When Katherine Porter looks back on founding H’art Centre almost 30 years ago, she still sounds a little surprised by what it has become. A visual artist at the height of her career, represented in Canada and the United States, she did not set out to build a nationally recognized inclusive arts organization. She simply saw a gap, a young boy with Down syndrome who loved art and delighted audiences, and began to wonder how many others were being left out
In those early days, Porter was painting in a large home studio while helping care for her friend’s son, David. He came to gallery openings, pointed at her work, and offered enthusiastic critiques that both startled and charmed potential buyers. “People loved what he had to say,” she recalls. Watching him engage so naturally with art and audiences shifted something for her. “If he can do this, if he can inspire people, why not go bigger?” she thought. A move to Kingston gave her the space to try.
Originally, Porter imagined a quieter life, stepping off what she calls the treadmill of galleries and agents to set up a studio and give back. Instead, an experiment quickly grew into H’art Centre. She reached out to the local Down Syndrome Association, welcomed participants, and watched as word spread. “It just blossomed,” she says. Over time, H’art expanded from small programs to a full creative hub offering classes, performances, and training in inclusive arts practice. There were key milestones along the way: early support from local health leaders, a transformative service-level agreement with the City increasing its capacity to serve the community, national recognition from Senator Patricia Bovey in the Senate, and hosting a recent national conference that brought 17 inclusive arts organizations from across Canada to Kingston.
That spirit of invitation is on full display this spring in Both Sides Now, a new co-production with PeerLess Productions to be held at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, bringing H’art artists and community partners together on a professional stage. The April 21st performance blends music, movement, and visual storytelling in ways that highlight the creativity of artists with disabilities and the power of inclusive collaboration. This performance brings together neurodiverse artists and the voices of parents and caregivers. Through filmed interviews and nine original dances, the piece unfolds chronologically from birth through adulthood, tracing how love, care and creativity shape an artist over time. Each dance is inspired by a real conversation and led by the artist at its centre, translating lived experience into movement. The work invites audiences to see not only the art that is made, but the relationships that make it possible. For Porter, events like this are both a celebration and a statement: “everyone belongs in the arts, not only as audience members but as creators whose work can move a room to cheers and applause.”
When asked why so many social service and community organizations are led by women, she explains that effective leaders are able to support and guide others, adapt quickly, and bring together the resources needed to get things done. For her, strong leadership often combines problem-solving on the fly with careful guidance step by step. “There’s a responsibility to help others,” she notes, emphasizing that the best work happens when everyone’s strengths are recognized and shared.
As she prepares for that quieter life she once imagined, H’art’s programs continue as usual, with Porter supporting its transition –– clear that H’art’s story is still unfolding.
Her advice for the next chapter is simple: “Stay hands-on, listen to others, chase the clouds away, reach for the sky—and make some fun!” she says with a laugh.
She believes the arts should include everyone. “Invite everyone onto the stage. The doors are open,” she says.
“Keep moving forward. Find ways to help more people into the arts and onto the stage,” she adds.
Interested in experiencing what H’art brings to the stage?
Both Sides Now hits the stage for one night only - April 21!
Tickets:
https://www.queensu.ca/theisabel/tickets
Box Office: 613.533.2424
Support the H'art Centre fund at the Community Foundation
