Toronto subway public art


This article catalogues public art on the Toronto subway. It lists public art installed at Toronto subway stations by subway line and station. More information may be found in the individual station articles.
StationLineTitleArtistDescriptionPhoto
Hockey Knights in CanadaCharles PachterTwo-part installation depicting the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs squaring off from opposite sides of the subway tracks, with the Canadiens on the northbound side and the Leafs on the southbound side
SpinPanya Clark EspinalAbstract circle-like figure viewable from a certain angle
Cross SectionWilliam McElcheranTerracotta tile murals, located by the northwest entrance and along the under-platform crosswalk, depicting a vibrant urban scene of pets, shoppers, businessmen and other commuters
Spadina Summer Under All SeasonsJames SutherlandTwo flower mosaics using thousands of pieces of glass built directly into the station's tiling reaching upward into a mezzanine
Summertime StreetcarGerald ZeldinTwo enamel murals depicting PCC streetcars facing each other
Rhythm of Exotic PlantsKrystyna SadowskaSculpture displayed on the lower concourse level, outside the fare-paid area
Bruce McLeanSculptured concrete supporting columns
Sky EllipseDavid PearlMulti-coloured glass panels for the subway platform skylights and bus terminal façade
Spacing... Aerial HighwaysClaude BreezeEnamel tile mosaic depicting abstract wavy lines
Decorative columns resembling the Egyptian god Osiris, First Nations house posts, Doric columns found in the Parthenon, China's Forbidden City columns, and Toltec warriors
Top of the North Hill—1850sNicholas and Susana GravenMural made of over 5000 pieces of glazed ceramic tile, on the northbound platform
Traffic at Yonge and Sheppard—1860sNicholas and Susana GravenMural made of over 5000 pieces of glazed ceramic tile, on the southbound platform
LightSpellTim Edler and Jan Edler40 ceiling-suspended chandeliers to display 8 interactively-entered characters; artwork installed but not yet activated due to the TTC's concerns about offensive language, which is prohibited according to the TTC's 2009 revision of its By-law #1.
Our NellJohn BoylePainted murals at the platform level depicting Nellie McClung, William Lyon Mackenzie, and the former Simpson's and Eaton's department stores
Ana VilelA ceramic tile mural, displayed in the mezzanine, donated by the Government of Portugal and inspired by Portuguese exploration of the New World
TempoGordon RaynerEnamel mural depicting abstract stripes
The CommutersRhonda Weppler and Trevor MahovskyMany large bronze snails clinging to the walls of a staircase leading down from the streetcar/bus platform; inspired by a children's book by Pierre Berton.
Boney BusJohn McKinnonAbstract bus shape made from giant aluminum beams and basalt "wheels"; located in front of the station.
Sliding PiArlene StampLarge-scale mosaic along the curved wall of the stairway between the bus platform and the mezzanine
Barren Ground CaribouJoyce WielandLarge quilt featuring caribou in a tundra landscape, located at the concourse level below the 85 Spadina Road entrance
K'san Village House PostsFedelia O'Brien, Murphy Green, Chuck HeitLarge cedar wood carvings depicting an owl, a wolf and a hawk displayed on the ground level of the 6 Spadina Road entrance
Morning GloryLouis de NivervilleSurreal enamel mural at the 85 Spadina Road entrance
Zones of ImmersionStuart Reid166 large glass panels along the length of the platform depicting sketches of commuters
Vaughan Metropolitan CentreAtmospheric LensePaul Raff StudioColoured mirrored panels and windows located on the domed ceiling
CanyonsTed BielerWall sculpture located at the mezzanine level
Breaking GroundLaurie SwimTapestry commemorating the 50th anniversary of a 1960 accident that killed five young Italian immigrant workers constructing a tunnel for a water main in Hoggs Hollow
Piston EffectJason Bruges StudioGlass panels that provide a black and white lighting display when a train passes
Forwards and BackwardsJennifer Davis and Jon SasakiThree-dimensional sculpted curtain, cast in polished reflective aluminum
Something Happens HereEduardo Aquino and Karen ShanskiColourful mosaics with metallic tiles featuring local logos, icons and historical references
Ossington ParticlesScott Eunson800 stick-on coloured acrylic tiles arranged in clusters near stairways on the platform and mezzanine levels; evocative of Garrison Creek.
Source/
Derivations		Allan Harding MacKayRectangular decorative panels on the platform and concourse levels depicting features of the station and of the neighbourhood
Anonymous SomebodyElicser ElliottDepictions of people in Bloor West Village
The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its PartsRebecca BayerWall panels consisting of colourful mosaic ceramic tiles
Directions Intersections ConnectionsMarmin BorinsBrightly-coloured coated metal panels arranged in geometric patterns
From Here Right NowPanya Clark EspinalShadows of common objects such as apples and ladders silk screened to the linoleum and walls framed by patches of coloured tile giving it a surreal look called trompe-l'œil
PassingSylvie BélangerFrieze of hands, feet, and backs of heads representing the users of the station with the images of heads at the platform level, feet at the concourse level, and hands along the stairs between the Sheppard Avenue north side entrance and the concourse
Before / after: 1997 / 2002Stephen CruiseTilework on the concourse walls representing geologic strata with depictions of local flora and fauna
Before / after: 1997 / 2002Stephen CruiseBronze inlays in the terrazzo floor of the concourse and platform levels depicting fossils of fish, turtles, and leaves found on the site
AmpersandMicah Lexier17,000 ceramic tiles each with the hand-written words "Sheppard" and "Leslie" separated by a printed ampersand
Immersion LandStacey SpiegelMosaic composed of 1.5 million one-inch tiles developed from a digitized and pixelated blend of 150 photographs depicting lush landscapes, country homes, and rural scenes stretching along Yonge Street