If you’ve passed through Sidney Smith Hall in the past two weeks, you’ve probably noticed the rainbow-coloured ribbons whipping in the wind on the front patio or the pouffy tissue paper flowers floating high above the lobby in a canopy of dazzling colours.
These striking Pride-themed decorations are the brainchild of Lucy Chung, director of infrastructure planning in the Faculty of Arts & Science.
Two years ago, Chung and A&S staff hand-crafted 3,000 paper cranes in rainbow colours. Last year, pinwheels caught the eye of passers-by. This year, Chung applied the Faculty’s resources to making a canopy of tissue paper flowers.
More than a hundred staff members from all parts of A&S administration — the registrar’s office, advancement, communications, finance and more — pitched in across the span of a week to craft 348 flowers in varying sizes and colours.
Staff also tied 1,800 ribbons to the patio’s gazebo and the lobby’s interior rafters, making for a spectacular exhibit during the month of June when the city celebrates Pride, an annual series of events that supports and celebrates diverse sexual and gender identities.
“It has been a long cold winter and spring was slow in coming, so we wanted to create a burst of colour and flowers,” says Chung of the display.
“Flowers come in all shapes and colours,” she says, “which reflects Pride’s celebration of diversity. Wildflowers can grow in the most inhospitable environments and they are no less beautiful than a curated rose garden. And for many, gardening and raising flowers is their spiritual connection to the world.”
While some staff expressed doubt about their crafting skills, Chung specifically chose the tissue paper flowers because they’re made through a very simple technique, yet still provide a big visual impact — while also being made from recyclable materials.
“The takeaway here is that when we work together and everyone contributes a little bit, we can create a wonderful thing, even with very modest means,” says Chung.
The Pride ribbons will be on view until the end of the month, while the flowers will be left up until September to greet new and returning students with a pop of colour for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Want to see how the rest of the university community is showing their Pride? Visit the hashtag #DisplayYourPride on social media. For more information on U of T Pride-related events, please visit the U of T Pride Calendar.