The City of Toronto, University of Toronto (U of T) and The Legacy Art Project today announced that an inter-generational committee including Terry Fox’s brother Darrell Fox and niece Jessie Alder, with public feedback, has selected the artists and design concept that will be painted this summer on the north side of U of T’s Rehabilitation Sciences Building, 500 University Ave., in honour of Terry Fox.
A signature project of ArtworxTO: Toronto’s Year of Public Art 2021–2022, the City’s StreetARToronto (StART) program has partnered with U of T and The Legacy Art Project to create a mural commemorating Canadian legend and hero Terry Fox. The Legacy Art Project is a citizen-funded public space initiative dedicated to the spirit of courage, determination, and action that Terry Fox embodied.
The collaborative design concept by Toronto artists Alexander Bacon and Que Rock was selected by the committee, following a competitive process that included input from a public engagement survey in fall 2021. The committee closely reviewed each design concept and, with public feedback, selected a final mural concept from the five finalists.
The large-scale, community-engaged landmark mural will commemorate Fox and support the legacy of his “Marathon of Hope.” Once painted, the mural is expected to cover as many as eight storeys and overlook University Avenue, part of the route Fox followed into downtown Toronto on July 11, 1980 (day 90 of the Marathon) before eventually making his way to Nathan Phillips Square, where he was met by thousands of people cheering him on.
Bacon and Rock’s submission was inspired by Fox’s courage, message of hope and continuing legacy. The mural concept features Fox smiling and waving at spectators, while standing in a heroic pose. A ribbon running through the painting acknowledges cancer research with the mural’s colours symbolizing the many types of cancer researched by the Terry Fox Foundation. An image of a bison recognizes and celebrates Fox’s Metis heritage, including characteristics of strength, courage and resilience. An iris flower and the word “hope” running vertically through the design highlight Fox’s most prominent message for the marathon.
The design concept including a full artist explanation is available on the City’s website.
In 1980, with one leg amputated due to cancer, Fox embarked on an east-to-west cross-Canada run to raise funds for cancer research and awareness of the toll of the disease. Although illness forced Fox to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy.
The family of Terry Fox lost their son and brother early and publicly. Terry knew before he passed away that there would be an annual run in his name and helped to establish the values and vision that the organizations that bear the Terry Fox name adhere to and proudly share today. Betty Fox, with Rolly Fox close by her side, stepped up to speak for Terry when he no longer could, accepting a role in the development of the Terry Fox Run that would later evolve into The Terry Fox Foundation. The direct descendants of Betty and Rolly Fox, Terry’s mom and dad, fulfill a governance role with the Terry Fox Foundation, Terry Fox Research Institute and Terry Fox Centre, as members with defined responsibilities and roles. They are also charged with being the lead on initiatives that wish to honour Terry’s legacy, use his name and likeness or communicate his powerful and moving story.
Working closely with artists and Toronto’s major cultural institutions, ArtworxTO is delivering major public art projects and commissions across the city from fall 2021 to fall 2022. Supporting local artists and new artworks that reflect Toronto’s diversity and celebrate key aspects of our shared history, ArtworxTO is creating more opportunities for Torontonians to engage with art, as part of one of the largest arts and cultural investments in the city’s history.
StreetARToronto (StART) is an initiative of the City’s Transportation Services Division and includes a suite of innovative city-building programs intentionally designed to showcase, celebrate and support street, mural and graffiti artists and art throughout Toronto. StART’s suite of nine programs, career development ladder, and skills building pipeline provide artists and curators with an integrated system of support and professional development that is bringing Toronto international acclaim as a leading centre for street, mural and graffiti art. StART programs and projects are rooted in values that demonstrate the positive and powerful impacts of diversity, representation and inclusion, celebrate active transportation like cycling and walking, and make our streets more vibrant, safe and inclusive.
