Former Kingston mayor Harvey Rosen to be honoured with portrait

Kingston’s 94th mayor will be honoured in a special portrait unveiling ceremony at city hall early next month. Harvey Rosen served as the city’s mayor from 2003 to 2010.

Kingston’s 94th mayor will be honoured in a special ceremony at city hall early next month.

Harvey Rosen, who served as the city’s mayor from 2003 to 2010, will take his place among dozens of past Kingston mayors and other high-ranking municipal officials whose life-sized portraits adorn the walls of the historic municipal building.

Local artist Daniel Hughes, who was commissioned to paint Rosen’s likeness more than a decade after he left office, used a series of photographs to capture Rosen’s likeness.

“I’m happy with the result. It was a real honour to paint Harvey and to be part of the historic collection at city hall,” says Hughes, who also teaches in the fine arts department at Queen’s University and has painted former Royal Military College principal John Cowan and former Queen’s University chancellor David Dodge for their respective institutions.

Hughes says Rosen’s oil-on-canvas portrait, about 32 inches tall by 24 inches wide, was painted over three months last spring and features a head and shoulders image of Rosen wearing the chain of office.

“This is obviously a more contemporary painting than the earlier pieces that hang in city hall. Harvey has a big smile on his face,” he adds.

The small, largely private unveiling ceremony on Sept. 1 will be an emotional time for those who attend.

Rosen, 73, has been in failing health for the past two years and he’s not expected to be well enough to attend his portrait unveiling ceremony, according to his wife, Sharon.