St. James Town youth residents continue mural work on 200 Wellesley
Posted August 6, 2013 3:03 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – Residents are hoping Torontonians will see an infamous St. James Town building in a different light, as young residents begin a mural project on the side of the building.
A group of community-based young artists are hoping to produce the world’s tallest mural on the side of 200 Wellesley St. East, a Toronto Community Housing building.
The mural is being designed to counter negative stereotypes associated with the community, and will depict a bird soaring upward, emblematic of a rising phoenix. Once finished, it will be approximately 250 feet long.
The project is part of a joint leadership program between Emerging ARTivist and the STEPS Initiative.
Work on the lower sections began on July 30, but painting on the upper section began Tuesday. The total cost is estimated at $24,000.
There has been some controversy surrounding the project, with some residents saying the money could have been used to address the backlog of repairs and upkeep to the building.
A massive fire at 200 Wellesley in September 2010 kept some residents out of their apartments for months.
