiled at Royal York Road and Dundas Street West celebrate the beauty and history of the Humber Valley Village neighbourhoods while transforming the underpass into a more inviting place to pass through and visit. Created by celebrated local artist Emilia Jajus, the two murals are located on Royal York Road just north of Dundas Street West.

"These murals not only add colour and vibrancy to our City streets, they are a welcome reminder of the long standing history of this neighbourhood – which is currently undergoing rapid development," said Councillor John Campbell (Ward 4 Etobicoke Centre).

The east wall focuses on Robert Home Smith's vision to create a Toronto suburb of serenity through English Tudor architecture. The west wall, in contrast, showcases local landmarks The Kingsway Theatre, James Gardens and the Humbertown Plaza.

StART, launched in 2012, is a program of Transportation Services' Public Realm Section. It is an innovative, public-private partnership designed to develop, support, promote and increase awareness of street art and its ability to beautify the city's visual landscape. StART's Underpass Program provides opportunities for artists to create works of art that contribute to the program mandate, make walking, cycling or driving through Toronto's underpasses more appealing, and strengthen the sense of place, inclusion and belonging within communities.

Jajus is an established Toronto street artist. Her murals, as large as walls and as small as traffic-signal boxes and Bell boxes, harmonize with their environment and create an atmosphere for the community. Her realistic style helps to achieve the artist's objective for the viewers to see themselves in the mural.

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SOURCE City of Toronto

Media contact: Steve Johnston, Strategic Communications, 416-553-1076 (cell), [email protected]