Much more than neighbourhood beautification, mural-making projects have the power to transform urban landscapes. Join The Bentway, The Creative Communities Commons (CCC) at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, artists, and urbanists at a free public talk on November 20, exploring new models for “painting the urban landscape”.
To celebrate the completion of Rebecca Munce’s large-scale mural Petal and Stone, the inaugural work in the new Gardiner Wallworks program, The Bentway and The Creative Communities Commons (CCC) at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, are hosting a public conversation exploring the role murals play in driving urban transformation. This conversation brings together artists and arts leaders from Toronto and Philadelphia who offer inspiring models of mural-making in cities.
featured panelists:
- Netanel Portier, Senior Director of Learning and Practice, Mural Arts, Philadelphia
- Rebecca Munce, artist (Montreal)
- Ilana Altman, The Bentway
About the Gardiner Wallworks Program and Rebecca Munce’s Petal and Stone
The Bentway, in collaboration with Exhibition Place, has launched the new “Gardiner Wallworks” series: a rotating series of artworks that will be presented along a massive 10,000 sq. ft. concrete wall built below the Gardiner Expressway, at the threshold between Bentway Phase 1 and Exhibition Place. This location prominently faces northwards to Toronto’s busy rail corridor, the high-rises of Liberty Village, and active construction of the new Ontario Line subway.
The inaugural artist Rebecca Munce’s mural Petal and Stone reinterprets the Gardiner’s concrete wall as a veil between The Bentway and the historic gates of Exhibition Place. Munce’s design, infused with native flora and spirit is reminiscent of the majestic architecture of Exhibition Place and its historic arches, towers and spires. As commuters travel across the site on the train, bike, or on foot, Petal and Stone creates a visual rhythm that echoes the movement of the Gardiner above — transforming a highway underpass into a site of movement, storytelling and imagination.
About Creative Communities Commons
The Creative Communities Commons (CCC) at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities is a collaborative platform that brings together artists, researchers, community leaders, and policymakers to explore how creativity shapes urban life. Through public events, workshops, and interdisciplinary projects, the CCC fosters dialogue between the arts, academia, and civil society. It focuses on themes such as democracy, world making, equity, and public space, encouraging co-creation and experimentation. Rooted in values of inclusivity and collaboration, the CCC aims to cultivate more just, connected, and sustainable urban futures through creative practice and shared community knowledge.
collaborators
supporters
The public talk is in collaboration with
Special thanks to: Rhapsody Property Management
