About
Arrivals.ca is the online home of an ongoing series of projects focused on celebrating the stories of new citizens and asking how we can better welcome newcomers. Projects will be arts based and take form in print, online video and large-scale, photo-installation.
Part 1: ‘Fresh Eyes’ July 10-30th at City Hall
In an effort to celebrate and include new citizens, Arrivals.ca has created an art installation entitled Fresh Eyes, a visual composition featuring the eyes of new Canadian citizens on City Hall. Fresh Eyes consists of transparent photos that have been applied to the windows of city councillors’ offices that face onto Nathan Phillips Square, allowing our city officials to see through the eyes of a new citizen. The title Fresh Eyes also references the value that new and diverse perspectives bring to debate and decision making situations. The majority of the citizens featured in the art installation are from Pan American countries. Photographed by Che Kothari, the piece is over 100 metres long and 2.5 metres tall.
Please visit the work on PAN/PARAN AM DAY on Tuesday, July 10th, 2012, at City Hall’s Nathan Phillips Square. The work will be up until July 30th 2012.
Part 2: ‘Births, Deaths, Arrivals’ July 10-30th in the Toronto Star
Beginning July 10th, the individual stories of the new citizens can be found in the pilot Arrivals Section of the Toronto Star, obits on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during the month of July. This pilot section will feature stories and portraits within the context of Canada’s shifting demographics. The piece works towards a better representation of the voices of newcomers in the Canadian narrative and the value they bring to Canada as whole.
Please view ‘Births, Deaths, Arrivals’ in the Toronto Star Obits section from July 10-30th 2012.
The Fresh Eyes art installation and the corresponding Arrivals section in the Toronto Star is the first commission of the TORONTO 2015 Arts and Culture Advisory Council. It was selected to highlight the Games focus on diversity, artistic excellence and Pan American culture. This commission officially launches July 10, 2012, marking the three-year countdown to the start of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games. To see some of the people and organizations that made this project possible, please check out the team page and thanks page. To get involved, please click on the participate page.