Order of Canada appointees in the arts – June 2024

Officers

Beverley Jean Johnston, O.C.
Uxbridge, Ontario
Beverley Johnston is an internationally renowned percussionist. Since the 1980s, she has been at the forefront of the development and promotion of Canadian music, commissioning, performing and recording compositions from numerous Canadian composers. At the University of Toronto, she inspires female percussionists to excel in a mostly male-dominated field. Her achievements as a musical innovator have brought classical and contemporary percussion to concert halls and venues worldwide.

Daniel Gérald Lavoie, O.C.
Montréal, Quebec
Singer-songwriter Daniel Lavoie is a prominent ambassador for French-Canadian culture. Rocketing to the top of the charts with the hit single Ils s’aiment, he further distinguished himself as an original cast member of Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the most successful musicals in Quebec’s music and entertainment industry. An actor, poet and radio host, he has received numerous awards, attesting to the influence of his work both at home and abroad.

Kent George Nagano, O.C., G.O.Q., M.S.M.
Montréal, Quebec and San Francisco, California, United States of America
Kent Nagano is a world-leading conductor with a prestigious international career. Renowned for his operatic and orchestral repertoire, he has worked tirelessly to share classical music with the public. He captivated audiences at the helm of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for more than one and a half decades, and premiered and commissioned numerous works by Canadian composers, spreading the unique sounds of Montréal, Quebec, and Canada around the world.
This is an honorary appointment.

Members

Joe Brock Average, C.M., O.B.C.
Vancouver, British Columbia
Joe Average is a revered Vancouver artist, human rights activist and philanthropist. His colourful, pop-inflected images have adorned Vancouver’s cityscape since the late 1980s. Diagnosed with HIV/AIDS at age 27, he used his art to advocate for people living with HIV, and shared his personal story to raise awareness of the stigma associated with AIDS. He has donated his work to support charitable organizations that support people with terminal illnesses.

Christi Marlene Belcourt, C.M.
Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta
Christi Belcourt is a Métis visual artist, environmentalist and social justice advocate. She is renowned for her large, painted floral landscapes inspired by Métis beadwork, which are found in many public and permanent collections across North America. She has also organized several national, community-based projects of note, including Walking With Our Sisters, the Willisville Mountain Project, and the Onaman Collective. She devotes much of her time to supporting Indigenous language revitalization.

bill bissett, C.M.
Toronto, Ontario
A revered poet, painter and musician, bill bissett is a pre-eminent figure of the 1960s counterculture movement in Canada. His poetry collections, which combine sound and visual elements with printed works, are acclaimed for breaking down artificial barriers between the arts. He is also the esteemed co-founder of the Secret Handshake Gallery in Toronto’s Kensington Market, Canada’s first and only peer-support facility for people with schizophrenia.

Marcelle Dubois, C.M.
Montréal, Quebec
Playwright and theatre director Marcelle Dubois has revitalized Quebec playwriting. In addition to being artistic co-director of Théâtre aux Écuries, which she co-created, she co-founded and directed the Festival du Jamais Lu, giving hundreds of playwrights the opportunity to present their works to audiences throughout the Francophonie. A dedicated mentor, she is the driving force behind several innovations to give younger generations what is often their first theatre experience.

Arnie Gelbart, C.M.
Montréal, Quebec
For decades, Arnie Gelbart has been in the vanguard of independent film and television in Canada. As the founder, executive producer and CEO of Galafilm Productions Inc., he has overseen the production of nearly 400 hours of acclaimed and diverse documentaries, television series and specials, and feature films, which have notably been released in both official languages. He has also mentored many in the Canadian film industry.

Sylvia D. Hamilton, C.M., O.N.S.
Grand Pre, Nova Scotia
Sylvia D. Hamilton is an esteemed filmmaker, writer, poet and artist based in Nova Scotia. Her award-winning films have premiered at festivals in Canada and abroad, and are taught extensively in schools and universities across the country. Her groundbreaking body of work documents the struggles and contributions of African Canadians, particularly Black women, and have helped to enrich and reframe conceptions of Canadian history.

Madeleine D. Humer, C.M.
Victoria, British Columbia
Madeleine Humer is a beloved mentor and music educator in choral conducting. Her school choirs have performed with professional orchestras and choirs, and in many Pacific Opera Victoria productions. She is renowned for her work as the founder and past artistic director of the Victoria Children’s Choir, which was invited to perform in festivals and commemorative celebrations both in Canada and abroad. An admired soloist, she specializes in Baroque music and performs on stages worldwide.

William James Gordon Kirby, C.M.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
William Kirby proudly promotes contemporary Canadian art and artists. He is the founder and executive director of the Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art, where he developed the Canadian Art Database, an innovative and extensive resource made freely accessible online for artists, educators, researchers and the general public. His dedicated archival work has broadened awareness of contemporary Canadian art and artists at home and abroad.

Avril R. Lavigne, C.M.
Malibu, California, United States of America
Avril Lavigne is one of the best-selling female artists of all time. With over 50 million albums sold worldwide, she paved the way for female-driven punk-rock music and continues to do so today. Generous with her time, she supports individuals with serious illnesses, disabilities and Lyme disease through the Avril Lavigne Foundation. A global ambassador for Special Olympics, she promotes inclusion and helps end the stigma around intellectual disabilities.

Theresa Helen Matthias, C.M.
London, Ontario
Internationally esteemed for her artistic talent, mouth painter Susie Matthias is dedicated to eradicating stereotypes. Her paintings have graced public galleries and private collections worldwide; one was featured on a Canada Post stamp, and others have adorned greeting cards and calendars. A full member of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists, she travels the world and proudly represents the country at events and conferences.

Colleen Louise Murphy, C.M.
Toronto, Ontario
Colleen Murphy is a unique and fearless voice in Canadian theatre. A foremost playwright, she has worked across media, creating plays and operas, as well as writing and directing film. Her award-winning and ongoing body of work tackles difficult subjects and explores calamity in society. Committed to the future of playwriting and theatre, she is a stalwart supporter of young, emerging writers and women in the arts.

Solomon Ratt, C.M., S.O.M.
Regina, Saskatchewan
Storyteller, educator and author Solomon Ratt is dedicated to preserving and revitalizing the Cree language through his literacy materials and teachings grounded in traditional cultural values. He is a retired associate professor at the First Nations University of Canada, where he helped develop the first bachelor’s degree in Cree language studies. He is a primary contributor to the Cree Literacy Network, and his publications serve as a cornerstone for language education throughout western Canada and beyond.