A Lake Story
Announcing my upcoming project in Lake Ontario in Toronto
I am thrilled to share some big news about my upcoming project, A Lake Story!
On September 27 and 28th, a procession of 120 canoes will move in unison across Toronto’s eastern Waterfront, each carrying color field paintings made with colors sourced from the lake/shoreline and activated by the wind. A Lake Story will write Lake Ontario’s color story across the sky and in its waters, amplifying the lake’s own voice of vibrancy, ecosystem, and community.
Commissioned by The Bentway, A Lake Story takes the form of a large-scale canoe procession that will write Lake Ontario’s story through color, across the sky and water. Featuring 400+ local canoers and paddlers joining us for this memorable performance, participants will paddle in a coordinated, slow-moving procession. An epic celebration of Lake Ontario, this project maps Toronto’s harbor and waterfront biosphere with the lake’s own vocabulary expressed through its natural color palette. By giving visual voice to the interconnected relationships above and below the waters, the project invites us to shift our perspective to participate in and learn from nature’s wisdom and creativity.
I developed the project’s site-specific natural color story in collaboration with my dear friend Jason Logan of the Toronto Ink Company (author of The Colour here on Substack).
We gathered and worked with natural and found material from the waters and shoreline to collaborate with the creative expression of the lake itself. Featuring materials such as goldenrod, lake clay, algae, red brick, and wild grape sourced from Leslie Street Spit, Gibraltar Point, and the re-naturalized Don River among many others, these colours have been used to create vibrant wind-activated color field paintings that will dance above the canoe procession to communicate Lake Ontario’s vibrant resilience both above and below its waters.
Together water, color, wind, and paddlers find and speak the lake’s language and tell its vital story. Guidance for this project has been provided by Elder Duke Redbird and local Indigenous wisdom keepers and ecologists.
A Lake Story will be visible from a wide range of viewing areas, creating an epic shared experience with Lake Ontario across the waterfront. Following the performance a celebration of the community partners and creative process will be staged at Harbourfront Centre Concert Stage, featuring a documentary film and an installation of the color field paintings.
For more information, click here.
If you or someone you know is interested in being part of this memorable and vibrant Lake Story, I invite you to check out the details on The Bentway’s website and join us in Toronto on September 27-28!
I have so much to share with you about A Lake Story!
Wonderful moments from my research and process, and all about how we are celebrating Lake Ontario’s creativity, gathering living color, collaborating with wind, water, and light, and the Don River, Ookwemin Minising and Biidaasige Park…and so much more.
It’s all coming soon. Thanks for being here with me.
Love, MM
Do the canoes have to be locals? Maybe a certain boathouse could have a field trip???💛