A who’s who of the theatre, music, arts, and the greater Hamilton community gathered at Theatre Aquarius on March 18, 2025, to witness the unveiling of two epic art pieces by prolific artist and Canadian music icon Tom Wilson. WE ARE THE STARS – SUN, and WE ARE THE STARS – MOON, created in 2024, will enjoy a permanent home on the east and west walls of the theatre’s lobbies.
Wilson approached Theatre Aquarius with the offer of a gift of his magnificent art after the world premiere of his new musical with Shaun Smyth, Beautiful Scars. Wilson was eager to contribute to the space’s legacy.
“I spent the better part, or the best part, of last year in this building, and these institutions are so important to be not only a part of but to be able to wrap ourselves around the energy that goes on in these buildings,” said Wilson to the enthusiastic crowd gathered on the stunning March evening.
Tom Beckett from Beckett Fine Art on Locke St. spearheaded the art donation and installation and donated framing services along with New Concept Framing in Mississauga.
The unveiling began with a welcome from Indigenous Liaison and a friend of Aquarius Phil Davis and a ceremonial drum performance by the Eagle Flight Singers. Eagle Flight Singers are a professional First Nations group with an extensive travel history in the Great Lakes region and beyond. Led by Gordon Nicotine-Sands, the group is of Plains Cree, Ojibway, Haudenasaunee decent, and is comprised of friends and family.
Mary Francis Moore, Artistic Director, and Kelly Straughan, Executive Director of Theatre Aquarius, welcomed the crowd.
“It is such a special night here for us. The stars just aligned. Tom is here with us. Our friends and family are here with us. And tonight, we’re welcoming the second cohort of Piindigen, our Indigenous Young Artists Program,” said Moore, welcoming a new group of
Indigenous artists to Theatre Aquarius. The Piindigen program, in its second year, is dedicated to exploring the power of storytelling, inviting participants to dive into their creative curiosities and transform ideas into compelling theatrical performances.
“What happens in this program is nothing short of life changing. This is your community, this is your theatre, you are our stakeholders,” she added.
Wilson charmed the hometown crowd and offered insight into the paintings and an aspirational message: “These paintings were part of a series inspired by a song by a guy named Julian Taylor called seeds. If you look at these you can see that there’s giant holes in the earth and in this one over here there’s a warrior underneath. They tried to bury us but they didn’t know that we were seeds. That’s the message of this. The Indigenous world is still here. It’s also important that we’re all here together. We’re all here to continue regardless of the news, regardless of politicians. Be up. We get to survive, we get to survive and be inspired by art. So, the fact that these paintings are sitting here in this building that I love with people that I truly love. This is an honour, and I thank Theatre Aquarius.”
