Katharine Harvey

Solo Exhibition at Bordered Image in Markham

Katharine Harvey — Sat, 17 May 2025 22:59:45 +0000

Marking the grand reopening of their new location, Bordered Image is pleased to present a solo exhibition of my work curated by Yuluo Wei located at 333 Denison Street, Unit 19, Markham, Ontario.

The show will be on view from May 25 through July 31, 2025, Tuesday to Saturday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and by appointment. Contact Peter Moon at: (905) 474-9593, or by email at: sa***@***********ge.ca, website: www.borderedimage.ca

Curator Yuluo Wei writes: “‘Luminous Layers’ underscores Harvey’s mastery of layering as both technique and metaphor. Here, by placing her public interventions in dialogue with her studio explorations, this exhibition opens a space for reflection: on the spaces we pass through, the ones we build and inhabit, and the quiet revolutions that colour can awaken within us.”

Since its establishment in 1989, Bordered Image has been a cornerstone of professional custom picture framing and art studio services in Markham and the Greater Toronto Area. Over the years, the business has proudly collaborated with esteemed clients, including the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Staples head office, providing tailored framing solutions that beautifully complement their artistic visions. Accessibility: The space is regrettably not accessible.

The exhibition is generously supported by Steelcase Art Projects (SAP). @steelcaseartprojects

Industrial Arts is a five-acre working site comprising three industrial buildings in Markham. The units are currently leased by fabricators, importers, print shops, and other light industrial manufacturers. After 40 years of serving this tenant base, ownership is now in the hands of the next generation.

A new vision is transforming Industrial Arts into a place for artistic experimentation. Working with our current tenants and the surrounding community, Industrial Arts aims to connect business to the arts through knowledge and skill exchange, resulting in unconventional collaborations that benefit both art and industry.

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Contemporary art group show at Galerie Clara Maria Sels

Katharine Harvey — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 19:36:51 +0000

A contemporary art gallery exhibition at Galerie Clara Maria Sels in Düsseldorf, Germany, featured five female artists in the fall of 2024. The show, entitled “The Grace of Materiality”, included the works of Brigitte Dams, Anke Eilergerhard, Katharine Harvey, Claudia von Koolwijk, and Anke Lohrer. The creators braided and wove artworks, applied in layers or with piping bags, embroidered or translated into other media. The grace of materiality presented disparate artists who united in their practice of experimentation and exploration of unusual materials.

My contemporary art paintings in the “Blueprint” series evolved out of my ambitious public artwork. “Shea’s Victoria”, completed for Great Gulf, is a condominium development at 25 Richmond Street East in downtown Toronto. I discovered this was the site of a Beaux-Arts theatre designed in 1908 for vaudeville acts and the first silent films. Called Shea’s Victoria, its exterior was relatively modest while inside it was as ornate as the live-theatre houses of the same era, including the Elgin and Winter Garden around the corner on Yonge Street in Toronto.

Defined by a riot of curving shapes and colour-saturated lines, my paintings take their inspiration from the theatre’s original blueprints. As with my other series, the public art project provided new material for my painting practice. Curves and forms, starting as fragments of century-old motifs, liquify into brilliant colour and light. The “Blueprint” series expresses an energy all its own. Each painting’s composition, maximized to the spatial boundaries of its framework, offers a powerful display of painterly expression and passion.

As a special project, I created an acrylic painting on a wooden canoe paddle for the gallery show. This artwork is available for sale through my SIGN IN shop. REGISTER to browse prices and artwork details. Simply enter your email and choose a password to get started.

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Contemporary art gallery at Queen’s University BFA Reunion Weekend

Katharine Harvey — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 16:27:43 +0000

A contemporary art gallery exhibition by alumni of BFA and BArtEd programs at Queen’s University entitled “Home Again” was on view at Union Gallery. The show in early September 2024 included “Full Circle IV study blue”, part of my Blueprint series.

The Queen’s University Alumni Review quoted me in August as saying: “Artists are visionaries who shape our world. Through our imagination and intuition, we create thought-provoking works never seen before. Artists are cultural workers, playing a vital role in reflecting and influencing our society. Handmade art with its unique human touch will become even more valuable in our digital age.”

I believes it is crucial to provide more opportunities for female artists. I also believe that exhibitions like Home Again are an opportunity for emerging artists to showcase their works.

“This is the first time, to my knowledge, that the Fine Art department at Queen’s has celebrated our program and celebrated what we’ve done since graduating,” noted Angela Walsh Noble. “That’s kind of cool. And I know my work has changed since I was there. It is exciting to see how others’ work also evolved and changed.”

The exhibit included pieces from more than 75 alumni and was supported by the Queen’s University Alumni Association’s (QUAA) special project grant. The grant was used to offset shipping costs, so alumni artists from around the world could participate in the show.

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Winner of my GIVEAWAY contest

Katharine Harvey — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 14:53:30 +0000

The WINNER of my GIVEAWAY contest is…drumroll, please….Dolkar Tenpa from Oakville, Ontario.

Thank you to everyone who participated by signing up for my monthly newsletters, sharing my emails and posts, and/or visiting my YouTube channel or Instagram account. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Dolkar won two 24-by-30-inch prints (unframed) of my public art mosaic, “Trout Lily Blue Flag Iris”, 2020 ceramic mosaic 8 by 14 feet at Chester subway station, Toronto.

Dolkar is a former work colleague of mine from many years ago. She is a lovely person and it is so fun to reconnect with her. Thank you, Dolkar, for your enthusiasm for me work.

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Morden Yolles

Katharine Harvey — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 23:59:52 +0000

Morden Yolles (1925 – 2024) passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by family, on Monday, January 22, 2024, in his 99th year of life. Mordy was the son of Leon and Dora; the devoted husband of Edie; and the loving father of Eric and Dylan. He was the youngest brother of Burle, Ruby, Sylvia and David; and had a special bond with his sisters-in-law, Louise Yolles and Gerry Wasserman. He was the beloved uncle of Catherine, Ian, Joanne, Vanessa, Jeffrey, Hal, Aaron and Michael, and their partners and children. – Published by The Globe and Mail from Jan. 25 to Jan. 31, 2024. Read the full obituary HERE.

Huge Supporter

Morden Yolles was a huge supporter of my artistic career. I met Mordy in 1996. A temp agency sent me to his office for a job interview. Mordy needed a new secretary who could write shorthand. I noticed a photo of a public artwork by Tadashi Kawamata on his wall, which showed that his office had provided structural engineering for the project. We talked about art for an hour. At the end, he asked me if I knew shorthand, and I said, “No, but I can write really fast.” Mordy hired me.

Personal assistant

I was his personal assistant on a part-time basis while I pursued my artistic career. Not only was he wonderful to work for, but he also unknowingly became my second father. My own Dad died the week before I started working for Mordy. The job gave me the support I needed to rent a studio and continue painting.

Culture Vultures

After working for Mordy for 14 years, I was able to pursue my art career full-time. Our friendship turned into being “culture vultures” together. He was gleefully curious about so many things. Whether watching a puppet show, exploring an eccentric sculpture park, photographing graffiti, or trying a new restaurant, his mind was open, and he was ready for adventure. He always had one word for these joyful encounters: INCREDIBLE.

In Conversation

Morden Yolles interviewed me in 2020 about my painting series, Blueprint. We also discussed my large-scale public art commission for Great Gulf’s residential building at 25 Richmond Street East in Toronto.

In Memoriam

Beth Kapusta wrote an article about Morden posthumously, which appears in the Canadian Architect magazine. You can read the full article HERE.

Jigsaw puzzles

Every August, we would go on a road trip to visit his land in Tweed. When getting in and out of the Skootamatta River became more challenging, our “canoe trips” became an exploration of fine dining and antique shops in nearby Prince Edward County. When Mordy became more housebound in the past year, Beth Kapusta and I visited him every week, bringing dinner and working on a jigsaw puzzle while we chatted. On the first puzzle, he said, “I’ll be dead before you finish that.” Beth and I were working on our seventh puzzle when Mordy passed away peacefully in his beloved art-filled living room, surrounded by his family. We will all miss him dearly. But he would make a pun about that.

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Contemporary art show at Galerie Borchardt in Hamburg

Katharine Harvey — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 23:04:57 +0000

My recycled plastic wall installation, “Shea’s Victoria XXIV”, was on view at Galerie Borchardt and BAID Architektur in Hamburg, Germany. Due to popular demand, the BAU KUNST! group show was extended until April 2024.

Significantly, Jan Kage from Berlin curated the eight-artist show as part of Hamburg’s Architektursommer 2023. The festival promoted the collaboration between artists and architects. You can see more detailed images of the installation on my webpage here. As I have noted, my installation comprised hundreds of recycled plastic vacuum-form packages and cardboard.

Wall installation

My 9-by-6-foot wall installation comprised hundreds of discarded plastic vacuum-form packages and cardboard collected by me and my local community. I aimed to inspire social awareness about sustainable art practices.

Paintings also on view

The gallery showed four of my recent acrylic paintings from my Blueprint series. Here are my paintings “in situ” on location in the architectural offices of BAID Artchitektur.

Gallery view with “Shea’s Victoria XIII (lines)” 2021 acrylic on board 20 x 16 inches. Price: Euros 2500.

Architecture office view with (left) “Shea’s Victoria XIV (water)” 2021 acrylic on board 24 x 30 inches. Price: Euros 3900 and (right) “Shea’s Victoria XVI (yellow)” 2021 acrylic on board 24 x 30 inches. Price: Euros 3900.

Architecture office view with “Shea’s Victoria XXII (red)” 2021 acrylic on board 20 x 16 inches. Price: Euros 2500.

Contact me for more information about these paintings, which relate to my public artwork, “Shea’s Victoria”, in downtown Toronto.

Exhibition newspaper as a PDF

A PDF of the newspaper created by Galerie Borchardt and BAID Architektur is available below. It is written in German.

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Recyclable Plastic “Shea’s Victoria XXIV” wall installation

Katharine Harvey — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 00:53:44 +0000

BAU KUNST! exhibition

My recyclable plastic wall installation, “Shea’s Victoria XXIV”, is on view at Galerie Borchardt and BAID Architektur in Hamburg, Germany. Significantly, Jan Kage from Berlin curated the eight-artist show as part of Hamburg’s Architektursommer 2023. The festival promotes the collaboration between artists and architects. You can see more detailed images of the installation on my webpage here. As I have noted, my installation comprises hundreds of recycled plastic vacuum-form packages and cardboard.

Studio work in progress

I created “Shea’s Victoria XXIV” in my studio, working with recyclable plastic, which the local Toronto community and I collected. Afterwards, I dismantled it into six separate panels and shipped it to the gallery in Hamburg.

Paintings also on view

The gallery is showing four of my recent acrylic paintings from my Blueprint series. Contact me for more details about these paintings, which relate to my public artwork, “Shea’s Victoria”, in downtown Toronto.

To help tell the story, here are some photos from the event.

Photos from the event

Curator Jan Kage (crouching down because he is so tall!), myself, and gallery owner, Peter Borchardt.

As the evening started, Isabel Hueppe and I posed in front of the recycled plastic wall installation.

Later on, Julia and Rik Reinking dropped by from Woods Art Institute (WAI). Unquestionably, this dynamic duo run one of the most impressive private art centres I have ever visited. In addition, Rik Reinking is among the most knowledgeable and forward-thinking art collectors in the world. He fosters an inspirational place with his multi-talented wife, Julia, both of whom I am honoured to call my friends. The WAI private collection allows deep contemplation about culture and humankind.

On opening night, our good friend, Isabel Hueppe, myself, and my husband, Clemens Sels, finally relaxed with a refreshing drink.

Exhibition newspaper as a PDF

A PDF of the newspaper created by Galerie Borchardt and BAID Architektur is available below. It is written in German.

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Making Waves silent art auction in support of clean water June 1st

Katharine Harvey — Mon, 29 May 2023 19:51:49 +0000

MAKING WAVES silent art auction + exhibition in support of clean water

The event took place in June at Receiving Door No. 1 in Toronto.

Making Waves

MAKING WAVES art auction and exhibition supported Water First initiatives, dedicated to championing clean drinking water in Indigenous communities in Canada. The organization accomplishes this through education, training, and meaningful collaboration. Proceeds from the auction were donated to Water First.

Twelve accomplished Canadian artists

Twelve accomplished Canadian artists created unique works of art on beautifully crafted NORQUAY canoe paddles made sustainably from FCS-certified cherry wood. These paddles are meticulously hand-painted, signed by each artist, and offered in the silent art auction. The featured artists include Shelley Adler, Matt Bahen, Benny Bing, Steve Driscoll, Joe Fleming, Rhys Farrell, Graham Gillmore, Katharine Harvey, Rob Nicholls, Anders Oinonen, Pascal Paquette, and Stanzie Tooth. The paddles are exhibited at Receiving Door No. 1 in the Stockyards district of Toronto.

My design

I based my paddle design on my recent painting series Blueprint which in turn is based on my recent public artwork, Shea’s Victoria. The large hand-painted windows are located at 25 Richmond Street East in downtown Toronto. Shea’s Victoria Theatre once stood on this site – a Beaux-Arts vaudeville playhouse designed in 1908. My paintings take their inspiration from the theatre’s blueprints. I capture fragments of century-old motifs and liquefy them into a riot of curving shapes and colour-saturated lines. These flourishes provide a jumping-off point to reference Toronto’s built history.

Paddle sold to the highest bidder!

A private collector in Toronto bought my paddle. Swipe through the photos to see my paddle hung “in situ” in the art collector’s home.

Origins

Canadian artist Joe Fleming and Greg and Steve Rodriguez, owners of The Bait Shop, initiated the Making Waves art auction. I extend my gratitude to the other artists and the sponsors — NORQUAY, Receiving Door No. 1, Legs Florentine, General Hardware, Ice ASAP, Ace Hill, and Kings Lock — for their outstanding collaboration and support.

Water First

Water First Charitable Registration No: 83852 5269 RR0001 www.waterfirst.ngo

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Drone show is the largest artistic display in Canada

Katharine Harvey — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 07:00:50 +0000

Drone Show

My twelve-minute drone show featured 108 illuminated drones performing in the night sky. Northcrest Developments, in collaboration with Luminato Festival Toronto and North York Arts, presented the free, family-friendly event, “Light Up Downsview”.

Free Event

On November 12th, 2022, Northcrest welcomed the community to the Downsview Airport Lands. The free evening of illuminated wonder showcased my drone show, “Turning In The Light”. In addition, the event offered complimentary hot beverages, DJ Elegance music, and Shadowland Theatre Company entertainment.

Northcrest Developments

“The Downsview Airport Lands are poised to become Toronto’s next destination for innovation, jobs, and vibrant public spaces. Furthermore, Northcrest was thrilled to welcome back the people of Toronto for Canada’s largest artistic drone show to date,” said Mitchell Marcus, Executive Director, Site Activation & Programming at Northcrest Developments. “Significantly, the event attracted many families plus tech and cultural enthusiasts to this free event at the normally restricted airport lands. We lit up the sky with a breathtaking display of aerial art!”

Mystery of the Cosmos

“Turning in the Light” is a twelve-minute drone light show with 108 independent drones enacting eight scenes in the sky, some based on my recent paintings. I explore the mystery of the cosmos as interpreted by architectural space. Using their expert vision, Northstar Drone Shows programmed the flight paths of the drones to paint each artistic image in the sky. For those unfamiliar with this technology, imagine fireworks set to music without loud explosions, air, or noise pollution. Afterwards, we welcomed the public to see the drone field up close and talk to the flight crew. An Ontario Arts Council grant partially funded the artist’s creation.

A dream comes to fruition

“I was so excited that my dream of painting magic in the sky came to fruition after two and a half years,” says Katharine Harvey. “Aerial cinematographers, Hexwing of Montreal, captured the show. Afterwards, I created a short film for the public and will create a series of paintings based on it.”

Northcrest Developments presents “Light Up Downsview” as part of an ongoing free cultural series. For more information, please visit www.northcrestdev.com/whats-on.

About Northcrest Developments

Northcrest Developments is a Toronto-based real estate developer leading the planning and redevelopment of the Downsview Airport Lands. Northcrest is wholly owned by the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), one of Canada’s largest pension fund managers, which manages funds for the Public Service of Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Reserve Force.

About Luminato Festival Toronto

Luminato Festival Toronto is a convenor and catalyst for significant, bold contemporary works of art. Each June, Luminato kicks off the summer with a festival to welcome the world to Toronto, presenting, producing, and commissioning exceptional Canadian and international artists. Throughout the year, Luminato works with artists from the diverse cultures and communities of the city region, supporting creative development and bringing their art to the world stage. We connect local voices with global conversations and ground our work in equity, inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability. Most importantly, we believe in the power of art to start conversations and inspire audiences.

About North York Arts

North York Arts (NYA) is one of six Local Arts Service Organizations (LASOs) in Toronto whose purpose is to deliver on the City’s social, economic, and cultural goals outside of the downtown core. NYA addresses the needs and interests of artists, arts organizations and residents in North York.

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DIY Lantern pattern

Katharine Harvey — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 16:39:50 +0000

I created a DIY lantern pattern in collaboration with Shadowland Theatre and North York Arts. First, I created a new colouring page called “Design Your Own Galaxy”, based on a James Webb Space Telescope image. Then, our team configured this page into a printable page. The PDF pattern is below.

This interactive, family activity formed part of the “Light Up Downsview” event on November 12, 2022. My twelve-minute drone light performance featured 108 illuminated drones performing in the night sky, presented by Northcrest Developments in collaboration with Luminato Festival Toronto and North York Arts.

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