An article in Spacing Magazine this month, prompted me to explore the history of two prominent female sculptors who once lived right here in Toronto, at 110 Glenrose Avenue.
The plaque in front of the house partially reads:
“This board and batten building, originally the schoolhouse for Christ Church, Deer Park, was acquired in 1920 by Frances Loring and Florence Wyle. Sculpting in the classical tradition, they achieved national prominence, and executed many impressive public works, among which are Loring’s Sir Robert Borden on Parliament Hill and Wyle’s Edith Cavell in Toronto….”
This is a bust of Frances Loring, sculpted by Florence Wyle.
Both were born in the US, and met at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1905.
They later shared a studio in New York's Greenwich Village, until they moved to a place on Lombard Street, in downtown Toronto.
They were viewed as radicals, by their neighbours and certainly were feminists, as they walked their dogs around town.
They could often be seen wearing trousers, and baggy coats with colourful scarves dangling in the wind.
Their work was their primary focus, and they lived and worked together for over half a century.
This is a bust of Florence Wyle, sculpted by Frances Loring. She made huge sculptures for the Canadian War Memorial, and her lion graces the foot of the Queen Elizabeth Monument.
Wyle on the other hand was captivated by the human body, as you can see from her statue of the Harvester, located in the Loring-Wyle Parkette.
This little plot of land (once was a turnaround loop for a TTC street car) is dedicated to the art and memory of two remarkable women.
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