HeArts Together is a collaborative community art project that responds to the COVID-19 pandemic by inviting the community to come together creatively while remaining close to home.

The project supports isolated and vulnerable community members to actively participate in the project through collaboration with community partners, including health care facilities and service organizations. Participants created unique clay and painted wooden hearts and messages that are assembled together with hearts made by children and other community members in outdoor displays in Saanich parks and public places.

Hearts are a touchstone that have come to symbolize our caring for loved ones, neighbours and the community, as well as to express our gratitude to health care and essential workers. These collective heart installations will serve as a legacy of our shared experience during these times, showing that we can come together as a community while remaining safely apart. Displayed in public spaces, they remind us to continue to be safe and caring for all in our community as we move forward together.

Photo Gallery of HeArts and Messages

Photos of community hearts and messages will be added to this gallery as they are received.  

Check out the local news stories about this project:

Chek News - The Upside
Victoria News - Community

HeArt Locations

HeArt displays have been installed in the following public parks. We hope you can visit them in person! If not, we have included photos of the displays here. Additional display locations will be added here as they are completed. Click on the images below to see an expanded version.

Cadboro Bay/Gyro Park, tennis court fence - map

Cedar Hill Recreation and Arts Centre - Front Entrance

Copley Park - map 

Hampton Park - map

Majestic Park, tennis court fence - map

McMinn Park - Map

Onyx Park - Map

Rainbow Park, sport court fence - map 

Reynolds Park - Map

Rudd Park, baseball fence - map 

Rutledge Park, tennis court fence - map 

Tolmie Park, tennis court fence  - map

Collaborating Organizations

• Aberdeen Hospital (Island Health)
• Garth Homer Society
• Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria
• Island Community Mental Health Association
• Luther Court Society
• Métis Nation of Greater Victoria
• Priory Long Term Care (Island Health)
• Salvation Army - Community Residential Facility

• Scouts Canada

•  

  The Heights at Mt. View (Baptist Housing Society)
• Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Society
• Victoria Cool Aid Society - Downtown Community Centre and Rock Bay Landing Emergency Shelter
• Victoria Native Friendship Centre
• Victoria Women's Transition House Society 

Contributors

The following organizations and individuals (along with some businesses that wished to remain anonymous) have provided in-kind support to the project through the making of wooden hearts for participants and the donation of other materials:

• Allan Hyggen
• Joanne Thomson, artist
• Ken Guenter, artist and studio furniture maker http://www.kenguenter.ca/
• Marcia Seminoff, artist 
• Ray Sapergia, artist
• Vancouver Island Woodworkers Guild members https://viwg.com/
• West Wind Hardwood Inc. https://www.westwindhardwood.com/

Supporters

Contributions from these organizations have helped to distribute heart kits with some of our collaborating partners and make this project possible:

• Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund and Community Foundations of Canada
• Vancouver Foundation Responsive Neighbourhood Small Grants Program – The Heights at Mt. View

We are immensely grateful for your support.

More Information

The project is organized by Saanich Community Services and the Cedar Hill Arts Centre. If you would like further information or to contribute in some way to this project, please contact Brenda Weatherston, Saanich Community Arts Specialist, at brenda.weatherston@saanich.ca or 250 475-5557. Contributors and HeArt Makers will receive a hand-made clay heart pendant or pin as a keepsake and token of appreciation for their involvement.