Connaught Laboratories Mosaic and Re-Discovering a Master Artist

CONNAUGHT LABORATORIES' MOSAIC

& THE RE-DISCOVERY OF A MASTER ARTIST

ALEXANDER VON SVOBODA

Visit Alexander von Svoboda's website

HHRS Home | Story of the Connaught Laboratories Mosaic | Sampling of Alex's Works | List of Works

(Above/ below) Mosaic shortly after its completion in 1966 over main entrance of Gooderham Building (#83) at Connaught Medical Research Laboratories, Dufferin Division, University of Toronto.

(click images for larger views)

Alexander von Svoboda inspecting the mosaic in his studio before it was installed in 1966.

(Right) Display posters in July 2008 located in the main lobby of Building 83 (top), and in the Cafeteria (below) at Sanofi Pasteur's Connaught Campus celebrating the Mosaic.

(Above/ below) Mosaic in July 2008 at what is now known as Sanofi Pasteur Limited (Connaught Campus), 1755 Steeles Ave. West, Toronto. The mosaic is about to have a few of its tiles repaired to restore it to its original condition.

The mosaic was used on the cover of the Connaught Medical Research Laboratories' Annual Reports from 1966-67 through 1972-73.

(Right) Alex today in his Barrie, Ontario, studio, where he remains a prolific artist, especially painting local landscapes, and also traveling widely to paint seascapes, wildlife and Native Americans.

Unraveling the Mystery of the Connaught Mural:

Alexander von Svoboda and the Building 83 Mosaic

By Christopher J. Rutty, Ph.D.

One of the most distinctive features of sanofi pasteur’s Connaught Campus in Toronto is a large mosaic mural displayed above the front entrance of the main administrative building of the site, known as Building 83. Many employees and visitors have wondered about the story behind this beautiful work of art. What does it mean? How was it produced? Who was the artist who created it?

Building 83, along with #81 and #82, were officially opened on June 21, 1966, and, as Connaught’s Annual Report for 1965-66 noted, “were designed as a group and display a degree of beauty and dignity worthy of the men they commemorate:” Dr. John G. FitzGerald (#81), the founder of Connaught Laboratories; Dr. Donald T. Fraser (#82), pioneer of vaccine research and development; and Albert E. Gooderham (#83), who donated the land upon which the company has grown. In addition to the design of the buildings themselves, it was decided to add a further distinction by commissioning a unique work of art to adorn the front entrance of the Gooderham Building that would symbolize the mission of the Laboratories.

In the mid-1960s, one of the most prominent artists in Canada, and indeed the world, specializing in the type of building artwork Connaught’s leaders were looking for, was Alexander von Svoboda. Born in Vienna in 1929, von Svoboda arrived in Toronto in 1950 with but $10 in his pocket and an inexorable drive to be an artist on a large scale. At age 15, following a childhood of wealth, privilege and art school, von Svoboda endured service in the Nazi army during WWII for suicide missions. He was then captured by the Russian army for service in Siberia and soon engineered an escape that led to an arduous 6,000-mile trek back to Austria. He then befriended a group of American soldiers, which lead to service as General George Patton’s interpreter, and finally a position in the U.S. Army as an artist and designer of hospitals and chapels across Europe. Further art studies, and a realization that Europe was too small for his ambitions, prompted von Svoboda’s move to Canada, although his first years in Toronto were spent doing more general labour than artistic jobs. While his first projects included creating distinctive designs and artwork for restaurants, hotels and private residences, by the late 1950s and early 1960s, von Svoboda focused most of his considerable talents undertaking increasingly complex liturgical works for churches and synagogues. Most of von Svoboda’s creations involved large mosaic murals produced using a glass tile material known as “Smalti,” and a classical mosaic creation technique developed in Italy, which Svoboda mastered and brought to North America.

The 20 x 20 foot mosaic von Svoboda created for Connaught used hand-cut placed Smalti, which is a type of molten glass that comes out of a furnace as a thin pancake and processed and coloured using a secret method passed on from generation to generation. The pancake is cut to the required shape using a sharp hammer and glued onto the paper design in reverse. The wall is coated in cement and each one square foot section of paper with the mosaic glued on is pressed into the fresh cement and the paper is slowly removed with water. The Connaught mosaic took a total of 341 hours to complete, or over 42 days, involving a team of skilled mosaic technicians, including 5 skilled tile setters, who, as von Svoboda noted, installed the artwork “the same way as the artists installed mosaic thousands of years ago in Europe.”

The design of the mural, in von Svoboda’s words, symbolizes “the progress and research of the Connaught Labs company, and will outlive the next century.” It captures a variety of iconic scientific items and symbols, including a microscope that spans most of the right side of the design, while a test tube dominates the left side. Other images are integrated into the collage, including a rabbit and mouse, which serve important roles as test animals, a scale, an open book, a graph showing scientific data, and a round laboratory flask with a bubbling liquid. There are several other symbols in the design, including the iconic symbols for male (centre right) and female (centre), the world (lower centre left), positive and negative electric charges (top right of centre).

During the 20 years following the completion of the Connaught mural, the pace and scale of Alexander von Svoboda’s creations increased remarkably, including a wide variety of commercial, residential and liturgical projects in the Toronto area, across Canada and in many parts of the world. Among his most impressive works include perhaps the largest sculpture ever created in the modern era, entitled “Quest,” which featured several figures in a fountain carved from a 200-ton block of pure marble, “Perpetuity,” which is a giant cross section of a redwood tree hollowed out, petrified and embellished with a bronzed sapling tree placed inside, and a life-size bronze statue of Pope John Paul II for his 1984 visit to Toronto. By the time von Svoboda retired in the late 1980s, the type of large artworks he specialized in, particularly mosaics murals based on classical methods, essentially retired with him. Such projects simply became too complex and expensive for anyone to undertake. However, the ever restless artist did not stop working and since his retirement has maintained an remarkable pace, focused mainly on drawing and painting a wide variety of subjects near his Barrie, Ontario, home, and in many places around the world, and using his computer to document and catalogue his incredible collection of work.

QUEST, Portland, OR, 1970 BUILDING STONE NEWS, July 1970 GEORGIA PACIFIC OPENING STARS 17-TON SCULPTURE What is described as one of the major private art collections in the western United States will be unveiled to the public in Portland, Oregon, late this month. The nearly 400 pieces, ranging from oils to wood carvings, are highlighted by a 17-ton symbolic quintet of pure white marble figures in a plaza fountain setting. The collection is the final, aesthetic touch for the new Georgia-Pacific Corporation 30-level world headquarters building in downtown Portland. MOST OF THE artists are Oregonians, but among the 79 artists are 20 Italian stonecutters who worked with Count Alex von Svoboda of Toronto, the marble sculptor, for more than two years. The heroic marble figures, fashioned by von Svoboda for G-P's 5th avenue public plaza from a 200 ton block of marble quarried near Athens, Greece, has just been unveiled as a preview of the collection. At the formal community ceremony when princesses of Portland's International Rose Festival pulled a cord to lift the veil, there was a momentary stunned silence then crescendo of applause duly recorded by local news media. Count von Svoboda, an Austrian born Toronto artist perhaps best known for his church art, explains that his larger-than-life fountain figures, an instant Portland conversation piece, symbolise "the continuous search of mankind for brotherhood and spiritual enlightenment." The impressive marble, carved at Carrara, Italy, where some of Michelangelo's finest work was done, is in white flowing lines to contrast with, and tie to, the stark 375 foot sloping vertical pillars of white quartz that form the exterior of the new office tower at the plaza's center.... A companion outdoor sculpture on the building's 4th avenue plaza is a huge redwood log cross section, hollowed out by von Svoboda. He has inserted a bronze seed from which a bronze seedling grows, shooting bronze rays of growth through the old log. It is the artist's interpretation of the forest's perpetual regeneration... (see "Perpetuity" below)
PERPETUITY, Portland, OR, 1970 EL PASO HERALD POST, July 6, 1970 click clipping for full article
TORONTO WESTERN HOSPITAL, Donor Wall, 1983 Alexander von Svoboda pioneered the concept of the "Donor Wall" as an artistic work of art for Hospital fundraising initiatives based on his "Hands Healing Hands" slogan. Toronto Western Hospital was the first of many hospital donor wall projects Mr. von Svoboda was comissioned to undertake in Canada.
YORK CENTRAL HOSPITAL, Richmond Hill, ON, Donor Wall, 1985-89 THE GLOBE AND MAIL, Tuesday, February 12, 1985 After searching more than a year, the directors of York Central Hospital Foundation decided on a unique ceramic mural designed by Count Alexander von Svoboda as a means of acknowledging donors. The Vienna-born Canadian is not only an acclaimed artist, but a successful businessman, head of Svoboda International designs Ltd. Count von Svoboda arrived in Canada in 1950 with $10 in his pocket. He accepted general labour jobs, but within five years was commissioned to paint what was at the time Canada's largest mural for Molson Ontario Breweries Limited in Toronto. He is now an internationally recognised figure in 20th century art and sculpture...
ROYAL ALEXANDRA HOSPITAL, CHILDREN'S PAVILION, Edmonton, AB, 1966 This large project involved a series of outdoor mosaic murals around the buiding depicting a variety of popular children's nursery rhymes.
CHARLES CAMSELL HOSPITAL, Edmonton, AB, 1962 Alexander von Svoboda was comssioned to create a large indoor mural highlighting the lives of aboriginal Candians for this hospital for the northern Alberta aboriginal community.
POPE JOHN PAUL II Bronze Sculpture, Polish Credit Union, Toronto, 1984 TORONTO STAR, July 9, 1984 click clipping for full article
OUR LADY OF SORROWS Church, Toronto, 1960 THE CANADIAN REGISTER, Kingston, Ontario. Jan. 7, 1961 REBIRTH OF MOSAIC ART IN ETOBICOKE CHURCH TORONTO - An art form begun by the Sumerians of the Euphrates Valley in BC has planted firm feet in Canada. Mosaics have been installed in Toronto's Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, as part of a renovation program. The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin are portrayed in larger - than - life - size reproductions complemented by highlights from the life of Christ. The mosaics were executed by the Svoboda Studio under the direction of Count Alexander von Svoboda. The work began on March 21st 1960 and seven tons of tiles, in 150 colours, were used to make up the mosaics, which cover about 10,000 square feet of the clerestory walls and the apse of the church. The cutting and placing of the tiny individual tiles were done in a studio by 13 mosaicists. As major segments were completed they were transferred to the church for installation by the craftsmen. Installation in the church began on May 1, with artists working five days a week and, on Saturdays, clearing away materials and tools so that services could be conducted as usual each Sunday. Count von Svoboda was born and educated in Vienna and for the past ten years has been identified with the creation of several murals in Canadian buildings. This effort is realised, in what is perhaps the most ambitious and extensive mosaic production in the New World north of Mexico...
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH, Toronto, 1973 ST. FRANCES CHURCH IN TORONTO HONORERS THE PATRON SAINT OF ENVIRONMENT By Joe Serge, Staff writer In St. Frances of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures, the 12th century founder of the Franciscan Fathers praised God for giving Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Fire, Sister Water, Brother Wind and Mother Earth. As the world becomes rapidly polluted St. Frances today is regarded as patron saint of the environment. The parish priest at St. Frances' Roman Catholic Church, an Italian parish on Mansfield Ave., Rev. Arthur Lattanzi, 59, is doing his thing for St. Frances and the ecology. He has installed a massive mosaic in the church depicting St. Frances love for nature. Renovators have just completed the finishing touches to the 55 foot high mosaic in Venetian glass - believed to be the tallest in Canada. It is part of a $150,000 renovation of the 70 year old church building. The interior and mosaic was designed and executed by Alex von Svoboda. Under von Svoboda's supervision, the mosaic was constructed by his artists in Florenze, Italy, and shipped to the church in crates containing 1,100 sections, each made up of 360 pieces per square foot. It was like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle, Father Lattanzi said. "It's worth it. There are churches and there are churches. Some I wouldn't give two cents for. They're just a gym." "A church is supposed to give you an impression. It's supposed to get you in a spiritual mood. This one does," he says pointing to the mosaic directly behind the altar...
ST. PETER'S CATHEDRAL Peterborough, Ontario, February 22nd, 1968 THE MOSAIC MURAL OF THE LAST SUPPER - From antiquity to the present, smalti mosaic tessarae has been a symbol of beauty and permanence. Smalti mosaic is a form of glass now only produced in Italy by a limited number of manufacturers who have inherited the secret of making it from their ancestors. Its use for over sixty centuries demonstrates its durability to wear and resistance to climatic influences as well as its pleasing aesthetic value. The mosaic mural of the Last Supper for St. Peter's Cathedral in Peterborough, Ontario, is a rustic textured mosaic and one of the largest murals of its kind in Canada. It was completely executed from start to finish at the studio in Downsview, Ontario. The design was conceived by the Art Director, Alex von Svoboda, who is well known for his art work across Canada. The actual cutting and setting of the mosaic was carried out by Con-Arts Studio's own skilled mosaic artisans, who are trained for six years in this specialized art. They were under Mr. von Svoboda's personal direction and supervision. The mural took one half a year from initial colour renderings, through the actual selection of the mosaic in Europe by Mr. von Svoboda, to the installation date. The mural measures 25 feet in width and stands approximately 42 feet high. The individual mosaic pieces were glued to 3/4" x 4'0" x 8'0" plywood panels with 3M adhesive cement. There are thirty-one of these panels which make up the mural. All individually cut and formed to fit the existing arch. Calculated at six hundred pieces of mosaic per square foot, a total of 633,600 pieces of hand cut and placed mosaic tessarae were used. These were selected from 75 different shades and colors...
CENTENNIAL FOUNTAIN, Vancouver, BC, 1966 Courthouse, Vancouver, B.C., December 15, 1966 While it was developing into a practical landmark. "Meet me at the fountain!" It became a pleasant attraction in itself. It's inviting- and its call is answered by office workers, shoppers and visitors to the city who share the fascination of the ever-changing pattern of water and lights. It's almost hypnotic, wiping away, at least for a moment, the cares of the day. My creation is symbolic. It depicts the province's rugged coast. The sea is signified by the mosaic pattern in the basin, and by moving water flowing to the central motif, which represents sea-washed rocks. The carving on the central motif I based on the legends of the Celts or Gaels, an ancient people which included the Britons, Scots, Picts, Irish, Welsh, and Gauls - the forbearers of most early British Colombians.... I used 18 feet high, black marble from Carrara, Italy in the centre motifs of the fountain. The fountain complex measures about 72 by 36 feet, with a centre basin that is ten feet in diameter. Water is pumped and circulated at a rate of 300,000 gallons per hour. The fountain is operated by computer which also controls its sophisticated lighting system, which changes every 3 minutes. The central jets reach 60 feet skyward.
ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS, Burlington, ON, 1962 Shortly after the Royal Botanical Gardens opened in 1961, Alexander von Svoboda was commisioned to create several works, including mosaic murals for the fountain and a sculpted overpass.
VILLA COLOMBO, Toronto, 1975 Villa Colombo is a seniors centre for Italian-Canadians, for which Alexander von Svoboda created a fountain and a large mosaic mural depicting the arrival of Italians to Canada to start a new life.
RECENT WORKS Alexander von Svoboda has remained a prolific artist in recent years, focusing his attention primarly on producing paintings. Among his favorite subjects are landscape scenes near his Barrie, Ontario home, as well as more tropical scenes painted when he travels.
Alex also has a fascination for painting water in a variety of seascapes. He feels he has mastered the art of painting watery scenes so they look quite real.
Alex has also held a long interest in painting North American native peoples, especially in the south-western United States, which he has visited often. He developed a close relationship with a number of native groups who allowed him freedom to paint scenes from their lives close-up.
Wildlife is another great subject of interest for Alex and his paintings for many years. He has traveled extensively, especially in Africa, and utilzing his extraordinary skills to capture his subject with a paint brush very quickly and accurately, Alex has created a large body of dramatic wildlife art.
TORONTO STAR, Aprll 16, 1985 click clipping for full article ----------------- LIST OF WORKS: *SVOBODA INTERNATIONAL DESIGNS LIMITED ART PROJECTS* *COMERCIAL, LITURGICAL, RESIDENTIAL:* 1954 – Capri Restaurant – Toronto 1954 – Robert’s Restaurant & Hotel – Hamilton 1954 – Skyline Hotel – Toronto 1954 – Roy Roger’s Restaurant – Niagara Falls 1955 – Northway Hotel – Cornwall 1955 – Molson Brewery – Toronto 1955 - Gulliver's Travels Restaurant - Stony Creek 1955 – Pine Restaurant – Stony Creek 1956 – Flight Restaurant – Toronto 1956 – St Casmir’s Church – Toronto 1956 – Burnham Thorpe Collegiate – Toronto 1956 – Musac HO Limited - Toronto 1956 - Canadeuro Club – Toronto 1956 – Chez Paree Restaurant – Toronto 1956 – Swiss Chalet Restaurant - Toronto 1957 – BQ Restaurant – Toronto 1957 – Central Presbyterian Church – Brantford 1957 - La Baron Restaurant – Toronto 1957 – Westbury Hotel – Toronto 1957 – Seaway Hotel - Toronto 1958 - Adatha of Israel Synagogue - North York 1958 – Beacon Restaurant – Burlington 1958 – The Silhouette Club – Hamilton 1958 - St John the Baptist Church - Hamilton 1958 - St Bonaventure Church - Don Mills 1958 - St Gabriel Church – Willowdale 1958 – The Silhouette Club – Hamilton 1958 - St John the Baptist Church - Hamilton 1958 - St Bonaventure Church - Don Mills 1958 – The Silhouette Club – Hamilton 1958 - St John the Baptist Church - Hamilton 1958 - St Bonaventure Church - Don Mills 1958 - St Gabriel Church – Willowdale 1959 - Salzman Residence - Toronto 1959 - Dr Halbert Residence - Willowdale 1959 - Prusky Residence – Toronto 1959 – Beacon Restaurant – Burlington 1959 - Our Sorrows Church – Toronto 1959 - Salzman Residence - Toronto 1959 - Dr Halbert Residence - Willowdale 1959 - Prusky Residence - Toronto 1959 - Salzman Residence - Toronto 1959 - Plata Investment Apartments – Toronto 1960 – Our Lady of Church - Toronto 1960 - Plata Investment Apartments - Toronto 1960 - Sick Children's Hospital - Toronto 1960 - Masonic Temple - Toronto 1960 - Romi Foods Ltd - Toronto 1960 - Dell Tavern – Toronto 1960 – Rev. Schuba Church – Toronto 1960 - St Michael Hospital Chapel - Toronto 1960 - St Mary's Training School – Toronto 1960 – Salzman Residence - Toronto 1961 - St Ann's Anglican - Church – Toronto 1961 - St Michael Hospital Chapel – Toronto 1962 - Queen of Apostles Retreat House - Mississauga 1962 - Monte Bello Apartments - Toronto 1962 - St Joseph Church – Kitchener 1962 - St Joseph Hospital Chapel - Toronto 1962 - Hotel Dieu Hospital - St Catherine 1962 - Fran's Restaurant - Toronto 1962 – Royal Botanical Garden - Hamilton 1962 - Carlton Collage – Ottawa 1962 - Fairbanks Secondary School - Toronto 1962 - Northgate Collegiate - Toronto 1962 - King George School – Toronto 1962 – Camsell Hospital - Edmonton 1963 - Oblate Father's Retreat House - Saskatoon 1963 - St Michael Hospital Chapel – Toronto 1963 - Fisherville High School - North York 1963 - Roland High School - Toronto 1963 - Ford Motor Company - Oakville 1963 - St Joseph's Mother House – London 1863 - St Michael Church - Mimico 1963 - St Andrew's Church - Thunder Bay 1963 - Our Lady of Perpetual Help - St Catherine 1963 - Toronto Dominion Bank – Windsor 1963 - Fran’s Restaurant - Toronto 1964 - Toronto Dominion Bank - Toronto 1964 - Westwood Mall - Weston 1964 - Holy Rosary Church - Guelph 1964 - Ontario Hydro HQ Office – Toronto 1964 - Fran’s Restaurant - Toronto 1965 - Lipton's Tea Head Office - Toronto 1965 - RAF Air Force Base - Downsview 1965 - Inn on the Park Hotel - Don Mills 1965 - Talisman Motor Inn – Ottawa 1965 - Air Canada Terminal - Montreal 1965 - Newtonbrook High School - North York 1965 - Stanford Fleming High School - North York 1965 - Bell Canada Head Office - Toronto 1965 - Dixon Grove High School - Toronto 1965 – Award by Pope John XXIII - Rome 1965 – Toronto Dom Bank – Toronto 1965 - St Gertrude Church - Oshawa 1965 - Catholic Art Exhibit CNE - Toronto 1965 - Garden Design Award - Don Mills 1966 - Centennial Fountain - Vancouver 1966 - Nativity of our Lord Church - Timmins 1966 - Lido Industry - Toronto 1966 - Connoght Laboratory HQ Office - Toronto 1966 - Hospital - Ottawa 1966 - Bank of Montreal - Montreal 1966 - Church of Christ - Toronto 1966 - Royal Alexandra Hospital – Edmonton	List of Works (1967-1972) 1967 – North Albion High School – North York 1967 - Sacred Heart Church - King City 1967 - Queen Elisabeth - London 1967 - Princess Margaret - London 1967 - Austin Floyd L - Toronto 1967 - Lord Elgin High School - Niagara Falls 1967 - Holy Rosary School - Ottawa 1967 - Filician Sisters - Port Credit 1967 - Pro Cathedral of Ascension - North Bay 1967 - Blessed Sacrament Church – Toronto 1967 - Holy Cross Church - Toronto 1967 - Leaver-Brothers HQ - Toronto 1967 - St Joseph Convent - Milton 1967 - Plata Investment Apartments - Toronto 1967 - St Michael Cathedral - Toronto 1967 - Rose of Lima Church - Scarborough 1967 – RAF Air Force Base - Downsview 1967 - St Agnes Church - Toronto 1967 - Bellville Secondary School – Bellville 1967 – St Joseph Convent Chapel – Little Current 1967 - St Joseph High School - Mississauga 1968 - St Gabriel Church - Burlington 1968 - Church of Resurrection - Hamilton 1968 - Blessed Sacrament Church - St Marie 1968 - Filician Sisters Convent – Port Credit 1968 - St Joseph Hospital Chapel - Toronto 1968 - St Stanislaus Church - Toronto 1968 - St Hillary Church - Toronto 1968 - St Ann Church – Toronto 1968 – St Joseph Hospital Chapel - Toronto 1968 - St Eugene Church - Fredericton 1968 - Avilla Center Mother House - Scarborough 1968 - Our Lady of the World - Richmond Hill 1968 - Toronto Dominion Bank - Toronto 1968 - Canada Permanent Trust - Brantford 1968 - St Angela Church – Toronto 1968 – Toronto Dom Bank - Montreal 1968 – A von Svoboda Residence - King City 1968 - Plata Investment Apartments – Toronto 1968 - RAF Air Force Base – Downsview 1969 - Sick Children Hospital - Toronto 1969 - Arcadian Marble - Fredericton 1969 - St Joseph Hospital - Thunder Bay 1969 - North Alberta Tech School - Edmonton 1969 - Mimico High School - Mimico 1969 - St Cyril Methodist Church - Ottawa 1969 - Canadian Legion - Toronto 1969 - St Eugene Church - Hamilton 1969 - Blessed Sacrament Church - Hamilton 1969 - Church of the Resurrection - Hamilton 1969 - Christ the King Church - Sudbury 1969 - Our Lady of Mercy Church - Toronto 1969 - Sacred Heart Church - Hamilton 1969 - St Andrew Golf Club – Toronto 1969 – International Graphic Award – Toronto 1969 – Blesses Sacrament Church – Toronto 1969 - St Gabriel Church – Willowdale 1970 - Christ the King Church - Toronto 1970 – Henderson Hospital - Toronto 1970 - Faberge Head Office - Downsview 1970 - Firemen Training Center -Toronto 1970 - Northern Gas Ontario - Toronto 1970 – St. Margaret Church - Toronto 1970 - Eaton's Shopping Center - Toronto 1970 - IBM Head Office - Don Mills 1970 - Canadian Martyrs Church - Buffalo 1970 - Bayview Country Club - Toronto 1970 - St Paul Church - Toronto 1970 - Our Lady of Fatima Church - Toronto 1970 – Shopping Center - Don Mills 1970 - St Vincent de Paul Church - Toronto 1970 - Georgia Pacific Corporation - Portland 1970 – Robert Simpson Company – Toronto 1970 – Fran’s Restaurant – Toronto 1970 – St Michael Hospital Chapel – Toronto 1970 – Hospital – Ottawa 1970 – Don Mill Shopping Center – Don Mills 1970 – Holy Family – Hamilton. 1970 – Simpson Sears – Toronto 1970 – St. Anthony Church – Thunder Bay 1970 – St. Paul Church – Toronto 1970 – Sisters of St. Joseph – North Bay 1971 - Sherway Gardens Shopping Center - Toronto 1971 - St Peter's Cathedral - Peterborough 1971 - Three Rivers – Quebec 1971 - Georgia Pacific Corporation – Portland 1971 – Westwood Mall – Weston 1971 – Our lady of Peace - 1972 - H Schad Residence - King City 1972 - HC Learden Residence - Thornehill 1972 - N Bernecker Residence - Milton 1972 - S Roman Residence - Markham 1972 - Willow West Shopping Centre - Guelph 1972 - Swiss Restaurant - Toronto 1972 – Quincy - Shopping Mall 1972 – Toronto Public Library – Toronto 1972 – Beth Am Synagogue Downsview	List of Works (1973-2002) 1973 - Roman Corporation - Elliot Lake 1973 - S Roman Residence - Nassau 1973 - B Schad Residence - Barbados 1973 - Club Alexandra's - Barbados 1973 - H Marlow Residence - Santa Rosa 1973 - St Patrick Church - South Nelson 1973 - Learden Residence – Richmond Hill 1973 – IBM HO – Toronto 1973 - St Francis of Assisi - Toronto 1974 – St Casmir's Church - Toronto 1974 - Good Sheppard Church - Ottawa 1974 - Our Lady of Ascension Church - Toronto 1974 - Birks Jeweler - Toronto 1974 - Bayview Country Club - Don Mills 1974 - B Schad Corporate Villa - Toronto 1974 – Husky Injection Molding System - Bolton 1975 - Holy Family Church - Toronto 1975 - Villa Colombo - Toronto 1975 - Charter Trust Company - Toronto 1975 - The Squire Top Restaurant - Milton 1975 - Imperial Oil Company - Edmonton 1975 - Allcan HQ Office - Toronto 1975 - Our Lady of Good Council - St Saint Marie 1975 - St Margaret Church - Thunder Bay 1975 - St Angela Merizzi Church - Windsor 1975 - Christ the Redeemer Church - Ajax 1975 - Holy Rosary Church - Milton 1975 - Como Mall - Buffalo 1975 - Four Seasons Hotel - Toronto 1975 - Eaton's Store - Vancouver 1976 - Round Tree Ltd - Toronto 1976 - Independence Hospital - Kansas City 1976 - The Royals - Kansas City 1976 - Assumption Collage - Windsor 1976 - Husky Injection Molding System - Bolton 1976 - Allcan HQ Office - Toronto 1977 - St Joseph Hospital - Thunder Bay 1977 - York Town Auto - Toronto 1977 - St John the Evangelist - Oakville 1977 - Husky Injection Molding System - Bolton 1977 - Allcan HQ Office - Toronto 1977 - Standard Modern Tools Ltd - Toronto 1977 - Oblate Father's Residence – Toronto 1978 - Kossar Residence - Toronto 1978 - St Charles Church – Toronto 1978 – Immaculate Conception Church – Toronto 1978 - Standard Modern Tools Ltd – Toronto 1978 – Copernicus Lodge - Toronto 1980 - St Gregory Church - St Saint Marie 1980 - Fran’s Restaurant – Toronto 1980 - TD Bank - Stratford 1980 - St Richard Church – Guelph 1980 - Holy Name of Mary - Port Credit 1981 - Markborough HQ - Erin Mills 1981 - St Monica Church – Wawa 1982 - B Schad Penthouse – Toronto 1982 – B Schad Cottage - Georgian Bay 1982 - Central United Church - Barrie 1982 - St Dominic Church - Thunder Bay 1982 - Hotel Dieu Hospital - Kingston 1982 - Our Lady of Mount Carmel - St Saint Marie 1983 - Toronto Western Hospital - Toronto 1983 - St Joseph Mother House – Kingston 1983 - Canadian Embassy – Riyadh – Saudi Arabia 1984 - Madonna Della Resurrection – Ottawa 1984 - Pope John Paul II – Toronto 1984 - B Schad Corporate Retreat - Georgian Bay 1985 – St John’s Church - Wabashene 1985 - Our Lady of Good Council - St Saint Marie 1985 - York Central Hospital - Richmond Hill 1985 - The Brampton Public Library - Brampton 1986 - Hotel Dieu Mother House - Chatham 1986 - St Michael Church – Dunnsville 1986 – Copernicus Lodge – Toronto 1986 - York Central Hospital - Richmond Hill 1987 - St Patrick Cathedral - Thunder Bay 1987 - Corpus Christi Church - Thunder Bay 1987 - Hotel Dieu Mother House - Kingston 1987 - Trappistines - Rogersville 1987 - Owl Rehabilitation Center - Vineland 1987 - Cambridge Memorial Hospital - Cambridge 1987 – St Peter - Sarnia 1987 - St Joseph Manor House - Thunder Bay 1987 - Allcan HQ Office - Toronto 1987 - York Central Hospital - Richmond Hill 1988 - City of Toronto Art Archive - Toronto 1988 - Royal Inland Hospital – Kamloops 1988 - York Central Hospital - Richmond Hill 1988 - Cambridge Memorial Hospital – Cambridge 1989 - Lethbridge Hospital - Lethbridge 1989 - St Jude Church - Weston 1989 - Our Lady of Fatima Church – Brampton 1989 - York Central Hospital - Richmond Hill 1989 - Cambridge Memorial Hospital – Cambridge 1990 - St Angela Merizzi Church – Windsor 1990 – St. Jude Church - Weston 2000 - Holy Redeemer Church – Erin 2001 - Art Show – Barrie 2002 - 3 Americas Art Show - New York 2002 - Art Show - Midland
Connaught Laboratories: A Brief History. Known as Connaught Laboratories during most of the 1920s through 1940s, and as Connaught Medical Research Laboratories after 1946, the Labs remained an uniquely organized, non-commercial and self-sustaining part of the University of Toronto from 1914 until 1972, when it was sold to the Canadian Development Corporation (CDC), a federal Crown corporation, and privatized. By 1989 the CDC had divested much of its interest in Connaught and Institut Merieux of Lyon, France, acquired a controlling stake in the company. By this time, Institut Mérieux had formed an alliance with the Pasteur Institute. Over the next decade Connaught remained the Canadian component of what became known as Pasteur Merieux Connaught, which, in turn, was owned by Rhone Poulenc, a French multinational chemical, agricultural and biotech company. In December 1999, Rhône Poulenc and the German pharmaceutical and chemical company, Hoechst, joined forces to create a new pharmaceutical/ biotech giant known as Aventis. In the process, Connaught's identity changed in a significant way for the third time since 1972. Pasteur Mérieux Connaught became known as Aventis Pasteur, and in Canada became the "Connaught Campus" of Aventis Pasteur. However, within five years, Aventis was transformed into the even larger Sanofi-Aventis Group, following the acquisition of Aventis by Sanofi-Synthelabo of Paris. The original Connaught identity thus shifted yet again to become the Canadian component of Sanofi Pasteur, the global vaccine business of Sanofi-Aventis.

Below is a small sampling of Alex's enormous body of work, highlighting his large public art, hospital projects (donor wall and mosaic murals), fountains, church mosaics and sculptures, and some of his recent paintings.