Riverdale Hub Commission, 1326 Gerrard East

Riverdale Hub Logo, commission

Anna Camilleri

October 2012

1326 Gerrard Street East

Toronto, Canada
3'6" diametre 

mahogany (3/4" marine) plywood, resin
glass, porcelain, ceramic

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Gerrard Art Project Unveils on November 9, 2012 | 5pm

The Riverdale Hub is proud to announce that from November 9th to November 11th, 2012, we will be celebrating the completion of the GerrardART Project! This weekend of excitement will begin with a Press Launch Event on Friday November 9th at 5 pm and culminate in two days of revelry on Saturday and Sunday as The Hub joins the community in celebrating Diwali with lights, food and art. Be part of Friday’s exclusive guided tour of the GerrardART Project – the largest mural in Toronto – for press and VIP guests only. Contributing artists Anna Camilleri, Adrian Hayles, Javid Alibhai and Executive Director, Nuzhath Leedham will be unveiling this new gateway to Little India and will be available for questions.  Itinerary of Events Friday, Nov. 9th, 2012 - 5:00 pm 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm -  Arrival of Guests and Press 5:30 pm - 5:45 pm -  Nuzhath Leedham’s Introduction of the Artists 5:45 pm - 6:30 pm -  Tour of the Murals 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm -  Refreshments and Q & A Saturday, Nov.10th and Sunday, Nov.11th - Diwali Public Street Celebration 12 pm to 10 pm  Please RSVP early to be on the guest list.  Deadline – Wednesday November 7th, 2012

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