OEV Wayfinding Mosaics

Marshall Street Wayfinding Mosaic

This mosaic is larger than was the original idea! The expansive wall simply had to be fully covered in tiles so the team (Artist Coordinator Susan Day and Assistant Kerri Jerome) got to work both making thousands of pieces by hand and gathering commercial tiles to break into pieces for infill areas. Students registered for workshops to make tiles and subsequently learn how to install them. During the sweltering days of August 2018, this mosaic was painstakingly installed and grouted over several weeks by the team and Rob Hodson.

But the story doesn't end there! In May 2019, a car crashed through the wall destroying part of the mosaic. Luckily, no one was hurt. Eventually, the wall was rebuilt using funds from an insurance claim made by the building's owner. Susan Day was re-hired to fix the damaged section of the mosaic as can be seen in the photo below on the right. You wouldn't know its strange history unless you look closely enough to see the slightly different coloured grout in the repaired area.

Elizabeth Street Wayfinding Mosaic

Another LCAC project delivered by Artist/Coordinators Susan Day and Beth Turnbull Morrish, this installation is on the east face of the building at Dundas and Elizabeth Streets.

MORE MOSAICS IN LONDON'S OLD EAST VILLAGE

The combination of London Clay Art Centre's (LCAC) Canada 150 mosaic, wayfinding, and gateway mosaics are making Old East Village a destination of interest for tourists and the local community alike.

In 2017, our Canada 150 mosaic captured the attention of the community and engaged 650 local individuals in its making. Eager to maintain that momentum and level of participation, our volunteer team entered another mosaic project into the City of London's Neighbourhood Decision Making program. Of 149 ideas on the ballot, we won the most votes for Central London, in which LCAC is located. Susan Day and Beth Turnbull Morrish were hired again to fulfill the work by engaging the community to create unique clay tiles for the 2 wayfinding mosaics, both around the corner from LCAC.

We work closely with and strongly support the revitalization efforts of the Old East Village Business Improvement Area (OEV BIA). They helped us find and purchase our building in 2008. In 2017-18, we partnered with them to conceive the Wayfinding Mosaic Project and identify appropriate buildings on which to install them in the OEV. The project includes large-scale mosaics at:

Dundas and Elizabeth Streets, NW corner
Adelaide and Marshall Streets, NE corner

Both eye-catching mosaics proudly announce the side streets on which they sit. They have brought a unique element to the area and they highlight the importance and value of public art to the vibrancy of communities.

Dundas & Elizabeth Streets

Adelaide & Marshall Streets

We gratefully acknowledge the support of William Holder and the following: