DWOAM is proud to have received My Main Street support to draw visitors and increase local vibrancy on Dundas West.
The Dundas West Open Air Museum (DWOAM) is thrilled to announce that its 8th Fire Public Art Project has been selected for the My Main Street Community Activator stream and has received support to explore Toronto’s Indigenous history through a new piece by Philip Cote.
The history of Toronto’s Dundas West neighborhood and the broader region will be interpreted and celebrated through a new art installation created by the internationally-renowned Indigenous artist Philip Cote, with assistance from local artist Pam Lostracco.
This stunning new public art piece, located at 1637 Dundas West, painted on wood and digitally reproduced on vinyl, is a visual journey into the Indigenous roots and ongoing Indigenous narrative of our mainstreet neighbourhood and greater Toronto area. The piece serves as compelling graphic acknowledgement of the continued contributions of Indigenous creators to the culture of our city.
Entitled the 8th Fire, the mural and larger initiative also refer to a 1200 year-old prophecy that foretold the age of the 8th Fire when settlers and the Indigenous people would come together and create a new space for future generations.
In a short documentary that accompanies the artwork, documenting its creation, Cote explains how the period of the 8th fire, that began in 2021, represents a time where young people can rediscover what it means to be Indigenous and for us all to be living on indigenous land.
The project launch will be augmented by four days of museum tours, workshops, music and evening projections from November 27 to November 30, 2024. For further information visit DundasWest.Museum. Highlighting Indigenous history, the installation at 1637 Dundas incorporates both audio and visual features accessible via smartphone, creating an interactive, immersive experience that offers residents and visitors a chance to engage with the area’s rich heritage.
The project will attract visitors from across the city and across the globe to increase their understanding of and appreciation for Indigenous history and culture while supporting the economic health of the local community. My Main Street Funding has contributed to the continued growth and sustainability of the Dundas West Museum by allowing the Museum to expand the scope of its collection and establish Dunda West as a main street hub for Street Art and community collaboration.
Join us at 1637 Dundas West for the inauguration ceremony with artists Philip Cote and assistant Pam Lostracco, with a performance by Nimkii Osawamick on November 28th at 2:30 PM. Introduction by Museum director Rodrigo Ardiles.
About My Main Street
The 8th Fire project is supported by the My Main Street program. My Main Street is built on the principle of supporting community economic development and creating vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods which will enhance the overall quality of life for residents while also promoting sustainable and inclusive community development.
My Main Street is delivered by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), and supported by a Government of Canada investment through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to foster the stabilization and revitalization of main streets across southern Ontario. Learn more about the My Main Street program at mymainstreet.ca.
Additional project support has been provided by the City of Toronto and the Little Portugal Toronto BIA. Community partners contributing to the impact of the project include The Alexander Muir Public School, Lula Music and Arts Centre and Creativo Arts.
Project contributors talk about the significance of the project:
“Public art has the power and ability to connect communities and recuperate spaces. This project, which adds to the local and international collection that is showcased by the Dundas West Open Air Museum, honours the spirit of Indigenous resilience and creativity while allowing the community to engage with this history in a personal, educative and impactful way.”
– Rodrigo E. Ardiles, Curator
“This 8th Fire initiative is part of an effort to ensure that Indigenous people are written back into history during the era of the 8th Fire, this time of the merging of the settlers and indigenous people. It’s time to make peace, to find common ground to talk truthfully about the land, rather than using the negative settler narratives that have dominated for so long.”
– Philip Cote, Artist
This unique cultural landmark is poised to become a popular destination for art enthusiasts and cultural tourists. In partnership with community organizations, schools, and cultural groups, the mural will be supported by continued programming throughout the year, encouraging area visitation and engagement.
– AnaBela Taborda, Chari, Little Portugal Toronto BIA
Main streets are at the social and economic heart of community life in cities and towns across southern Ontario. The enhancements Dundas West Open Air Museum are implementing on Dundas West will not only attract visitors and increase foot traffic, but will contribute to our collective infrastructure, strengthening our downtown cores as vibrant and inclusive places for everyone.
– Mary W. Rowe, CEO and President, Canadian Urban Institute
The Canadian Urban Institute, with support from the Government of Canada, is investing in community projects, such as the Dundas West Open Air Museum’s 8th Fire Public Art Project. These projects help build strong communities by drawing people in and connecting them to their rich heritages. Together, we’re building stronger, more vibrant communities
– The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
- Dundas West Open Air Museum
- Little Portugal Toronto BIA
- My Main Street
- Canadian Urban Institute
- FedDev Ontario
Media Contacts
Rodrigo Ardiles & Tracy Jenkins
Artistic Director & Executive Producer, Dundas West Open Air Museum
Samantha Staresincic
Communications Manager
My Main Street
AnaBela Taborda
Chair, Little Portugal Toronto BIA
chair.lpodbia@gmail.com
Edward Hutchinson
Director, Communications
Office of the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
edward.hutchinson@feddevontario.gc.ca
Background:
About My Main Street:
The My Main Street program has returned with an additional Government of Canada investment, building on an initial investment in 2021, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to spur local economic recovery. To date, the initial investment has supported nearly 4,500 businesses and organizations, nearly 7,500 jobs and leveraged nearly $19 million in additional investment. The funding aims to revitalize neighbourhood main streets with a healthy retail mix while generating inclusive economic opportunities. The program now features two streams – the Business Sustainability Program stream and the Community Activator stream. My Main Street is delivered by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI).
About Canadian Urban Institute (CUI):
The Canadian Urban Institute is a leading organization dedicated to advancing urban solutions. CUI collaborates with city builders, researchers, and community leaders to create thriving, equitable, and sustainable urban spaces across Canada.
About the Artists
Philip Cote, MFA
Philip Cote is a Sundancer, Pipe Carrier, and Sweat Ceremony leader recognized by Elder Vern Harper and Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand. His work seeks to counter colonial narratives through cultural research, symbolism, and lived experience. He received his Indigenous name, Noodjmowin (The Healer), in 1979 from Joe Couture and became a member of the Falseface Society at the Seneca Longhouse in 1992.
A graduate of OCAD University’s Interdisciplinary Art Media and Design Masters program (2015), Cote integrates oral traditions, storytelling, and traditional spiritual perspectives into his work. His public art includes the 1,000-square-foot mural Kiinwin Dabaadjmowin (Our Story) for the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation (2002) and the 80-foot mural Niinwin Dabaadjmowin (We Are Talking) at Fort York (2005), created with First Nations street youth and community members.
In 2004, as artist-in-residence at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Cote sculpted with soapstone during the Planet Indigenous Festival. Cote’s great-grandfather was a direct descendant of Tecumseh, inspiring Philip to explore the Shawnee leader’s life and legacy. His master’s thesis, Tecumseh, A Portrait: Dismantling the Myth as an Agent of Change, features posters of Indigenous leaders spanning 350 years of resistance to colonization. These works challenge historical narratives, amplifying Indigenous perspectives and reclaiming North America’s history through an Indigenous lens.
Pam Lostracco
Pam Lostracco is a mural designer based in Toronto. Her style evolved through a harmonious synthesis of her graphic design roots and a life-long passion for exploring nature. A focus on biophilic design integrates local species and natural colours to connect people to the restorative powers of nature. Through this work, her large-scale murals create an uplifting and inspiring sense of well-being, similar to what nature has provided herself. Pam’s murals exist inside and outside, both painted and printed, in residences, hotels, institutions, and public spaces in Canada, the United States, and Morocco.
Rodrigo Ardiles – Public Art Curator
Rodrigo is the visionary behind the Dundas West Open Air Museum, Toronto’s first and largest street art mural gallery, established in 2017. The project has received awards and recognition for its exceptional engagement with the local community. Building on this cultural legacy, Rodrigo is now developing public art mural residency programmes and international exchanges between Canada and Latin America, fostering collaboration and artistic growth across hemispheres.
