Rebecca Belmore and Osvaldo Yero transform the Hart House Great Hall
In May 2019, Hart House announced the artist team of Rebecca Belmore and Osvaldo Yero as the winners of the Hart House Centennial Commission.
Following a review process involving Elders, knowledge keepers, and key stakeholders of Hart House, the jury chose Rebecca Belmore and Osvaldo Yero’s proposal from a short-list of nine commissioned submissions by contemporary Indigenous artists and artists’ teams from across Canada. The artists were invited to exceed the centenary aspect of commemoration and to re-imagine Hart House as a place where the vestiges of its colonial past are disrupted and as a place where everyone will find welcome and unique ways to connect with each other and with the broader world.
A collaborative venture between Hart House and the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, of which Hart House is a founding member, the completed work was unveiled on November 12, 2019 at the Gala of the Century.
The form of the mirror will be based on the dimensions of the heavy wooden tables that are used in the Great Hall. We feel the room calls for a minimal, subtle artwork that can quietly take its place in this century-old room. Our mirror, in the form of a table, will look back on itself and anyone who enters the room.
Rebecca Belmore on her landmark commission entitled, waabidiziiyan doopwining (to see oneself at the table)
Gala of the Century
Be the first to view the art commission by purchasing a ticket to the Hart House 100 Anniversary Gala. Proceeds go towards supporting Hart House and its innovative programming.
Our Supporters
The Hart House Centennial Indigenous Art Commission is supported by Dr. Edward G. Thompson (BA 1967, MA 1973, PhD 1979). Ed is a vibrant member of the Hart House community. He works out twice a week at the fitness centre, served on the Hart House 100th Anniversary Advisory Committee and was member of the Hart House Senior Members Committee. We thank Ed for his continued friendship and support of this important initiative.
Donate NowI was grateful for the opportunity to support Hart House at this important moment. As I reflect on the many wonderful people I’ve met and experiences I’ve enjoyed at Hart House, it was an easy decision to give back. I invite other friends of Hart House to join me in support of this transformative artwork.
Dr. Ed Thompson
We gratefully acknowledge the operating support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council. Additional Centennial Commission individual support has been provided by Dr. Edward G. Thompson.
Damien Nelson Centennial Commission
Virginia Ise Hart House 100 Anniversary
