Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Bleecker Street Co-operative, Mosaic: A Community Tribute, September 2006

Mosaic: A Community Tribute is a community-engaged project based in Bleecker Street Co-operative, led by artists Anna Camilleri and Tristan R. Whiston. More than 90 participants between the ages of 2 and 86 worked together to create this public artwork. We talked about community, activism, diversity, inclusion, environmentalism, co-operative housing, celebrating youth and elders, and how this might be reflected in visual language. Participants produced over twenty-five individual and group sketches; with this, Anna Camilleri created one design based upon a shared vision. Then we cut, smashed, and nipped thousands of pieces of tile. 141 square feet. 18’ wide x 8’ high. 1000 volunteer hours.

We gratefully acknowledge the citizens of Toronto and Ontario for their support through the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council. A special thanks to Bleecker Street Co-op members, staff, and board of directors.