FEATURE-ARTICLE
Behind the Scenes: When Artists Brought Lakeview Village to Life
An Animated Waterfront
The vision for Lakeview Village has always been rooted in arts and culture, and supported by a deep commitment to transforming Mississauga’s waterfront. To foreshadow this vision, we brought together a diverse group of artists over the years to create a series of public artworks across the site and at the Discovery Centre.
We believe that building great communities begins with bringing people together and supporting the voices that make them vibrant and dynamic.
That’s why, from the very beginning, we prioritized placemaking initiatives that fostered connection and a shared sense of place – designed to reconnect people with Mississauga’s long-inaccessible waterfront and inspire people to imagine “life by the lake”.
Featured PlacemakingProjects
Discover ‘Composition for Wind’
Inspired by the site’s history and its connection to nature and the waterfront, Studio F Minus’ sculpture Composition for the Wind “takes natural phenomena — wind — as input, and gives it a built form.” You can discover this sculpture outside the entrance to the Discovery Centre. Learn More.
THE HOARDING CANVAS
In 2020, over 1,600 linear feet of construction hoarding was transformed by the artwork of 19 artists. This artist-based initiative delivered $100,000 in paid work opportunities for artists during a pandemic, while creating a safe space for the community to experience and engage with art outdoors. With the opening of the Discovery Centre, the artwork has been relocated to the Art Trail and by the Recreation Field.
The Light Within
This sculpture by Ryan Longo stands 15 feet tall, twisting toward the sky in a dance of gravity-defying curves. Light emanates and pulses from its grooves, self-powered by solar panels which have been crafted into gigantic leaves. Visitors have the ability to shift and change the colour sequencing through the Light Within mobile app when visiting this magical work of art along the Art Trail.
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TIMELINE
2020
In May 2020, Lakeview Community Partners Limited (LCPL), in partnership with Artscape, launched an artist-based initiative to animate the site at Lakeview Village and provide work for artists during COVID-19 (following safety and health measures set out by the government of Ontario). This opportunity provided over $100,000 in paid work for 19 artists, including 14 muralists, two visual artists, one sculpturist, one painter, and a poet.
These artworks created a canvas for artistic expression along 1,600 linear feet of construction hoarding wrapping Lakeview Village's award-winning Discovery Centre and were eventually repurposed along the Art Trail. Located near the well-known one million sunflowers onsite, this program created a unique placemaking experience to beautify an active construction site and provide a place for the community to experience and interact with art safely.
2021
In May 2021, LCPL launched the next phase of collaboration with Artscape to bring a new series of public art to animate the development site and its future Discovery Centre in 2021 and beyond. This initiative created over $250,000 in paid work opportunities for artists in the region.
The first commissioned artwork for the Phase 2 program was Studio F Minus’ sculpture, Composition for Wind - now completed and situated on the grounds of the Discovery Centre. This program also included a hands-on four-month paid mentorship program for emerging artists in the sculptural field to help them learn how to develop a large-scale public art execution.
This initiative was followed by additional commissioned works of art for the interior of the Discovery Centre. This included a ceiling installation titled A Walk in Nature by floral artist, Natalie Schiabel of Mythology Floral, and an immersive digital exhibit featuring the work of four artists.
The combined 2020-2021 program investment totalled over $350,000 toward creating work opportunities for the region’s artist community during the pandemic.
2022
Lakeview Village announced a new Artists in Residence program to take place at the Discovery Centre in 2022 and 2023. The self-directed, six-month-long community artist residency program featured four different artists who were invited to use the Lakeview Village site as part of their practice, with an opportunity to engage with the community through online and in-person workshops.
The first two artists of the program were the Broadbent Sisters and Soyeon Kim, who provided immersive and collaborative art experiences for the community inspired by the revitalization of our waterfront.
2023
For the second phase of the Artists in Residence program, Lakeview Village welcomed Indigenous artists Naomi Smith (Black Tulip Designs) and Pandora Wilhelm (Mulberry Design & Engravings) to the Discovery Centre where they held a variety of exciting and inspiring community art workshops inspired by their Indigenous knowledge and connection to water through a series of six workshops total (three workshops per artist).
2025
Since the beginning, Lakeview Village has been committed to arts, culture, and fostering community connection through site activations and programming. Over the years, temporary artworks – ranging from murals and floral installations to sculptures and artist-led workshops – were thoughtfully relocated and maintained onsite for as long as possible. These pieces animated the land, sparked dialogue about its future, and offered a glimpse into the vision for this transformative waterfront community. As the site now evolves to make way for new homes and new neighbours, much of this public art has been respectfully removed to accommodate the next phase of development. While these installations were always intended to be temporary, they remain a vital part of Lakeview Village’s story – representing the power of placemaking to foster a sense of belonging, inspire reflection, and peer into the imagination. One piece that continues to live onsite is Composition for Wind, the kinetic sculpture by Studio F Minus, which still stands at the Discovery Centre – a lasting reminder of the creative spirit that has shaped this community from the very beginning, and will continue through to its completion.
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