Urban Gallery - Dohoo Way
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"When you encounter these things during your daily grind, they jolt you out of your routine and make you smile, or think... They’re tiny grace notes in a city that often feels like a place where the stress and expense and overall broken-downness are squeezing out moments of grace."
-- Edward Keenan, TORONTO STAR - "Paintings mysteriously popped up on poles on this Toronto street. What’s behind the guerrilla art gallery?" Read the full Toronto Star article online. |
This is a guerrilla art initiative conceived by West Toronto Artists' own Sandra Franke, who wanted to make an Urban Art Gallery allowing people to view art while strolling down the street - the idea being that they could leisurely connect with it and become more aware of the local thriving arts community. This Urban Art Gallery, coined "Dohoo Way" consists of the work of 19 members of the West Toronto Artists, and is dedicated to the memory of Linda Dohoo, a previous WTA member who sadly passed away a few years ago. Linda was a unique and gregarious personality, who gleefully made art out of junk. Sandra wanted to bring attention to the work of artists like Linda, who diligently create art in their spaces, mostly in isolation and without any recognition for the work they create, work which essentially tells a story about their life perspective in their community. Dohoo Way runs along the south side of Colbeck Street between Runnymede Road and Jane Street and features 32 works of art, some placed high and some placed low (for the children's enjoyment). Sandra hopes to raise awareness about local arts and encourage people to get to know and support these artists, who work hard to cultivate and perpetuate creativity in their communities. Not knowing how long the art will survive (due to weather or other reasons), the participating artists sacrificed their art for this initiative to support Sandra's vision. We collectively hope that it will be enjoyed for as long as possible.
