TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2019 /CNW/ - Toronto Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Ward 21 Scarborough Centre) was joined by Peter Feldmann, Mayor of Frankfurt, German artist Justus Becker and representatives of the Toronto Parking Authority and Goethe-Institut today to officially unveil a large wall mural near Yonge and Charles Streets. The new mural, created as part of the StART 2019 Mural Exchange project, celebrates the long-time relationship that Toronto and Frankfurt, Germany have shared as sister cities.

The mural was conceptualized and painted over six days by Becker, who is from Frankfurt, with support from local artists Alexander Bacon, Quentin Rockford, Christina Mazzulla and Kyla Buium.

The landscape of each city appears in the reflection of the glasses on the mural and illustrates the special friendship the two cities have shared for the past 30 years.

The wall where the mural is painted is part of a Green P parking garage. The space at 20 Charles St. E., which was provided by the Toronto Parking Authority, is visible from Yonge Street.

The 2019 Mural Exchange project by StreetARToronto (StART) is a City of Toronto program that works to showcase the work of local artists on an international scale. As part of this exchange, a Toronto street artist will travel to Frankfurt to collaborate with German artists and create a new mural celebrating the two cities' longstanding relationship. 

Quotes:

"Public art brings people together and breaks down barriers. This new mural by German artist Justus Becker binds together Frankfurt and Toronto from across an ocean and reinforces how international perspectives can strengthen our local communities."
- Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Councillor Ward 21 Scarborough Centre), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee

"Diversity is what Frankfurt and Toronto hold in common, and that very much influenced my concept. The vibrant and colourful pallet represents the diversity of people in Toronto and the fingerprint represents the idea that each one of us has an impact in our society."
- Justus Becker, lead artist  

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of more than 2.9 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. 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 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.

SOURCE City of Toronto

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