Sylvie Belanger

Sylvie Bélanger
Public art commission on the platform level of Bessarion subway station in Toronto
Born	1951 Le Gardeur, Québec
Nationality	Canadian
Education	Concordia University, York University, Université de Montréal
Known for	installation artist, video artist

Sylvie Bélanger (born in 1951 in Le Gardeur, Québec, Canada) is an interdisciplinary artist using sound, video, photography and installation. Bélanger received an MFA from York University, a BFA from Concordia University and a Baccalauréat in Philosophy of Religion from Université de Montréal. She lives and works in Toronto and is an Associate Professor of Visual Studies at SUNY Buffalo. Before joining SUNY Buffalo, she taught at The University of Windsor, San Francisco Art Institute, University of Toronto/Sheridan College and Concordia University. Bélanger was the recipient of the Stauffer Prize, Each year the Canada Council designates up to three Canadian artists who have been awarded an individual arts grant, one in each of the fields of music, visual arts and literature, as winners of the Joseph S. Stauffer Prizes. Bélanger has received numerous professional grants from The Nuala Dresher Fellowship, the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the External Affairs of Canada.

Bélanger has exhibited her multimedia installations across Canada, USA, France, Germany, Spain, England, the Netherlands, Japan, Thailand, Philippines and China. Her works are in collections of Gemeente Museum, The Netherlands, Za Moca Foundation, Tokyo, Japan, Oakville Galleries, Canada, Windsor Art Gallery, Canada, Musée du Québec, Canada, Galeria Oliva Arauna, Spain, The Canada Council for the Arts Art Bank, MacDonald Stewart Art Center, Canada, Woodlawn Arts Foundation, Toronto, Canada and York University, Canada.

In 2002 Bélanger was commissioned to create public art for the Bessarion subway station in Toronto. The work is a series of friezes of hands, feet and backs of heads, which represent the users of the station. The feet images appear on the concourse level while the heads appear on the platform level. The hand images appear along the stairs between the Sheppard Avenue side entrance/exit and the concourse.