Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), Tridel, and STEPS Public Art have commissioned Toronto-based graffiti artist Jessey (Phade) Pacho to create a large-scale public artwork this summer, to be designed collaboratively with Leslie Nymark residents.
TCHC, Tridel, and STEPS put out a Call to Artists in March 2020, inviting Ontario artists and artist collectives to submit qualifications for a juried review process for the TCHC Leslie Nymark revitalization community. The project will be designed this summer with community input, and the installation of the work is planned for fall 2021.
The Leslie Nymark Public Art Project offers a unique opportunity for tenants of the revitalized Leslie Nymark community to work directly with a lead artist and contribute to the content and design of new public artwork in their community. The artist and community will be drawing on the past and shaping a vision for the future. Embedded within the public art process are numerous skill-building workshops and employment opportunities for tenants, to ensure the project will leave a lasting legacy in the community.
Leslie Nymark, near just north of Leslie Street and Sheppard Avenue East, is in its last stages of revitalization, as TCHC partners with Tridel to create new homes and amenities for both existing and new tenants. The public art project offers returning residents new ways of engaging with their community.
To read more about the artist and his inspiration, continue reading here
