“My aspiration is to use the knowledge and skills I acquire not only to inspire change but also to catalyze tangible action.”

The annual creative showcase provides a meeting place – initially physical, now virtual – where students can share ideas and perspectives through their unique approaches to artistic expression.

The exhibition was established in 2012 by the Honourable David Peterson at the conclusion of his six-year term as the university’s 32nd Chancellor. One part of the former Ontario premier’s continuing support for the university where he studied law (LLB 1967, Hon. LLD 1994), the juried exhibition is named for David’s wife Shelley, an actress and writer who has long been a passionate advocate for Canadian artists. The Petersons’ generous donation provides permanent funding for the annual exhibition at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, as well as monetary awards for three of the students whose work is selected. The most recent exhibition, presented virtually over 10 weeks in mid-2024, featured works by 17 artists exploring themes of fragmentation and partial perspective.

“An annual student exhibition was a perfect way to bring together Shelley’s longstanding support for the arts and my desire to celebrate the kind of talented, creative young people who constantly inspired me during my time as Chancellor,” David Peterson says. “Year after year, it’s gratifying to see young artists recognized by the exhibition go on to make their mark in the art world and the broader community. As a U of T alumnus, I’m proud to join with other alumni in extending the impact of this great university across Canada and around the world.”

Three recent participants exemplify the promising talent featured in the exhibition:

Sean Lee, who has a BA in Arts Management and Studio Art from U of T Scarborough, is currently the director of programming at Tangled Art + Disability, a Toronto-based not-for-profit. On the eve of his graduation from UTSC in 2015, Sean was featured in the third annual Shelley Peterson Student Art Exhibition and received the Peterson Award of Excellence. Soon after graduating, he became the inaugural resident curator of the Tangled Art Gallery, which he describes as “the first disability art gallery dedicated to exhibiting works from mad, deaf and disabled artists, as well as advancing accessible curatorial practices.” Today, as director of programming, Sean fosters recognition of professional and emerging artists by drawing on his own experience as someone who identifies as a queer, disabled person of colour: “To bring my identity into the work I do has been very liberating…. I’m really driven by the idea of disability arts as the last avant-garde.”

Helia Honarmandi, an international student from Iran, is completing a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Studies and Architectural Studies at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design on U of T’s St. George Campus. Helia’s work entitled A Few Strands of Hair, which was chosen for the 2023 Peterson exhibition, examines the ongoing social dissent in her home country, exploring themes of male privilege, misogyny and the paradoxical nature of freedom under a repressive regime. “I was dealing with intense emotions as an immigrant detached from my homeland,” Helia says. “Feelings of anger, helplessness, guilt and shame were overwhelming me as I became a witness to the chaos unfolding from afar. My aspiration is to use the knowledge and skills I acquire not only to inspire change but also to catalyze tangible action – in a world where no one has to leave home in pursuit of freedom.”

Joanna Konopka recently graduated with an Honours BA in Art and Art History from the joint program offered by U of T Mississauga and Sheridan College – the first of its kind in Canada. A print media artist, designer, curator, painter and filmmaker, Joanna is currently a resident artist at Visual Arts Mississauga, where she is building her portfolio for further studies at the graduate level. Flight Path, selected for the 2024 Peterson exhibition, is an interactive work that invites viewers to share Joanna’s ambivalent feelings around the theme of aviation. “The piece has overlapping screen-printed circles with two types of imagery,” she explains. “As you turn one wheel, it changes your perspective on the duality of life and death, a theme I’m exploring as I think about my own anxiety surrounding death and family.”

The endowment fund that generates ongoing financial support for the Shelley Peterson Student Art Exhibition is among more than 7,200 individual funds within the Endowment portfolio managed by UTAM.*