Fine Arts Faculty member Tara Cooper is the City of Kitchener's 2025 Artist in Residence. From July 2025 to July 2026, Tara will be working on The Doon Pioneer Potluck Project.
"The 2025 Artist in Residence program is an experimental opportunity to develop and site a permanent public art installation at Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre. During the first six months of the residency, Tara will research, develop and finalize a design concept for the public art installation. The final six months will be dedicated to fabricating and installing the artwork at the community centre. The artwork will become part of the City’s public art collection.
Inspired by the idea and symbolism of a potluck and the folktale “Stone Soup,” which emphasizes the power of cooperation and generosity, Tara will host a series of hands-on activities at Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre. These activities will invite the community to make art while exploring various artistic media. The imagery and text generated from these activities will inspire the design process for the final art installation that will animate the community centre’s patio and reflect the mosaic of our community." — City of Kitchener's Artist in Residence program