Cabbagetown BIA launches mural vote 2018

After the incredible success of our “Welcome To Cabbagetown Mural” on the side of the LCBO at Winchester and Parliament in 2016, Cabbagetown BIA is excited to bring Toronto’s historic Cabbagetown another mural thanks to a grant from the City of Toronto and location partners at Zakkushi Restaurant.

Capitalizing on the research conducted for the 2016 mural, Toronto artists Michael Cavanaugh and Ted Hamer have created 4 mural concepts and Cabbagetown BIA is asking for the public’s help in choosing which one will be painted on the wall at Zakkushi, 193 Carlton Street.

“Bringing Cabbagetown another community mural is exciting for myself and our volunteer board at the Cabbagetown BIA. I know whichever mural concept the public chooses, the end result will be simply wonderful. As a small not-for-profit organization, projects like this can be costly which is why we are so thankful for the support from the City of Toronto and Zakkushi Restaurant. Cities can always use more public art. The benefits are far reaching. I am happy we are able to add to what I call Toronto’s outdoor art gallery,” said the BIA director, Stephen-Thomas Maciejowski.

The mural concepts include everything from Victorian wallpaper pattern backgrounds, a rose with a hidden cabbage, a cabbage moon, floral patterns and even a friendly and welcoming Red Panda. The public are encouraged to vote online. Voting closes Monday June 18th, 12 noon.

See the contenders here.

About The Artists

Michael Cavanaugh is an artist and community arts organizer who has been involved in many community-engaged art projects in Toronto and Southwestern Ontario. He is currently program director for the Bell Box Murals Project. Since 2009 artists from the Bell Box Murals Project have completed 250 murals in 32 communities, including Cabbagetown, St James Town, Church/Wellesley and Regent Park. Michael has painted four Bell box murals himself as well as several other local murals.

Ted Hamer is a multidisciplinary visual artist and arts educator based in Toronto. In 2017 Ted served as Community Arts Facilitator and Project Coordinator and designed and fabricated the Milestone Mural project for the Aurora Cultural Centre. This was a Canada 150 project that brought together over 18 community artists and over 600 community volunteers to create a freestanding sculptural mural installation.
Ted’s work can be seen in many communities across Ontario and almost every neighbourhood in Toronto from Bell Box Murals to alleyway beautification projects to most recently a mural on the exterior of the Dufferin TTC Station.