Regent Park public art installation to launch tonight

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:

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News Release:  May 15, 2015

Regent Park public art installation to launch tonight

Toronto artist Dan Bergeron will be joined by a number of the subjects of his latest public art work and studio series, Faces of Regent Park, between 6 and 7 p.m. tonight at Daniels Spectrum.

"This work celebrates Regent Park’s most important assets, the people who live in this vibrant community,” said Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 37 Scarborough Centre), Chair of the City's Economic Development Committee. “By spotlighting the neighbourhood’s humanity and diversity at its gateway, the artist announces to residents and visitors alike that people are what makes Regent Park great."

"Dan Bergeron has often used his artistic talents to embody and reflect the great diversity of Regent Park," said Deputy Mayor Pam McConnell (Councillor Ward 28 Toronto Centre-Rosedale). "I am thrilled that we have been able to harness his skills and talent to tell the stories of Regent Park and its people through this prominent permanent art display in the heart of the community."

The Faces of Regent Park, a permanent public art installation in the entry plaza of Regent Park, consists of 12 large-scale laminate glass portraits mounted at six locations in the entry plaza. The portraits are of Regent Park community residents.

Bergeron's Faces of Regent Park studio series, distinct from the permanent installation of the same name, will also be launched at Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas St. E., second floor) tonight.

The studio series consists of 12 photo-based mixed-media portraits on birch of the same residents featured in the public art work. This series will be on display daily until June 26.

These works continue Bergeron's blending of street art esthetics with a deep community engagement. The works of this Toronto-born and based visual artist often consist of large-scale portraits adhered to architectural elements, functional sculptures or mixed media paintings. His outdoor works are widely known in the city and his installations have been featured at the AGO, MOCCA, and the ROM. More artist information is available at: http://www.fauxreel.ca.

Bergeron's public art work was chosen from a national open competition. More information about the City's public art program is available at: http://www.toronto.ca/publicart.

Faces of Regent Park's studio series is part of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. More information is available at: http://scotiabankcontactphoto.com/events/393.

More information about Daniels Spectrum is available at: http://danielsspectrum.ca/.

This news release is also available on the City's website: http://bit.ly/1cDQ0Xr

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

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Media contact: Shane Gerard, Strategic Communications, 416-397-5711, sgerard@toronto.ca