Riverdale Hub

commission, Riverdale Hub logo-in-progress
made by Anna Camilleri
1326 Gerrard Street East, Toronto

Over the past couple months, I've had the pleasure of building a ceramic and glass mosaic for the Riverdale Hub, as part of  a community revitalization strategy for the Gerrard Bazaar/Little India neighbourhood.

As a point of interest, the materials I work with begin as standard tiles. I cut individual tiles down into "strips" using a wet saw. Each piece of ceramic or glass is then shaped with manual cutters and files. I prefer working with commercial tile because the variation in tile depth and materials -- from porcelain to glass, and stone to glazed ceramic -- enables me to incorporate high relief, and blend texture and finishes. 

The Riverdale Hub is an innovative model for community revitalization that integrates environmental sustainability and social enterprise in order to provide training for new Canadian women and create opportunities for local economic growth and investment. 

mural artists work

 ERA has been consulting the Riverdale Hub on how to achieve community revitalization objectives through strategic analysis, administration, communication, and design, and local artists JAH and Adrian Hayles have created a series of large murals for the block. 

Stop by the Riverdale Hub at 1326 Gerrard Street East to watch the art making unfold and transform this culturally significant neighbourhood . . . and stay tuned for the unveiling party!

Thanks to the StreetARToronto (StART) program, which has made this project possible.

--Anna Camilleri