Harriet Sonne de Torrens has been appointed head of the University Library's Fine Arts Department. She has held various library positions within the University of Toronto during the past 10 years, including that of reference librarian at the John M. Kelly Library and graduate reference assistant in the Robarts Research Library.
Sonne de Torrens also has a background in management and administration in the arts. Her professional experience includes stints at the Art Gallery of Ontario as assistant exhibition producer, the Judy Jarvis Dance and Theatre Company and the Directors Guild of Canada. She is the co-founder and current director of the "Baptisteria Sacra: an Iconographic Index of Baptismal Fonts," an online searchable digital resource to be published and distributed by Iter: Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance. She also is the current listowner and administrator of the Medart-L medieval art discussion list. Sonne de Torrens has published and spoken widely on topics relating to medieval art.
Sonne de Torrens holds a master's degree in information studies, an M.A. from the Centre for Medieval Studies and the Department of Art History, and a B.A. with high distinction in art history, all from the University of Toronto. She is a doctoral candidate in the Institute of Art History at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Her academic background also includes the study of painting and design at the Sheridan College of Art (Oakville, Ontario) and the Ontario College of Art in Toronto.
