April Hickox
Canadian-lens based artist captured a changing world
April Hickox
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April Hickox was a Canadian lens-based photographer, visual artist, educator and curator whose career spanned more than 40 years. Through photography, video and installation, she explored the relationship between people, memory and the natural environment, leaving a lasting impact on Canadian contemporary art and photography education.
Born in Oakville, Ontario, in 1955, Hickox grew up on the Toronto Islands, a place that profoundly influenced her artistic practice. She studied photography and graphic design at Twickenham College of Technology in London, England, and graduated from the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD University) with an AOCA diploma.
Hickox taught at OCAD U for more than 30 years and served as chair of the Photography program from 1998 to 2007. She mentored generations of emerging artists and helped shape photography education at the university.
Her artistic practice examined how landscapes and everyday objects hold personal and collective histories. Hickox’s work also reflected her deep interest in the climate crisis, environmental issues, land stewardship, and our relationship to natural elements. She lived and worked on the Toronto Islands all her life, exploring and documenting this urban park.
This was evident in Vantage Point – Passing, a body of work of video and still images she created over 17 years. Through repetitive image making, she observed and recorded the changes of the overlapping layers of human and natural histories embedded in the landscape. The images serve as a record of a groyne that extends into Lake Ontario from Centre Island on the Toronto Islands and record the changes in this landmark.
An active community leader, Hickox was founding director of Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography, and a founding member of Tenth Muse Studio and Artscape Toronto. She was also a member of the curatorial board of Art With Heart, Casey House.
Her works are held in the Art Gallery of Peterborough, Art Gallery of Hamilton Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, Canada Council Art Bank, Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Agnes Etherington Art Centre and Burnaby Art Gallery.
Hickox passed away on August 15, 2026. Her legacy lives on through her contributions to Canadian photography, her commitment to environmental storytelling and the generations of artists she inspired as an educator and mentor.