BY: BIA Duke hEights
The Keele/Finch gateway into DUKE Heights Business Improvement Area (BIA) will feature a new grand art sculpture known as “The Heights”, designed and installed by Artist Brandon Vickerd. This public artwork was initiated and partially funded by the BIA in cooperation with the City of Toronto, which is inheriting the art piece. Special acknowledgment to Toronto City Councillors James Pasternak, Ward 6 – York Centre, and Anthony Perruzza, Ward 7 – Humber River - Black Creek, for their extraordinary efforts and support of the project. Moreover, the cooperation and assistance of Metrolinx and Mosaic Transit Group have been remarkable.
Date of Installation: Starting Monday, April 17 with completion on Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Location: On the centre median located on Finch Avenue West just east of Keele Street (Note - due to the ongoing LRT construction there will be no public access to the installation site)
“The Heights” will stand approximately 41 feet high. With its multi-faceted open design and architectural abstractions, “The Heights”, fabricated in Corten steel, portrays a partial representation of the Elia Public School, which once stood on the northeast corner of Keele Street and Finch Avenue West (from 1873 to 1956) and was later demolished to make way for future development. Representing the journey, a transition through time, and drawing its inspiration from the history of the one-room schoolhouse, the innovative architectural design tells the story of the transformation of the Keele and Finch neighbourhood - from its semi-rural past to an industrial hub and future expanding urban centre. The dynamics of the design are intended to derive a variety of aesthetic expressions and provoke the thoughts and imaginations of the viewers about connecting people, their sense of place, and their adaptability to change.
“This sculpture is about the relationship between time and memory. It reflects on the role of history in providing a guiding light that illuminates a path forward into the uncertain future”- Brandon Vickerd, the Artist.
Dr. Lew Pliamm, Chair of the DUKE Heights BIA is proud of this contribution to Toronto’s art environment. “We have created a visually compelling landmark with a strong vertical presence that complements the dynamic intersection at Keele St. and Finch Ave W. The Heights will become a symbolic icon and gateway into our BIA.”
Those travelling through this intersection will see the artwork being installed but please drive (or walk by) with safety in mind.
For All Media/ Public Inquiries:
• Lew Pliamm, Chair, DUKE Heights BIA
Phone: 416-904-8717; Email: lew@dukeheights.ca
• Brandon Vickerd
Email: bvickerd@hotmail.com; Website: brandonvickerd.com
The DUKE Heights BIA, created in 2014, is one of the 85 BIAs in the City of Toronto, the second largest BIA in the GTA as surface area, representing 2,500 businesses that employ over 32,000 employees. The DUKE Heights BIA represents the geographical area between Keele Street to Dufferin Street, and Sheppard Avenue to Steeles Avenue. The DUKE Heights BIA mandate is to improve the area through beautification, capital improvements, branding, and streetscape development; provide support, and security, advocate on behalf of the interests of the BIA business community and promote the area as a business, employment, tourist, and shopping area. For more information about DUKE Heights BIA, please visit dukeheights.ca.
Brandon Vickers is an award-winning sculptor with extensive experience working on complex, interdisciplinary public art projects. His practice is invested in creating works of public art that generate a sense of wonder and awe in audiences. Also, a Professor of Visual Arts at York University, who works with notions of History and Community, he is captivated by the complex relationships humans have with their environment. Through “The Heights”, he explores this dichotomy by creating a “constructed history” where the audience can reflect on the physical, social, and economic changes in one of Toronto's most rapidly evolving areas.