His hope was selling a moderately priced “art perch” so people of all incomes would be able to afford his work. A month alone, the work of the Pennsylvania-born artist managed to cross-pollinate popular culture, fashion and the art world in profound ways. Sadly though, Mr. Haring died of AIDS-related from complications in 1990 at the age of 31. His famous quote about his craft stays on saying “Art is nothing if you don’t reach the people”. It is as prophetic as ever. Decades after passing away, Haring’s work is still influencing culture and reaching a wide audience that covers the fashion retail, music scene, and a huge number of public spaces. That’s the photo (below) of Pop Artist Keith Haring on the right. He was 11 years old when he had his first Keith Haring body painting encounter.

The second grouping (Below) on the left takes in Grace Jones with a designed print in 1987. In 1986 Keith Haring is standing in front of The Berlin Wall he apparently painted with a crawling baby. Haring’s work, untitled, April 1982.
Grace Jones said “This could be the key/ and this may be the door to a new generation of club children.”

<Our time comes from Toronto’s GLOBE AND MAIL – ‘Arts and Pursuits’. plus Getty Images.>

Gerrard Street is near Yonge, close to Downtown Toronto. All is near-by offers expanding Ryerson University – artists, top restaurants, theatres, the subway, and live theatrical productions. More than enough will keep all of us busy with more coming real soon.
Over several months an expansive, deep hole was dug up behind an abundance of small, important businesses.  Miraculously, Vancouver’s Concord Adex discovered a rescue opportunity. It gained court approval to remove from bankruptcy the project formerly known as ‘Yonge Street Living Residences (YSL)’, and replacing that with a 95-storey building named ‘The Concord Sky’.

Well there’s the Boba Boy; some serious tagging and or graffiti – lots of it; the Cleaner’s Shop; vehicles subject to towing; and B-ricks (the main feature). Quite different from other parts.

Thanks to the sons I’ve learned a lot. Well-known Gordon Sinclair, thanks to CFRB and CBC, born in 1906, sired a Scot from Inverness and an Anglo from Kent. He spent time walking in neighbourhoods, building houses and breeding horses in stables.  Houses in those days slowed their ages. Their work – class families of humble means – loud and colourful. Convenience stores took places. All walked to family-run businesses to buy from family-run businesses. On Sackville Street empty taxis parked, pigeons and demolished apartment buildings, night shifts. Ghosts of families were everywhere. Big surprise was walking into a used book store in Coldwater, Ontario and discovering two books written by locals – We speak of authour broadcaster Gordon Sinclair and novelist Hugh Garner . . .  . . . .  Gordon shared his prose with dirty streets of Cabbagetown and/or Riverdale. Gordon’s  birth was on Carlton Street in 1900.  Sounds of the area connected with his youth. He recalled the roar of a lion (not this one) housing from the Toronto Zoo across the street. The sound reached as high as Amelia Street. Then came ‘Cabbagetown’ by Hugh Garner set on familiar streets. That  story began before The Great Depression up to the 1970’s. That brought in working class, hotbed multiculturalism, a variety of sins, old houses, prosperity still years away, encounters with 51 Division, newly arrived restauranteurs, squalid rooming houses. These are the books that tell, or once told, the real story. Forget the history text books sitting on shelves in school libraries. Not always, though. <Contributed by Duncan Fremlin – local Realtor and Musician>