Public art project in the works as tribute to Phil Hartman – Brantford Expositor

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A public art project is in the works to pay tribute to Phil Hartman.

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Ward 1 Councillor Rose Sicoli brought forward a notice of motion during a council committee meeting last October to recognize the Brantford-born actor and comedian.

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“It’s a really great one,” said Sara Munroe, the city’s director of economic development that also oversees the tourism department that’s responsible for the public art collection. “It was brought forward in the fall but didn’t come forward as a resolution. We’re going to be updating it and sending it back as a notice of motion.”

Though city council has yet to approve the Phil Hartman Public Art Project, it is expected to be a large mural painted on the side wall of the Sanderson Centre on Dalhousie Street.

“Nobody on our side initiated anything,” said Hartman’s brother Paul Hartmann, speaking from his home in Prince Edward County. “I’m familiar with the wall and the building. It’s definitely a nice, large canvas. That’s a good tribute.”

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Phil Hartman dropped the second ‘n’ in his surname for ease of spelling.

Hartmann said he told Munroe that it would be nice to have a street named after his late brother, adding “But hey, we’ll take the billboard.”

Phil Hartman was shot to death by his wife Brynn Omdahl, while he slept, on May 28, 1998. She committed suicide hours later.

Paul Hartmann said that while he’s not aware of similar tributes elsewhere, he believes a Canadian documentary filmmaker has plans to do a feature on his brother’s art.

“He was a graphic artist and illustrator,” said Hartmann. “He did 48 album covers and designed the Crosby, Stills, and Nash logo before Photoshop, when you had to have real skills.”

Though it’s been almost 26 years since his death, Hartman’s comedic brilliance has outlived him.

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“The Simpsons kept it going for such a long time,” said Paul Hartman. “For a long time after his death, especially during Canada’s Walk of Fame and Hollywood star stuff, his audience was still growing by 10 per cent per annum.”

According to Sicoli’s notice of motion (NOM), Hartman was known for his work co-developing the character Pee-Wee Herman; performed on Saturday Night Live for eight seasons, and voiced multiple characters on the animated series The Simpsons.

The NOM acknowledges Hartman as “a renowned and tremendously gifted screen and voice actor, comedian, screenwriter and graphic designer.”

It also states, “the untimely death of Hartman on May 28, 1998, shocked the entertainment community with statements from colleagues and friends remembering Hartman as warm, professional, loyal, and a decidedly regular guy.”

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The NOM states that staff be directed to issue a call for artists, in collaboration with Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant for a piece of public art to be created to commemorate and celebrate Hartman’s life and work and be installed in a location to be determined by the Public Art Staff Technical Committee with the Public Art Subcommittee.

Hartman was inducted into the City of Brantford’s Walk of Fame in 1997, attending the ceremony in-person. It was the first time he had returned to his hometown since the family moved to California when he was 10 years old.

The Walk of Fame was later uninstalled, but the plaques were replaced with new ones at Prominence Point located at Dalhousie Street and Brant Avenue.

Paul Hartmann said some of his family have indicated they would love to attend the unveiling.

“I think it’s great when it comes to mind to do a tribute to somebody. Brantford had a lot of greats. It keeps people aware of their cultural heritage,” he said. “I really appreciate anybody in the City of Brantford that appreciated Phil and I look forward to helping them pick the artist, or anything they want me to do.”

bethompson@postmedia.com

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