[PHOTO] On the 50th anniversary of the Bloor-Danforth line, as celebrated at Chester station

[rfmcdonald]

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Toronto's Bloor-Danforth line, as both blogTO and Transit Toronto. Both of these blogs have extensive photos from the beginning of this west-east subway route, back when Toronto built mass transit. The latter blog, however, also mentions the upcoming artist-led celebration at Chester station, described last week at NOW Toronto.

The subway is part of the daily grind for many of us, but Jess Dobkin and the fine folks at the Artists’ Newsstand in Chester station aim to add some fun and celebration to our commutes.

To that end, they’re throwing a 50th birthday party for the Bloor-Danforth line, which opened on February 25, 1966, starting at 4 pm on Thursday, February 25, in the space in front of their revitalized former Gateway newsstand.

Theatre artist Moe Angelos, whose historical research uncovered the anniversary, kicks off the event at 4 pm with a performance. Newsstand founder Dobkin says that the timing is designed to catch the early rush hour of young people coming home from school, many of them fans of the newsstand. Dainty Box does a family-friendly burlesque performance to the music of the Supremes at 6:30 pm, and DJ Nik Red spins sounds of the 60s, including black power anthems. Artist Jackie Lee transforms the kiosk into a piñata, and there’ll be birthday cake and balloons.

In addition to focusing on the subway’s construction, the event also explores what was newsworthy in 1966, including the Vietnam War, the rise of second-wave feminism and the founding of the Black Panther Party.

The project has transformed the stall in the east-end station, which sat empty for six year, into a hybrid performance space/gallery/alternative press and artist books outlet that also functions in the usual way as a source for snacks and magazines. The programming is sensitive to the needs of TTC users and the surrounding community. Performances usually last around 15 minutes, since there is no seating, and Dobkin reports no problems with the TTC. She relished the mix of intentional and accidental audience members, recalling a service interruption on the line last fall that brought hundreds of commuters spilling into the station during an artist talk on the history of newsstands.

The Toronto Star has more.

Would that I could attend! Work intervenes, alas.