HOPE Portraits

These triptychs are the result of a mentorship between the Lyceum students and the West End Phoenix. Each of the four students selected a community leader in whom they found inspiration: a person whose vision translates into agency for positive change. They were assigned a formal portrait, an environmental portrait and a detail study of a “tool of their trade”.

Pia Bouman, Founder and Artistic Director at Pia Bouman School for Ballet, filmed February 7th in her studio. Her shoes tell the story of her ability to lift herself and others to their potential through dance.

Anita Bright, Midwife at Midwife Alliance, filmed in her clinic room on February 14th. Her hands have supported and intuited the care of many women and have literally caught over 500 new lives.

Andrew McMartin, Founder and Director of The Pine Project, filmed February 21st in Etienne Brule Park. The fire is both practical and symbolic of his practice of teaching children how to appreciate and respect nature.

Tanya Golden, Founder of the Island Art School, filmed September 5th in and around her home studio on Toronto Island. Children have sat around and left their mark on her art table for 24 years.

These portraits have waited through lockdown for their moment. Both the images and the words of the subjects cast a hopeful glance toward the future, with dedication, sensitivity and inspiration for good leadership.

Thank you to Jalani Morgan for sharing your expertise with us, to Dave Bidini for providing ongoing support and opportunities in print and to Marina Dempster for being our in-house actualizer. We are fortunate (an grateful) to work with these incredible mentors.

– Mia, Julian, Violet and Paloma
with Holly Venable