This summer is full of virtual adventures and music. H'art Studio artists are exploring our city through virtual tours of art galleries and museums. We are discovering sights near and far and imagining wide-open spaces. We are starting with watercolours and mixed...
It is always a pleasure to get feedback from people who benefit from our programs. Sarah Howard is a community artist, musician, and songwriter who participated in a full-day MixAbilities Inclusive Arts Training inaugural event in June. It inspired her to post her...
Recently, I listened to the 10/3 podcast, “How COVID-19 dropped the curtain on Canada’s arts sector”. Calgary Herald arts reporter Eric Volmers spoke with clarity about the value of the arts sector in Canada and how it has taken a beating during the pandemic. Many of...
Seniors at Fairmount Home were already preparing to use technology to stay engaged and active before the pandemic hit thanks to a pilot project launched by H’art Centre’s outreach program in December 2018 and implemented in 2019. “Little did we know that our Go...
Long-time H’art Centre volunteer June Methot presented Sonia Gentile, Executive Director of Family and Children's Services of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington with 20 “masked” teddy bears for the children served by the organization. Methot, 88, made the bears by hand...
Our sincere condolences go to the family and friends of Shirley Ballantyne. We know there are many. Shirley was a true community champion. She was a volunteer and then a member of H’art’s board of directors for three years. Even after she finished her term on the...
The first in a series of Finding Good art sales is here –– and available to you online! This collection features 14 painted wood sculptures. The sculptures depict the helpers in our community. Look for a celebration of doctors, teachers, nurses, zoo keepers, 911...
Special Olympics Ontario invited Executive Director Katherine Porter and MixAbilities Facilitator Karen Dolan, along with 40+ art educators, instructors, and other education and learning admin staff, to be part of a three-hour panel designed to support the Art Gallery...
From January to March, the "Artist Connect" project brought artists from across Canada together to talk about making art in the digital world. Artist Connect was presented by Ottawa’s BEING Studio, in partnership with H'art Centre (Kingston), The Space (Ottawa),...
Ready to spread your wings? H’art Centre is here if you! H'art Studio offers limited on-site programming and a virtual H’art Studio program. Remember, you can join Virtual H'art Studio anytime, from anywhere. Teachers, administrators, and parent organizations!...
Thanks to the MixAbilities "Inaugural" Project, H'art will invite 10 community artists to complete our MixAbilities Inclusive Arts Training, including a practicum option, and explore our online best practices. We will further build our roster of community artists...
H’art Participants, Families, Caregivers, and Staff: This is a quick note to keep you informed about the province’s immunization rollout. Based on information from the KFL&A Public Health website, the KFL&A region is currently vaccinating: Staff and essential...
Update to Participants, Families, and Staff of H’art Centre: Ontario has announced its updated vaccination plan which details the specific people who are eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccines. Phase 2 lists people with intellectual or developmental disabilities...
Last season, H’art Studio artists explored the driving force of inspiration. They looked at how local artists use their own personal interests to inspire their creations. For instance, some local artists have been inspired to create artwork that features food,...
H'art Centre is launching a new season and plans for monthly art projects under the slogan, “Finding Good”. “People have been isolated, missing friends and loved ones, feeling bored, tired, stuck, and out of shape,” said Katherine Porter, Executive Director of H’art...
This week at a virtual ceremony, Urooj Salar, a Bachelor of Health Sciences Queen's University student, received the 2020 Brook Catherine Doseger Endowment Fund Award. Urooj, who was the unanimous winner of this year’s award, hopes to pursue a career in health, as she...
We decided to create a new way for H'art collectors to interact with the work on sale. The long-awaited Small Things art sale is here –– and available to you online! We postponed the sale in the spring but didn't forget the work that went into this collection. To...
Our shiny new site is live! ✨ With this launch, the last piece of our refreshed brand identity falls into place. We think it captures the energy and enthusiasm of our organization. Check out the new features: A NEW featured...
H'art launched a new tool last week. The Inclusivity Guide is a one-stop resource for community arts leaders and event organizers. It will help them consider the accessibility of their next art event and encourage the inclusion of individuals with disabilities. This...
The City of Kingston informed us we will receive the Celebrating Accessibility Award at a virtual ceremony this year. We will receive the award for developing virtual inclusive arts programming best practices in response to the pandemic. Our main goal was to maintain...
H'art Centre will issue a call to community artists in January. The call will invite them to apply for the next round of our MixAbilities Inclusive Arts Training Program. MixAbilities helps community artists and educators effectively and empathetically support...
Small Things was two weeks from its opening. H'artists were preparing to take the Isabel Bader Human Rights Arts Festival stage. Then, Ontario shut down public performances due to the COVID-19 crisis. Right now, H'art is exploring ways to reinvent and remount our...
This week, H'art Centre received a boost. The Community Foundation for Kingston and Area announced they will provide a one-time $15,000 operational grant. The funds will support our H'art Studio program in 2021. "We look forward to the possibility of moving back to a...
What's next for "Virtual H'art Studio"? In 2021, H'art will enrich its content and expand its reach. We will look at what made the 2020 Zoom workshops successful. The team will dig into feedback from participants, staff, and consultants. From there, the administration...
The fall is flying by and we can’t believe that we near the halfway point of November. Both onsite and online H’artists have completed their exploration of local artists' inspirations and are in the creation phase of "Season of Solos". Local artists use personal...
Today, we are pleased to announce the details of our Fall 2020 H'art Studio programming. The Fall session, which we are calling Season of Solos, will include visual arts, music, and dance workshops on the theme of "inspiration". The new session begins on September 8th...
This has been a challenging time and the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on all of us. As most of Ontario is now entering Stage 3 of the Framework for Reopening Our Province, we wanted to thank you for supporting H’art Centre during this time of...
Since March, while we pioneered virtual programming, H'art Centre focused on getting ready for our eventual return to on-site programming. In consultation with Kingston's Public Health inspectors and nurses, we prepared the Centre with enhanced protocols, processes,...
It has been said that there is an opportunity in every crisis. When H'art Centre shut down to on-site programming due to the pandemic, we had no idea what opportunity would arise. Without missing a beat, our instructors and administrators worked hard to deliver...
To help raise awareness about the value of the arts to people with disabilities or barriers to participation in the arts, we routinely invites post-secondary students to complete their field placement requirements at H'art Centre. This year, "routine" has had nothing...
Although the doors may have been closed, the work did not stop. We want to thank The Conservatory, a BOX Resident, for donating renovations in order to maintain a safe and accessible dance studio for all abilities. THE BOX has new flooring, a fresh new coat of paint,...
Thanks to the Canada Summer Jobs program, funded by the Government of Canada, H'art Centre is adding additional summer students to our administrative and creative staff. Four summer students will contribute to our team efforts during the reopening phase as we deliver...
The overall theme of the Fall Season is "Season of Solos". H'art artists will demonstrate the "personal interest and inspiring force behind each creation" in many artistic disciplines. We are pleased to announce Daniel Chalmers, a local professional...
The Kingston Arts Council and the City of Kingston announced the recipients of the 2020 City of Kingston Arts Fund grants recently. H'art Centre was among only 11 local arts organizations that received an operating grant. Take a moment to read an article in the...
It was recently announced, H'art Centre will receive funding through the Emergency Community Support Fund to continue to deliver online programming to H’art Studio participants who are not yet able to return to the Centre through March 2021. This support will go far...
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, H'art artists were dealing with the disappointment of the postponed performance of Small Things and the uncomfortable experience of being isolated at home away from their regular routine and friends. We reached out to the...
Everyone will face uncertain times. It is during these moments that friends and family step forward to lend a hand, often without being asked. We want to thank the H'art family members who stepped forward when we needed it the most and generously donated and supported...
When musician David Archibald wanted to make a short video to illustrate the popular "Five-Lined Skink" song that he wrote for Bon Echo Provincial Park, he turned to the artists in the H'art Studio program and asked if they would be interested in making some art for...
H'art Centre staff will observe regular hours on the Civic Holiday Monday and the office will be open. Please contact 613-545-1392 for more detailed information. Thank you.
Due to the pandemic, most H’art Studio artists are now isolated from social connections, facing severe disruptions to their daily routines, and dealing with the disappointment of a postponed Small Things production. Although our physical space is closed, we continue...
Thanks to two Occupational Therapy students from Queen's University, our MixAbilities Inclusive Arts Training program will soon include a guide to help make Kingston's "accessibility information more accessible". The guide will help community arts leaders determine...
We are happy to announce the addition of a second Zoom workshop to our weekly schedule. Some of Kingston's most amazing community artists are now leading our H'art Studio artists in different mediums. Here are a few: Tuesday, May 5: Percussion with Daniel Chalmers...
After years of highly collaborative work in theatre and dance, H'art artists had to shift quickly into being creative during a time of isolation and social distancing. Change can be scary but it can also support opportunity. So, H'art Studio artists will explore their...
Although our doors are closed, our programming has not stopped. We have adapted our programming to a new virtual space. Every day, instructors and guest artists work to prepare assignments, communicate our schedule and plans, and encourage artists on their creative...
Throughout the shutdown, instructors, administration, and communication staff have been working hard behind the scenes. Our goals have been to: connect with every H'art artist, connect them to each other, set a new routine, introduce meaningful activities, and share...
Many, many organizations have been closed to participation due to public health recommendations meant to slow the transmission of COVID-19 across Canada. H'art Centre is one of them. While it is tempting to dwell on the disruptions to daily routines, the...
It's National Volunteer Week and we wanted to say thank you to our volunteers - past and present - and the many, many volunteers who are giving so much to our communities at this time. Thank you!
LATEST INFORMATION April 9, 2020 With the continuing uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, H’art Centre will remain closed until further notice. We will be monitoring COVID-19 developments as they happen and will be updating our website and phone message to keep...
Like you, H'art Centre is closely monitoring the development of the COVID-19 pandemic and related directives. To support community efforts, we have suspended all rehearsals at this time and postponed the performances of SMALL THINGS (scheduled for April 17 & 18)...
Menka Nagrani, the founder of Montreal’s integrated dance company Les Productions des Pieds des Main, has joined choreographer Melissa Mahady Wilton, co-Artistic Director of The Conservatory, to deliver inclusive dance workshops this season as part of a project called...