• I think there's a lot of roles for art generally, and one of my favorite ones is kind of imagining that art helps you imagine, even if it has nothing to do with it. It helps. You can be a springboard to help you dream and stuff like that. The project that we're going to talk about today has a lot more to do with the kind of solace or companionship or remembering melancholy, maybe. Although I think it's also about joy and surprise so there's a few levels of which I guess are all things that you hope to get from art.

My conversation with an artist who prefers to remain anonymous. We went for a walk under the Gardiner Expressway in Tkaronto on March 11, 2025 to discover or rediscover the downtown critters project, a series of large printed drawings of local animals, birds, insects and amphibians in Southern Ontario. The idea is to create little moments of surprise and joy for pedestrians and motorists around some of the most bleak and industrial stretches of Toronto and Ottawa. The drawings are quite moving and made me want to go back in time…

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Recognize the presence of local wildlife in urban environments through art installations.
• Understand the role of art in creating moments of surprise and joy in unexpected places.
• Appreciate the interplay between urban spaces and the natural world.
• Explore the use of graffiti art as a medium for environmental awareness and community engagement.
• Consider the impact of public art on personal well-being and community connection.

Story Preview

Imagine stumbling upon a vibrant drawing of a local animal beneath the cold, concrete of a city expressway. This is the reality created by Downtown Critters, a public art project sparking joy and reflection in Toronto’s urban landscape. Discover the story behind the art, the artist’s motivations, and the unexpected connections it fosters between city dwellers and the natural world.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Role of Art in Imagination
01:00 Introducing Downtown Critters
02:42 The Inspiration Behind the Critters
04:55 The Emotional Connection to Urban Wildlife
06:31 The Joy of Discovery
09:00 The Ephemeral Nature of Art
10:41 Art as a Reflection of Loss
12:26 Connecting Species and Spaces

Featured Quotes

• So I guess part of it is like, part of it is remembering that the animals are here.
• It’s sort of brutal to think of animals in that situation underneath the gardener. But it’s also us who’s underneath the gardener.
• It makes me so happy when I’m, you know, I go for my jog and it’s like under the traffic… and then you’re like, oh, look, a frog.

Behind the Story

Downtown Critters began with a simple observation: a family of bunnies living under a dumpster in a construction site near Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway. This sparked the artist’s desire to remind people of the animals that still inhabit, or once inhabited, the city. The project uses large-format drawings and wheat paste to create ephemeral art installations in unexpected places, prompting viewers to consider their relationship with the natural world.

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). 

It’s my way to give back.

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish free ‘a calm presence' Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.

Your feedback is always welcome at [email protected] and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on July 8, 2025