Explore Waterloo Region Mistletoe Collection
Seven original mistletoes, seven artistic visions, and a story behind every piece.
Explore Waterloo Region Mistletoe Collection
Seven original mistletoes, seven artistic visions, and a story behind every piece.
Explore Waterloo Region Mistletoe Collection
Seven original mistletoes, seven artistic visions, and a story behind every piece.
The Explore Waterloo Region Mistletoe Collection features seven original, artist-created mistletoes from the 2025 Mistletoe Trail in Waterloo Region.
These seven, unique pieces were created by local and Canadian artists. Each mistletoe was inspired by a creative vision that transformed this familiar holiday symbol into an original work of art.
The 2025 mistletoes have been curated into a single collection that is on display at TriSisters Art House in St. Jacobs throughout the holiday season. Discover the artists behind the pieces and the stories that inspired them, and see how seven very different visions brought the spirit of the
2025 Mistletoe Trail to life.
The Artists & Stories Behind the Mistletoe Creations
Harvest
About the Artist: Elise Conlin
Elise Conlin is a Waterloo Region–born artist and illustrator with experience in murals, public art, and 3D installations. Her work celebrates nature, joy, and vibrant color, blending illustrative detail with playful, interactive elements.
Elise remains deeply connected to her roots in Waterloo Region, drawing on personal memories and local landscapes to inform her art.
The Inspiration for Harvest
Harvest is a 3D mobile featuring four local birds – a robin, warbler, mourning dove, and bluebird. The birds meet mid-flight, each carrying mistletoe and converging in the centre like a vintage Christmas ornament.
These birds play a role in the proliferation of the mistletoe plant, while also representing a community coming to a gathering place.
Mistletoe Tea Party
About the Artist: Laura Kwok
Canadian artist and muralist Laura Kwok is known for bright, whimsical public art that brings warmth and joy to everyday life.
With over a decade of experience creating large-scale murals and interactive installations, she blends craftsmanship, curiosity, and playfulness to engage communities.
The Inspiration for Mistletoe Tea Party
Laura’s mistletoe creation blends charm, whimsy, and a touch of Canadian spirit. A handcrafted teapot pours out the mistletoe and is adorned with a Christmas robin and a grey jay—symbolizing friends and family celebrating together, near or far.
Inspired by the traditional use of mistletoe for herbal tea, this playful installation celebrates community, connection, and the joy of the holiday season.
To Take and Give
About the Artist: Brianne Burnell
Brianne Burnell is a mixed media collage artist and muralist based in Kitchener, ON. Living in Waterloo Region has been transformative for her art practice: her deep love of the nature, people, and art scene she finds here inspires her work.
Known for her bold use of colour and whimsical approach, she creates public art that engages communities and sparks curiosity.
The Inspiration for To Take and Give
This piece reimagines mistletoe through an ecological lens. It highlights mistletoe’s dual role as a parasitic plant and a giver of nutrients to the surrounding ecosystem. The real magic of mistletoe is the way it attaches to host trees, takes nutrients and water, and passes them along to birds, butterflies, porcupines, deer, plants, fungi, and insects.
Brianne’s mistletoe creation celebrates curiosity, connection, and the hidden magic of the natural world.
Sacred Gatherings
About the Artist: T.J. Henhawk
T.J. Henhawk is a Haudenosaunee artist from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. His creative practice blends storytelling, design, and cultural expression—bridging traditional Indigenous teachings with contemporary art.
Henhawk is influenced by the land and stories of his community. His works honour heritage while inviting curiosity, reflection, and connection.
The Inspiration for Sacred Gatherings
Sacred Gatherings reimagines mistletoe through the lens of Indigenous teachings and connection to the land.
Cedar, sage, and sweetgrass—sacred medicines known for their powers of protection, cleansing, and renewal—are woven together with leather accents that honour traditional practices of binding and carrying medicines with care.
Mistletoe in Motion
About the Artist: Heather Kocsis
Heather Kocsis is a professional artist based in Cambridge, ON whose sculptural and architectural works explore space, form, light, and sacred geometry.
Her practice is deeply rooted in creating encounters that encourage people to pause and reflect —with one another and with the natural environment.
The Inspiration for Mistletoe in Motion
Heather’s mistletoe transforms space, form, and light into a whimsical yet profound piece. Its kinetic centrepiece moves with wind and natural elements, creating a dynamic, ever-changing experience.
This mistletoe creation offers a contemporary symbol of unity and shared moments. It invites visitors to pause, wonder, and feel connected to one another and the world around them.
GlowToe
About the Artist: Skyler Dietze
Canadian artist Skyler Dietze creates sculptural works that transform everyday symbols into playful, visually striking experiences.
Blending wood, metal, and light, his work emphasizes craftsmanship, curiosity, and storytelling in ways that feel both imaginative and inviting.
The Inspiration for GlowToe
GlowToe reimagines the traditional mistletoe as a glowing wooden chandelier. By day, the warm wood gives the piece an organic, sculptural presence; by night, integrated LEDs turn it into a lantern-like gathering point.
Skyler’s installation captures the whimsy, inventiveness, and accessible fun that defines the Mistletoe Trail.
Holiday Network
About the Artist: Jordan Shaw
Canadian artist and creative technologist Jordan Shaw creates installations that blend art, light, and technology in surprising ways.
With a background in software engineering, his work explores how digital systems shape the way we connect and experience the world around us.
The Inspiration for Holiday Network
Jordan’s mistletoe creation reimagines traditional craft through electronic materials. He was Inspired by his grandmother’s rug hooking to weave stripped Ethernet cables into a circular frame.
The effect has created a vibrant, tactile sculpture that is both playful holiday décor and a nod to the digital networks that connect us. It is a festive symbol of gathering and community.
The 2026 Mistletoe Trail
The 2026 Explore Waterloo Region Mistletoe Trail is a self-guided holiday adventure that invites you to discover seven unique Mistletoe Moments throughout Waterloo Region.
From city streets to charming small towns, each stop offers an opportunity to slow down, share the joy, and experience the season in a new way.