Featured Image: Tea for Dr. Strange and the Hillary House (2022) George Keltika, Oil on Canvas; Installed in Hillary House National Historic Site
Inspirations from a Space of Healing
December 10, 2022 – January 28, 2023
Virtual Gallery available until February 10, 2023
A multisite exhibition displayed at Hillary House National Historic Site and Aurora Town Hall (Upper/North Entrance)
Curated by the Aurora Historical Society and Aurora Cultural Centre
Featured from the Society of York Region Artists: Bill Lunshof, Carol Walthers, Catherine Fairs, Christine Valentini, George Keltika, Hans Backer, Karin Adams, Kevin McBean, Linda Welch, Lucy Quin, Melinda Schnalzer, Sharon Nielsen, and Vikki Mikkola.
Hillary House Admission Fee: $5.00
Aurora Town Hall Admission Fee: No Charge
Curated in collaboration, the Aurora Historical Society and Aurora Cultural Centre are pleased to present Inspirations from a Space of Healing; a multisite exhibition on display at Hillary House National Historic Site and Aurora Town Hall.
Inspirations from a Space of Healing is a process-based exhibition inspired by Hillary House National Historic Site. Built in 1862, Hillary House was used as a doctor’s practice and family residence for over 100 years. Showcasing a significant collection of medical instruments, books, household furnishings, as well as a collection of personal objects from the historical families in residence, Hillary House is full of artifacts that trigger reflection and inspire deep contemplation.
Leading up to the exhibition, members from the Society of York Region Artists (SOYRA) were invited to Hillary House to engage with the space, its artifacts, and the stories of its past inhabitants. Meditating on the intersectional history of medicine and domestic life, artists were asked to respond to Hillary House’s unique position as space of healing.
Relying on resources within the site to fuel their creative process, many returned throughout the summer to sketch, research, and further develop their creative projects. Preliminary work from these sessions can also be found on display throughout the exhibition.
Through painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, and sculpture, artworks in this exhibition converge past and present into visual form. Utilizing Hillary House as a window into history, artists express their own relationships with healing through personal stories and connections to the past. Inspirations from a Space of Healing explores the unique position of both the medicinal and domestic sphere, inviting the viewer to consider their own ideas of what it means to truly heal.
Virtual Gallery
December 10, 2022 – February 10, 2023
Explore the exhibition at both venues in this 360 Virtual Gallery. Feel like you’re there in person as you travel through the exhibition, seeing the scale of the artworks and how as they speak to each other.
To use the Virtual Gallery:
- Click or tap to explore and/or drag to look around
- Click on the blue circles for the label information for each artwork
- For the best viewing experience, we recommend using a desktop computer and Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browser
- Please visit the Photo Gallery to experience the full impact of the original artworks
Aurora Town Hall:
Hillary House National Historic Site:
Photo Gallery
To best enjoy the Photo Gallery:
- Click the thumbnail image to enlarge the image and to see the label information
- Use the arrows on either side of the enlarged image to scroll through the gallery
- To view as a slideshow, click the play button in the top right hand corner
- For the best viewing experience, we recommend using a desktop computer and Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browser
Art Bytes
Enhance your gallery experience with these activities and videos! We invite you to join us for an insider look into the creative process. Art Bytes is an online series that includes conversations with the exhibiting artists, behind-the-scene videos and family friendly art demos. Visit our Art Bytes page for current videos and activities.