We are currently closed for the holiday season and will reopen on January 6th. Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to serving you in the new year! Happy Holidays from all of us!
Holiday Closure Notice
read more
Featured Stories
H’art Studio’s Fall 2024 Season
Embracing Our Shine: Welcome to H'art Studio's Fall Season As the leaves turn and the air gets crisp, we're excited to welcome you into H'art Studio's Fall season! This season, themed "Shine A Light On Me," invites H'art Studio artists to embark on a journey of...
H’art Centre Receives Ontario Arts Council Operating Grant
H'art Centre Receives Ontario Arts Council Operating Grant to Support Inclusive Arts Workshops, Training and More [Kingston, Ontario] — H’art Centre, Kingston’s award-winning inclusive arts hub and dedicated non profit charity, is excited to announce that it has...
H’art to Relocate to Providence Village
Providence Village Inc. (Providence Village) and H'art Centre of Smiles Inc. (H’art) are thrilled to announce their new partnership that will see H'art relocate to Providence Village inside the historic Providence Motherhouse building. This move strengthens both...
H’art Receives Funding from the Community Services Recovery Fund
Government of Canada's Community Services Recovery Fund supports EDI training at H’art [Kingston, Ontario ] H’art Centre, a leading charitable, non-profit inclusive arts organization was selected for funding from the Government of Canada's Community Services Recovery...
Summer Program in Full Swing
Summer at H'art Studio is a time to unwind from the big events of the season prior and recharge for the upcoming creative season! So, H'art Studio artists are taking part in a relaxed, creative journey this summer –– we like to say we will be exploring the natural...
Fall Programming: Join The Box Adventure
We are thrilled to introduce The Box Adventure, our Fall programming theme that invites H’art Studio artists to embark on an exciting journey of creativity and happiness. The Box Adventure is a series of workshops that combines various art forms, including...
Celebrating Summer: A Recap
Now that the summer season has come to a close, it's the perfect time to reflect on the incredible activities and accomplishments we experienced together. This summer, we talked about our emotions, what affects us emotionally, and how our emotions, in turn, can affect...
10 things to do at H’art Centre this summer
We are kicking off summer at H'art with an incredible lineup of activities ranging from field trips to new workshops, training opportunities, and even a soundscape workshop in The Mix. It’s going to be a fun, creative and enriching few weeks. We've compiled a list of...
Remembering Karen
It is with sadness that we share news of the passing of a long-time friend and brilliant artist, Karen Olivier. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family. Karen was one of the originals here at H’art Centre. She loved music, especially drumming, writing, and visual...
Message from the founder: H’art turns 25!
Dear friends, It's hard to believe that it's been 25 years already! As many of you know, H'art opened, with the help of countless community supporters, in a small visual arts studio on Montreal Street in downtown Kingston. Buoyed by the success of that visual arts...
New greeting cards available
Celebrate Freshwater is the new greeting card series featuring work by H'art Studio artists. Artists created delightful freshwater line-drawn fish enhanced with watercolours while learning more about the Great Lakes ecosystem. Proceeds support future inclusive arts...
First workshops in H’art Centre’s new outreach space to benefit Kingston seniors
This month, H'art Centre unveiled the first community workshops ever to be offered in its new outreach space, THE MIX. The much-anticipated fall workshops feature a line-up of four different mediums, all led by trained professional artists who combine inclusive...
$22,200 Grant Supports H’art Centre’s Outreach Workshops in The Mix
Kingston, ON – In May 2022, H’art Centre received a $22,200 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s (OTF) Resilient Communities Fund. This 9-month grant will support H’art Centre’s recovery from the impacts of COVID-19 by supporting the organization’s art...
Call for Submissions – Connecting Canadians: Freshwater
Call for Submissions Connecting Canadians: Freshwater National Exhibit The Mix Gallery at H'art Centre This year, H’art Centre has partnered with the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Great Lakes Water Quality...
New partnership with the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston
On April 15, H'art Centre and the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston announced a new partnership to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (15 April 1972) between Canada and the US. This partnership is an opportunity for...
Mix It Up campaign exceeds its objective
H’art Centre has announced the successful completion of its Mix It Up campaign. The group set a modest goal to raise $30,000 toward an expansion into a new space and outreach workshops. By the end, the Mix It Up! campaign raised more than $61,785, making it the most...
H’art announces 2022 Season
H'art Centre announced that a unique mix of artistic, educational, and environmental workshops, a partnership, exhibitions, and exhibits will be held under the umbrella of its 2022 Season. This year’s edition includes a set of creative initiatives and events that will...
Big changes for MixAbilities in 2022
H'art's MixAbilities Inclusive Arts Training Program is evolving again! The six-module program, designed to enhance access to the arts by ensuring artists and educators are trained to effectively and empathetically support artist-participants who are Deaf and those...
$42,300 OTF Grant Supports Virtual and On-Site Programming
Kingston, ON - In 2021, H’art Centre received a $42,300 grant from the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund - Operating stream. This grant, delivered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, will allow H’art Centre to hire staff, continue operating its facility,...
Executive Director receives Arts Champion Award
H'art Centre's Executive Director Katherine Porter was awarded the Arts Champion Award at a Mayor’s Arts Award ceremony in December. The Mayor's Arts Awards is an annual recognition program that celebrates high artistic achievement and recognizes extraordinary...
A few firsts for the 2021 Doseger Award
For the first time, two Doseger Awards were presented at the Brook Catherine Doseger Endowment Fund Award ceremony in December. Victor Orozco received the initial award, which honours the important role that post-secondary students play in the success of H’art....
H’art kicks off Mix It Up! campaign
The public phase of a $30,000 campaign to expand already benefiting from community support Yesterday, H’art Centre and some early supporters launched the public phase of a fundraising campaign that will see the organization expand into a neighbouring space. The Mix...
OAEA Awards MixAbilities Facilitator
H’art Centre is pleased to announce Karen Dolan, its MixAbilities Inclusive Arts Training Program Facilitator, received a 2021 Community Art Educator of the Year from the Ontario Arts Education Association at a virtual ceremony held last night. The Community Art...
Studio Makes a Connection thanks to City and Harry Foster Foundation
The COVID-19 pandemic has created long periods of isolation and disconnection. So, this Fall season, H'art Studio artists will reflect on the experience and concentrate on creative ways to reconnect and bring joy back into our lives and to others in our community....
Feedback from MixAbilities Inaugural
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...
Message from our Founder: Build back a stronger arts sector
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...
Go Wireless: A lifeline for seniors
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...
Remembering Shirley
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...
Studio artists salute community helpers
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...
H’art shares expertise across Ontario
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...
When the world shuts down, Artists Connect!
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),...
Memo to H’art Families & Staff: Update about local immunization roll-out
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...
Memo to H’art Families & Staff: Ontario’s Phase 2 announcement
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...
CURRENT PROJECT: Finding Good
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...
H’art presents 2020 Doseger Award
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...
Studio unveils first online art sale
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...
Welcome to our new website
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...
New Inclusivity Guide tool launches
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...
2020 Celebrating Accessibility Awards
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...
Your time to train: MixAbilities
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...
Reimagining Small Things
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...
CFKA supports H’art
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...
Virtual program prepares for growth
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...
Season of Solos (and safety)
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...
H’art Studio’s Fall 2020 Programming
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...
A Message From The Founder: Our Phased Return
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...
Your look into reopening protocols
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,...
Virtual H’art Studio attracts artists from a distance
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...
H’art studies its virtual program: Here’s why!
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...