Bloordale garage mural a touching tribute to Orlando shooting victims
CBC News | Posted: June 16, 2016 10:39 PM | Last Updated: June 16, 2016
Artist Andrea Manica moved by Orlando tragedy to honour victims in mural
What started as a mural to mask graffiti on a Toronto garage has evolved into a touching tribute to the victims of the Orlando shooting.
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Victoria Barrington went to an online swapping group to find an artist who would turn her garage, which is in an alleyway in the Bloor Street West and Lansdowne Avenue area, into a vibrant art piece in her west-end neighbourhood.
Through the Bunz Trading Zone Facebook page, she connected with Toronto artist Andrea Manica.
Both wanted the art to celebrate Toronto and its people.
But after the Orlando shooting, Manica wanted to honour the victims. Barrington wholeheartedly agreed.
Manica, alongside a few friends, painted 49 roses to represent all 49 shooting victims. A rainbow in the right-hand corner dedicates the mural to Orlando.
"I had a lot of thoughts going through my mind as I was painting," the 27-year-old said.
"We're all queer artists. It just felt that much more meaningful."
For Barrington, it was a way to honour the victims "in a loving way and not a tragic way."