New community mural reflects the heart of Roseneath Park

TORONTO, Sept. 11, 2014 /CNW/ - The City of Toronto joined Toronto charitable organization, Arts for Children and Youth, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation, Friends of Roseneath Park, and members of the community today to celebrate The Heart of the Park mural in Roseneath Park.

The mosaic mural was designed and created by the community under the guidance of mosaic artist Cristina Delago, art assistant Andrenne Finnikin and Arts for Children and Youth volunteers.

The mural was created through a collaboration among Arts for Children and Youth, the City of Toronto, and Friends of Roseneath Park. Support was provided from The W. Garfield Weston Foundation through the Weston Family Parks Challenge for this and other naturalization initiatives in the park.

Arts for Children and Youth held community consultations to get input into what the community wanted to see represented in the mural. To produce the mural, Arts for Children and Youth held 10 mosaic-making workshops at Oakwood Village Library and Arts Centre, two full-day tile-making workshops at St. Alphonsus Catholic School, and three pop-up mosaic-making workshops in Roseneath Park.  

The mural consists of five panels installed as a series on two retaining walls and will serve as a southern gateway to the park. The panels reflect park narratives and are tied together by a river motif to represent the former Garrison Creek that ran through the park prior to the development of modern Toronto.

The new mural represents the first phase of the Roseneath Park Community Eco-Action project, a three-year initiative to enhance the park. Subsequent phases of the project include tree planting scheduled for this fall, and a shed planned for spring 2015 to support the community garden.

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SOURCE: City of Toronto

Media contact: Doug Bennet, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, 416-338-6608, 416-873-2113 (cell), [email protected]