Mosaic

I literally stumbled across this mosaic embedded in the sidewalk near the corner of Hastings and Cambie Streets the other day. After doing some poking around on the web, I've discovered that this is one of 17 distinct mosaic tile art pieces placed in sidewalks around the Downtown Eastside.  A project called "The Footprints Community Art Project", it was undertaken in 2001 as a joint effort by Western Economic Diversification Canada, The Carnegie Community Centre, the federal government, and residents of the downtown eastside. Now that I know these mosaics exist, I'm looking forward to finding and photographing the rest of them.



Post title from this song by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers.

Transportation

More mosaics - more things you don't notice when you're driving. When I was looking up information on the last mosaic I stumbled across, google told me about another mosaic project in downtown Vancouver, this one instigated by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association. There are 18 of these mosaics in total, each one approximately one square metre. They were created by mosaic artists Liz Calvin and Bruce Walther. This one's called Transported Through Time, and is situated near the corner of Burrard Street and Smithe Street.

Post title from this song by DJ Alexis Freites.

Mosaic

Another mosaic from my wanders-about-town. This one's at the corner of Robson Street and Burrard Street - one of the busiest intersections in downtown Vancouver. Which means I have walked past it a kajillion times and never noticed it before. It's part of this series, and is called Sounds Around Town.

Post title from
this song by Laurence Juber.

It Don't Mean a Thing

Another mosaic, this one on the sidewalk on Georgia Street outside the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. This one's called "The Swing of Things", and features Dal Richards - a well known bandleader in Vancouver for the past 60 odd years. His big band played regularly at the Hotel Vancouver for decades, and were featured weekly on CBC Radio. You can learn more about him at his website: www.dalrichards.com. But be aware, music auto-plays when you visit.

Post title from the swinging Duke Ellington tune.

Opportunity

Another mosaic, this one at the northwest corner of Burrard Street and Dunsmuir Street, in the heart of downtown's business district. This one's called Sea of Opportunity. It's a part of this series.

Post title from this song by You Say Party! We Say Die!

Fountain

I seem to come across a lot of mosaics in my daily wanderings - more things I've never noticed before. I had no idea the streets of Vancouver were so bedecked with shards of tile. This shot's taken looking at the bottom of the fountain in the Georgia Street plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Until I googled vancouver art gallery fountain mosaic bc I had no idea this fountain was called Centennial Fountain. It was commissioned and installed in 1966; Canada's 100th birthday was July 1st, 1967.


Post title from this song by Sara Lov.

Mushroom Therapy

Yesterday I stumbled across this charming set of tile mosaic mushrooms at the corner of Bute Street and Barclay Street in the West End neighbourhood. Titled "The Four Elements", the name of the piece and the artist's web address was worked into a corner of the concrete. Like so many things on this blog, I had no idea it was there until I was cycling past on my daily ride to find photos to post, despite the fact that it's in my own neighbourhood.


Post title from this song by Mark Otten.