TTC Public Art Program
Public art concepts for stations are selected by art juries including one local representative for each station. During selection periods, the concepts will be available for viewing on this site. Following committee and community selection, the concepts and public feedback are presented to the TTC Board for approval. The selected artists will then develop the artwork with TTC Chief Architect and the TTC construction project teams prior to installation.
This program is an integral part of the TTC’s Graffiti Management Plan, successful in reducing graffiti vandalism and replacing it with vibrant, colourful, community-engaged street art.
All Stations that have received public art installations are in accordance with the TTC Public Art Policy outlined in this Approval of Art Concepts Board report.
Public art is being provided at five stations as part of the Easier Access Phase III (EAIII) and Second Exit (SE) projects. For more details, view the staff report from the April 11, 2024 board meeting.
A community open house was held at the Toronto Reference Library on November 14, 2024, to showcase the art concepts for these five stations. To see the slides displayed at the open house, please view the presentation here.
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Bay Station
Artist: Francisco-Fernando Granados ̶̶ Confluence
Confluence is a site-specific translation of one of Granados’s abstract digital drawings. The proposed mosaic work spans the walls and ceiling. Inspired by the artist’s experience as a refugee coming to Canada from Guatemala and his move to Toronto in 2010 to attend graduate school, the artwork draws on themes of inclusion and the making of home in Toronto. This artwork proposes a richly coloured design that brightens the Cumberland entrance, hoping to strike a sense of harmony between the feeling of energy in movement that characterizes Toronto and the sense of peace needed to coexist among so many others. The colours in the composition allude to and honour the history of our city as a meeting place.
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Castle Frank Station
Artist: Vivian Rosas ̶̶ Earth Runs Wild
Earth Runs Wild is an homage to the existing flora and fauna surrounding Castle Frank Station. Mother Earth sits centre, overlooking Earth and Water to her left and right, emphasizing the delicate balance that sustains life on Earth. It serves as a reminder of a sense of community responsibility and stewardship in preserving and nurturing our beautiful planet. As a three-dimensional wall art installation, (spanning 3 connecting walls) the laser cut, powder coated aluminum pieces stand off the walls, creating a 3D low relief effect that brings a touch of the natural world into the station’s walls, reminding commuters of their bond to the earth amidst their bustling routines.
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Christie Station
Artist: Sanaz Mazinani ̶̶ Rise Together
Rise Together consists of large photographic artworks that playfully invite viewers to look a little more carefully, enacting a scavenger hunt throughout the image-panels in the station. Using images pulled from the TTC’s archive, references to the waterways and natural elements important to Toronto, and images of the rich culture of Korea Town, Rise Together is inspired by the community surrounding Christie Station. The project offers commuters a joyful experience on their travels by using elements that are woven together in intricate patterns and with vibrant colours, a staple element in Sanaz Mazinani’s practice.
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Donlands Station
Artist: April Hickox – Field
Field is a photographic painting on glass comprised of flora, meadow flowers, indigenous plants, birds, and insects. Field both references the history of the neighbourhood and the development of Withrow Park as an environmental site. The work hopes to evoke a contemplative space, an oasis within the functional space of the subway. The components of Field are arranged in a way that is intended to provide the viewer or passerby with a sense of lying in a field looking up. Plants and flowers reach into the composition from all sides, layered with fallen petals and seeds of renewal. Seasonal change is implied as winter, spring, summer, and fall are represented by the life cycles of the flora.
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Lansdowne Station
Artist: Steven Beckly – Shifting Beauty
Drawing inspiration from the Dovercourt-Wallace Emerson-Junction neighbourhood, Shifting Beauty consists of vibrant imagery of the nearby environment as well as short-form poetry written by members of the local community. Bringing together diverse voices and perspectives, the installation considers the sublime beauty of the neighbourhood, while engaging with the multicultural community it serves through photography and poetry.
As the sun changes positions throughout the day, and throughout the year, the artwork will interact with various types of light, creating a dynamic environment that offers commuters a distinct experience with every encounter. Reflecting the ever-changing nature of the space as well as the community, Shifting Beauty embodies the flow and movement of daily commuters through its dynamic reflections, while providing a place to pause and behold the ephemeral beauty of life. -
King Station
Artist: Sean Martindale – Light Canopy
Light Canopy is an animated lighting system set into the ceiling above the stairwell at King Station’s western entrance. As pedestrians pass under, they will experience the feeling of being under sun dappled trees, with beams reflecting and passing through foliage. The dynamic, animated band of light is made up of an array of programmed LEDs spanning the underside of a diffusing semi-translucent surface. Light Canopy will be programmed to follow natural circadian light cycles. The artwork will be continually changing; a piece that the public will get to experience in new ways each time they see it.
The Public Consultation for King Station occurred on Monday, June 5, 2017; the meeting was held at Toronto Reference Library.