Uptown Yonge Gratitude Mural

This project is part of I HeART Main Street, a program supporting Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) with the support they need to activate their main streets through public art and placemaking. This program engages BIAs, local artists and businesses across Ontario to create more vibrant and safe communities.

Project Type: Mural

Artist: Earth Sky Collective (artists Mo Thunder and Shawna Howe)

Artist Statement: The mural’s theme is gratitude; it reflects the Indigenous peoples' presence in the area from a historical and contemporary perspective. Earth Sky Collective, made up of Shawn Howe and Mo Thunder, created this mural. Shawn says, “The concept design came from the idea of wanting to give thanks and gratitude to our ancestors and land kin who were here before us, and who continue to sustain us in modern-day times. We wanted to tell a visual story of the past, present and future of the land, rivers, animals and traditional plant medicines that are here in Tkaronto. We see it as a resting space for all to feel joy and happiness when they pass by.”

About the BIA: Located in the heart of North Toronto, the Uptown Yonge BIA is the perfect combination of international retailers, local boutiques, fine dining, and quiet parkettes. Since its establishment in 2005, the Uptown Yonge neighbourhood has become a popular destination for shopping, sipping cocktails on the patio, and a haven for residents and business owners alike.

Thank you to our additional supporters!I HeART Main Street, presented in partnership with RBC Royal Bank and ShowLoveTO produced by the City of Toronto, is generously supported by the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative funded by the Government of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, funding provided by the Government of Ontario.