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Mayor Larry’s Swap Box

Elmaks left a clue in the comments about the location of yet another swap box: Where does the Invisible Man pay his late fees? Robin beat me to the Invisible Cinema, and swapped a finger puppet for a button. By the time I got there on Sunday morning, his finger puppet was gone, and there […]

New Swap Box on the Block

If you haven’t been reading the comments in the Fall and Rise of the Swap Box post, you’ve missed some big news. With Gilles’ help in the googling department, the Swap Box artist was identified (his name is Elmaks), and he turned out to also be our beloved Mirror Art artist. He even visited and […]

The fall and rise of the Swap Box

The other day, when the Somerset House (aka The Ritz Hotel, back in the day) suffered an internal collapse, I immediately checked to make sure the Swap Box – mounted on an outside wall – was intact. It was.

On Monday, however, the Swap Box was lying on the sidewalk. Somebody had wrenched it from the […]

Swap Box survives building collapse

As you’ve probably already heard, the building upon which the Swap Box is mounted suffered a partial collapse yesterday!

Fortunately it was an interior collapse, and the Swap Box is okay. It’s cordoned off so nobody can get at it anymore, but it’s still there and it’s still okay.

The last thing I put in […]

Life is Everywhere, Part II: The Swap Box

Do you remember Life is Everywhere, which was right next to Big Bud’s on Bank Street, and which was one piece in a series of street art pieces being discovered by local bloggers?

Well, a few months ago I reported that Life is Everywhere was GONE.

Today I’m delighted to report that there’s a new piece […]

Remembering Elmaks

It was on this day, a year ago, that Ottawa’s favourite street artist hiked into the forest, lay down under a tree, and died.

His parents recently sent me a photograph of his headstone, along with an explanation of the symbols, and kindly gave me permission to share it here.

in the top left corner is Lady […]

Heartwarming Goodbyes

CCOC (Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation) wasn’t just a nice place to work. It turned out to be a nice place to leave, too.

On my last day of work, they took me out for a lovely lunch and presented me with a swap box (!) filled with goodies like antique office supplies and a bird’s nest […]

Saying goodbye

The art-making party for Elmaks was wonderful and fitting, and the service the next day was lovely.

I don’t usually say funerals are lovely, but this one was. His art decorated the room, and several pieces from the art-making party the night before were there too. (Not mine. I’m still working on mine.)

There was […]

Blessing of the Animals

We started the day at an estate auction run by a crabby auctioneer, followed by breakfast in a Glebe diner. Over breakfast, GC and I wrote a note to Elmaks, and later we visited his final swap box, which is hanging on the construction fencing on Bank Street, around Third Avenue.

We left the note […]

Goodbye, Elmaks

Maks and Oboe

Elmaks, local street artist, inventor of The Swap Box, and all-round nice guy and gentle soul, died on Thursday. I’m told that his body was found in the forest on Friday, and that he had committed suicide.

I’m shaken and saddened by this news. I didn’t even realize he was depressed.

He came […]