art statement
Legrady bio
Legrady cv
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Blue Spiral - A public art project
Work in progress
Toronto's Blue Spiral project turns smokestacks into painted sculptures.
This project is supported by the National Gallery of Canada and other influencial players that include
Toronto museums and galleries. This project is also supported by the Kensington Business Improvement
Association and by Ms. Olivia Chow, NDP Member of Parliament for the federal riding of Trinity-Spadina.
Downtown Toronto has a number of smokestacks / chimneys, obsolete due to clean air laws, too costly
to dismantle, some adapted to ventilation or heat dispersal. These towers often depress neighbourhood
values and their massive cement structure casts an industrial pall on local streets. This is
specifically a fine art civic improvement project to upgrade the environment through the arts. Funds can be raised through naming rights, such as "Blue
Spiral, Investment Bankers".
Letters of support
Roger Malina Executive Editor, Leonardo, M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, M.A.
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON
Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto
Olivia Chow / MP, Trinity Spadina, Ottawa, ON
Councillor Adam Vaughan / Toronto City Council,
Kensington Market BIA,
City of Toronto Cultural Affairs Office,
Olga Korper Gallery,
Gallery Moos,
Garnet Press Gallery Services.
Volunteer Advisory Board
Ms. Dini Petty, Media Host.
Mr. Bill Kirby, Director of the Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art.
Ms. Dyan Marie, artist.
In the Toronto public school system
Student work - canadianpostcardproject by Mallory Diaczun
http://canadianpostcardproject.tumblr.com postcard project website.
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Blue Spiral book available at U.S. blurb.com and
CND blurb.com
Click on thumbnails below to view a larger size
( Miklos Legrady - bio - cv - email - ©2008-2011)
Subject: Re: Canada's Miklos Legrady
Date: May 23, 2013 5:14:12 PM EDT
To: Miklos Legrady <miklos@sympatico.ca>
Cc: Kirby Bill <kirby@ccca.ca>
Roger Malina
Executive Editor,
Leonardo Publications
M.I.T Press
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA, 02139, U.S.A.
Dear Miklos
This letter is to express my strong support for your BLUE SPIRAL
project. I share your interest in making people more aware of the
way the built environment affects everything around us. Many people
now say that we are entering the anthropocene age, when human activity
makes irreversible changes on not only ecology but even the evolving geology.
Roger F. Malina
view/print a pdf file of the Roger Malina letter
National Gallery of Canada
Heather Henderson
Assistant Curator Contemporary Art
380 Sussex Drive, P.O. Box 427,
Station A Ottawa, Ontario
KIN 9N4
613 949 6427
http://national.gallery.ca
email
9 June 2010.
Dear Mr Legrady,
Thank you for your recent correspondence bringing the Blue Spiral Project to the attention of
the Contemporary Art Department at the National Gallery of Canada. We were happy to learn
about a proposal to make such an uplifting alteration to this Toronto neighbourhood's landscape.
Your projected artist renderings certainly evidence art's potential to transform our daily environment.
On behalf of the department, I'd like to wish you success in realizing this visionary project.
Sincerely,
Heather Anderson
Assistant Curator Contemporary Art
view/print a pdf file of the National Gallery of
Canada letter
Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art
David Liss, Curatorial
952 Queen St. W.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M6J 1G8
tel 416 395 7613
fax 416 395 7598
mocca.ca
email
March 23, 2010.
Dear Blue Spiral project,
thank you very much for sending me materials and information on your very exciting
Blue Spiral proposal to paint the smokestack at the Toronto Western General Hospital.
Looking at your renderings of the proposal I am certainly convinced that this is an
intriguing and reasonable solution to what is currently a drab and dead blight upon the
urban landscape. Blue Spiral quite obviously invokes a powerful and beautiful visual
presence.
Having observed in the course of my work the ability of art to provide innovative and
renewed perspectives within the urban and cultural fabric of cities worldwide, I very
strongly support your efforts in completing this wonderful project. I see the Blue Spiral
as having the potential to become a noteworthy Toronto landmark.
I wish you all the best in this endeavour and please do keep me abreast of any
developments.
Sincerely,
David Liss
Artistic Director and Curator
view/print a pdf file of the MOCCA letter
Olivia Chow, MP,
Trinity Spadina
362 West Block
House Of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
613-992-2352
Dear Miklos,
Thanks for letting me know about this very creative idea.
Best of luck with this project.
Kind regards,
Olivia Chow, MP
Trinity Spadina
view/print a pdf file of the Olivia Chow letter
Councillor Adam Vaughan,
Toronto City Council
Trinity-Spadina, Ward 20
100 Queen Street West,
Toronto, ON, M5H 2N2
416-392-4044
Councillor Vaughan email@toronto.ca
Dear Mr. Legrady,
Thank you for your information on the Blue Sprial Project. I am glad to lend my support
to a project combining public art with civic improvement.
This project would certainly upgrade the city environment with a delightful addition of color
where there is now grey cement. As we pan the future of our city we must find creative solutions
like this that make Toronto a wonderful place to live.
Sincerely,
Adam Vaughan, Councillor
Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina.
view/print a pdf file of Councillor Vaughan's letter
Toronto City Hall
Public Art Office
Cultural Services
Main Floor, East Tower, City Hall
100 Queen Street West
Toronto ON M5H 2N2
Tel: 416 392-4173
Fax: 416 338-0014
Clara Hargittay
Public Art Officer
email
Michael H.William
General Manager
October 6, 2009
Dear Blue Spiral project,
In keeping with Toronto's commitment to foster quality cultural initiatives, the Public Art Office of
the City of Toronto is pleased to lend a supporting voice to your initiative to paint a spiraling mural
on the smokestack of the Toronto Western Hospital.
Using the hospital's corporate colours, Blue Sky Spiral, will soften the looming presence of this
massive industrial structure over the neighbourhoods at Bathurst and Dundas Streets, and will
transform it into a land mark and an architectural form of great visual interest.
Understanding that the smokestack is necessary for the operations of the hospital and despite the
community's call for its removal it can not be demolished, your artistic intervention has the
potential through the transformative power of public art to turn an unsightly structure into a positive
presence, into a beacon so to speak, signaling the location as a centre of healing. On another level,
your project also brings into focus the pressing environmental challenges facing the urban public
realm and poses questions about sustainability and the vulnerability of both human beings and the
environment, in thought provoking ways.
Wishing you great success and hoping that you and your team will receive all the support you need
to realize this admirable project.
Sincerely Yours,
Clara Hargittay Public Art Officer
view/print a pdf file of the Toronto City
Hall letter
Kensington Market BIA
Mika Bareket, Chair,
267 Augusta Ave
Toronto, ON
M5T 2M2
(416) 593-4663
goodegg.ca
email
July 14, 2010.
Dear Mr. Legrady,
It is my pleasure to write in support of The Blue Spiral Project. When first introduced to
your idea, I was instantly charmed. The huge smokestack located at Toronto Western Hospital
casts a depressing industrial pall over the Kensington neighbourhood. The bold splash of colour
as suggested by your designs is a welcome sight and will surely attract customers to our area.
A recent vote by the members of the Kensington Market BIA decided that the majority of members
strongly support the project and want to see it realized. We feel your whimsical yet tasteful design
will compliment our eclectic, artful community.
On behalf of the Kensington Market BIA, I wish you great luck in completing this project,
and urge the Toronto Western Hospital, as well as any other decision-making bodies
affecting the Kensington Market community, give this project a hearing.
Best wishes,
Sincerely,
Mika Bareket
Chair, Kensington Market BIA
view/print a pdf file of the Kensington Market
BIA letter
Garnet Press Gallery Services
84 Emerson Avenue.
Toronto. M6H 3S9
(416) 537-6320
Garnet Press email
To: Legrady Miklos <legrady@sympatico.ca>
Subject: Toronto Western Hospital smokestack project
Dear Miklos,
This is a statement of my support of your initiative to repair and paint a spiraling mural
on the smokestack of the Toronto Western Hospital.
I believe that your Blue Spiral project will serve to physically recuperate and visually enliven
the Toronto Western Hospital’s smoke stack while also providing an aesthetic link
with the architecture of other innovative Dundas St West landmarks such as the Art Gallery of Ontario,
the University of Toronto and the Ontario College and Design buildings.
Best of luck with your endeavor!
Sincerely,
Carla Garnet, M.A., A.O.C.A. Director
view/print a pdf file of the Garnet Press
Gallery Services letter
Olga Korper Gallery
17 morrow avenue toronto,
Ontario m6r 2h9
tel (416)538-8220
fax (416) 538-8772
Olga Korper Gallery email
olgakorpergallery.com
April 8, 2010
Dear Blue Spiral project,
Please accept this letter in support of the Blue Spiral Project, a proposal to paint
the smokestack at the Toronto Western General Hospital.
The colour BLUE is associated with spirituality, hope and optimism, all of which seem
most appropriate suggested symbols for the patients and neighbourhood residents.
All great cities have famous landmarks and a beautiful Blue Spiral would be
a welcome addition to the Toronto skyline.
I wish you success in completing this creative project
and look forward to directing visitors to the Blue Spiral.
Best regards
Olga Korper,
Director
view/print a pdf file of the Korper Gallery
letter
Gallery Moos
622 Richmond Street West
Toronto, ON M5V 1Y9
tel (416) 504-5445
Gallery Moos email
http://gallerymoos.com/m
July 22, 2011
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
We, at Gallery Moos, want to express herewith our enthusiastic support
for Miklos Legrady's Blue Spiral project to turn a depressing looking smokestack
of the Toronto Western Hospital into a cool piece of art.
We hope that with public and sponsors' involvement this project will grow to
include 8 smoke stacks around Toronto to help our city look hip, artistic and inspire
more creativity and joie de vivre around us.
Well done, Miklos, and good luck with your project
Walter A. Moos
President
view/print a pdf file of the Gallery Moos
letter
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