About The Society Syndicate
Ashleigh Dempster & Amanda Blakley are cultural curators and co-founders of The Society Global, a “culture club for the creative class” in Toronto, New York and more. Each week come back as they share some cultural crumbs from the front lines.
The Society Presents: A Graffiti Art Bike Tour
the society syndicate: graffiti bike tourcanada
(Sep.01.11)
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On Tuesday August 30, twenty members of The Society Toronto made their way to Curbside Cycle in the Annex at Bloor St. & Bathurst St. to partake in a group bike ride.
The good folks at Curbside Cycle had a mini fleet of gleaming and gorgeous new Dutch bicycles ready for us culturites to hop on.
The evening’s focus took riders to the back alleys and streets of Toronto, the sites of some of the city’s most polarizing and controversial forms of art: graffiti. Leading the charge was Zion, legendary artist & owner of one of the city’s largest & most influential graffiti supply stores, The Bomb Shelter. Joining our small group was the crew from Camden Media Productions, a boutique media production company based in Toronto, and Kammera Media Group. The film crew was on hand to document our ride through the city for an upcoming documentary titled The Thin Line which strives to unlock the politics fueling both sides of tension regarding Toronto’s street art culture.
The evening ride took members from the east alleys of Bathurst St. & Bloor St., through the Dunbat skate park and right on through to the Queen St. alleys. The bike tour proved to expand both lungs & minds as we frequently stopped to discuss such topics as freedom of expression, the government’s role and limitation in the public space, and the very definition of art itself. As the night came to a close, guests were left with much to ponder regarding the future of their beloved city’s parks, buildings, and streets.
Images: William Suarez & Camden Media Productions