Artists Bring Life to Toronto's Feel Good Lane

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CC BY 2.0. Feel Good Lane / Lloyd Alter

How to make a utilitarian back lane into a wonderful public amenity.

Walking home from a monthly meeting of a group I joined last year with a few of the other members, I pointed out a street sign for a back lane and mentioned, "I love that sign. I wonder what it is about." They all looked at me with some astonishment and one of the group, Leonard, asked, "You don't know?"

Graham Park

Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0In 2014, a young musician who lived in the area died in a motorcycle crash while touring Vietnam. Barry Luksenberg performed under the name Feel Good, and while growing up, he played with friends in Graham Park, which abuts the lane. A few of them later formed a hip hop group named the 512 crew, after the local streetcar line.

Leonard Luksenberg

Leonard Luksenberg/ Photo Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0

Leonard Luksenberg, Barry's father, took me on a tour. This is all five minutes from where I live and I had no idea it existed. Five years ago, Leonard started the petition to get the name of the lane changed, telling the CBC, "He grew up playing in the park with his friends ... they were constantly going through the laneway to each other's houses."

The 512 line

Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0

Last year, two local residents and art lovers, Kim Lesperance and Julian Back, picked up on the idea of beautifying the space by painting over the 18 garage doors, and added a few walls in, too. Brooke Somerleigh organized the artwork; she told the CBC:

bob painter

My favorite/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0

"Our vision is making it much brighter and when the kids are there, the awe in their faces when they see the art versus what they've been seeing, which is just, it looks a little run down."

sort of banksy garage door

Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0

Back and Lesperance had been raising money on a gofundme campaign, and the City of Toronto's StreetARToronto program kicked in money to pay artists and buy supplies. They "support vibrant street art programs in order to reduce graffiti vandalism, encourage active transportation and make laneways more inviting spaces."

Raccoon van

Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0

In October 2018, 18 artists moved in for the weekend and painted walls and garage doors that had previously been covered in graffiti.

Halloween

Halloween/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0

Feel Good Lane is unusual, having a park on one side which really opens it up. This made it perfect for the art project, given that there is a lot more light and a lot less garbage. It really is an inviting space now. It makes the park nicer, and there are more people walking in this lane than I have ever seen, so it clearly is doing its job on the active transportation side.

octopus

Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0

It's extraordinary what a difference this makes, in the lanes and in the park. Some wonderful artwork, too. I was at a loss for words when I learned about it from Leonard, and still am.

Door with thanks

Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0