Extended Studies credit-free instructors for adults and teens are all actively practicing artists who are keenly interested in your learning. Credit courses are taught by ACAD faculty members.
If you would like to know your instructor's professional background better, you can view his/her bio below.
EXTENDED STUDIES INSTRUCTOR BIOS
DAVID ALDRICH received his BA in Fine Arts from the University of British Columbia, his BSc in Art as Applied to Medicine from the University of Toronto, and his MEd from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. He has exhibited in both Canada and United States, has had a 20-year career as a medical illustrator focused on pharmaceutical advertising, has taught medical illustration at the University of Toronto and the Cleveland Institute of Art, and has worked to develop courses in observational drawing and human anatomy for the artist.
JENNIFER BASSETT received her BFA in Painting from the Alberta College of Art + Design in 2008 and is completing her Masters in Art Education at Concordia University. Jennifer has over 5 years experience teaching art to diverse populations, focusing on developing programs for youth at various art institutions including Concordia University, the Art Gallery of Alberta and ACAD. Her artistic practice involves creating large-scale multimedia installations that have been exhibited locally and nationally.
BRIAN BATISTA is a Calgary based artist and animator, he is a man of many skills and talents. He graduated with a BFA with distinction from the Alberta College of Art and Design, and was the recipient of a Board of Governors award and the 2001 Valedictorian. He co-founded (CUFF) the Calgary Underground Film Festival. He teaches animation at the Quickdraw Animation Society and has worked in the media arts at artist run centers since 1999. Brian recently received an AFA grant for an upcoming animation titled “Snack Time’ this year. He loves rubber hose arms and pre-code animation characters. His work can be seen at brianbatista.com.
ALANA BIFFERT holds a BFA in glass from Alberta College of Art and Design. Since graduating she has spent the last three years pursuing glass on a professional level, traveling and working with a number of well-known artists in both New Zealand and Australia. She also worked as a technician, and teaching assistant at Red Deer College for the glass program where she was able to meet and work with a number of well-known local artists. She has also just finished a trip to Malta, Europe where she was able to experience and expand on the culture in glass as a medium. Alana hopes to continue on her pursuit of exploring the many cultures of the world, the endless influences they may have, and the opportunity to share her inspirations collected.
STACEY CANN is a multidisciplinary artist whose participatory works actively engage the audience in the making of art. She graduated from Alberta College of Art and Design in 2008 with a major in Print Media and completed an exchange to the Australian National University to study photography. She also holds an MA in Art Education from Concordia University; her area of research was the pedagogical implications of exhibiting art.
JOANNE CHANG had been a freelance photographer for local magazines and graphic designer at print shops since graduated from ACAD with BFA in Painting (2004). She had also taught at Calgary Jewish Community Center (CJCC) and Winsport (Camp Torch). In her kids' classes, she tried to provide a vehicle for students' creative innards to roar freely in the open space without fear, and worry about making a mess they can't clean up. Her bodies of art works morphed from feminist nudes, photographic addictions to the most recent zen abstracts, and cosmic explosions; next project, Indecipherable Fuck-a fusion of intoxicated visual stimulations with labyrinth maze.
KYLE CHOW is a graphic designer with COMBINE Design & Communications. After studying at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Business, Kyle entered the Graphic Design program at ACAD, graduating with a major in Visual Communications Design. Highly disciplined in graphic design, brand identity development, and design strategy, Kyle is passionate about the design process and how it can impact community. He has received numerous accolades and was recently recognized for his work with the Alberta College of Art + Design in the prestigious, internationally acclaimed, Coupe Magazine. He continues to be inspired by food, travel, his mentors and students.
LINDA CHOW is an Award-winning jewellery artist and graduate of ACAD. She has been an established goldsmith for over 20 years. In 1992, she returned to ACAD to explore new metal techniques and applications, and since leaving, has been experimenting with unusual sculptural forms. Linda includes non-precious metals in her jewellery designs and creates wearable sculptures from used culinary objects and other recycled materials. She exhibits both nationally and internationally; and her work is in numerous private collections. Linda is also co-owner of Simply Metal Studio (Calgary).
WILLIAM DYER is an animator and technician currently working in Calgary, Alberta. He graduated from the Alberta College of Art + Design with a BFA in Media Arts and Digital Technologies in 2007. He currently works for Fifteen Pound Pink Productions as a digital animator and compositor. He has worked on many short films including the Intergalactic Who’s Who series and is currently working on a film for the National Film Board of Canada. He also works part time for the Alberta College of Art + Design as an Animation Technician, helping students with software such as Toon Boom Harmony, After Effects and Maya.
DYLAN EDDY was born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA. He came to Calgary in 2007 to attend ACAD majoring in Jewellery + Metals, and in 2012 he received his BFA. In 2011, Dylan attended workshops in at the Touchstone School of Craft where he studied blacksmithing. Dylan’s work focuses on ideas related to identity, family heritage, and the passage of time with specific reference to Celtic and Norse society and cultural motifs. Dylan has participated in exhibitions across Canada. In 2011 he took part in an exhibition with the Medallic Art Society of Canada in St. Catherine’s, and in 2012 a group show at the Alberta Craft Council.
WANDA ELLERBECK's artistic practice has spanned ove a life time and has covered the disciplines of painting, drawing and sculpture. Before her engagement with visual arts she was involved with dance and the performing arts. She attained a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from Nova Scotia of Art and Design, Canada and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Alberta College of Art and Design. During her studies she was fortunate to work with artists from the USA, Europe as well as Canada. As well as a Canada wide exhibition record, Wanda has taught deawing, painting and sculpture in post secondary institutions in Halifax, Edmonton, Calagry and Vancouver for over 10 years. "I love the teaching aspect of my practice and have great enthusiasm for beginners as well as those who are more adept. My focus has been to facilitate the creativity in other students and offer the skills needed to fulfill their creative efforts and vision." Presently, Wanda lives and works in Canmore, Alberta. Here she is actively engaged in the local art community as well as teaching adult classes in drawing and painting. After a 12 year engegement in the decorative concrete industry, during which time she incorporated art into a functional form, she is now creating and teaching full time.
DAVID FOLK incorporates elements of figuration and nostalgia into his painting and drawing practice to explore the construction of identities. Using motifs that make reference to both traditional and contemporary art – as well as personal anecdote, fairytales and folk tales, and pop culture – his practice is situated largely within the realm of narrative story-telling. He completed his M.F.A. in Visual Studies at the University of Saskatchewan in the Fall of 2007. He received his B.F.A. in Visual Studies and B.A. in Art History from the University of Calgary in 2002. Prior to pursuing graduate studies, he worked as a practicing artist and arts administrator at both public galleries and artist-run centres in Calgary, AB and Ottawa, ON respectively. Since returning to Calgary in 2007, in addition to his artistic practice, he has been teaching as a Sessional Instructor at the post-secondary level. He has exhibited locally, provincially, and nationally and has been named the recipient of several grants, awards, and honours.
DULCIE FOO FAT earned a BA Degree in Painting from Reading University (England); and later, an MA Degree in Fine Arts from The University of Calgary. Over the past 30 years her paintings have been exhibited both nationally and internationally, with a solo traveling exhibition--"Dance with Minutiae: the Paintings of Dulcie Foo Fat," which was organized by the Whyte Museum in 1987. Dulcie has taught at The University of Calgary as a sessional instructor and currently teaches courses in the Design Diploma program for their Continuing Education department. Check out her website at www.dulciefoofat.com
CRAIG FRIESEN is a Calgary based artist and graduated from ACAD in 2007 with the Board of Governors Award. He also holds his Bachelor of Education with a specialty in Art from the University of Calgary. Craig Friesen’s work explores visual/written genre based storytelling through a variety of mixed media. His work resides in private collections in Canada and Europe.
JENNEA FRISCHKE is an interdisciplinary, Alberta-born artist currently residing in Calgary. In 2006 she received her BFA degree (with Distinction) from ACAD, where she majored in Jewellery + Metals. Jennea maintains an active jewellery practice, teaches at ACAD, and also works as an international vintage procurer. She exhibits her work in Canada and is active in local markets, such as the Market Collective, and other community art events. Jennea is influenced by her surroundings, nostalgia, vintage themes, and nature/ornithological interests. Attracted to color and design, she is driven to explore different mediums and techniques, and works to combine precious and non-precious materials such as metal, plastic, textiles, and vintage components into one-of-a-kind, quirky pieces of jewellery and wearable art.
GREG GERLA is an award-winning photographer, operating a commercial/fashion photography studio since graduating from ACAD in 1990. His work has taken him from the frozen north of the Arctic Circle to the rich culture of Cuba. He has a passion for the creative process and strives to produce striking and evocative imagery. Greg is currently the Prairie Chapter President of CAPIC (Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communication), and teaches part-time in the Photographic Arts Department at ACAD.
MAYA GOHILL recieved a BFA in painting from the University of Calgary, followed by and an MFA from the Academy or Art University, San Francisco with an emphasis in illustration. She divides her time between studio practice, gallery exhibitions, teaching, and illustration. Her work can be found in private and public collections around the world, and in various publications such a Star Wars Art: Visions. Her teaching experience spans 8 years, four of which were spent as a tenured instructor at the Antelope Valley College in Southern California, and the remaining years at ACAD, teaching in the Visual Communications Design.
TIA HALLIDAY is a Calgary-based artist and art educator. She studied at ACAD, Ontario College of Art and Design, and the Art Institute of Chicago; and recently completed her MFA at Concordia University in Montreal. Tia has received numerous scholarships and awards for her work and has exhibited across Canada and in the United States. She returns to Calgary after having taught undergraduate courses in Fine Arts at Concordia University in Montreal.
LORRIN HANSON is a Calgary based jewellery designer/goldsmith. He has been in the industry for the last 14 years, and has completed software training to the expert level on 3Design CAD (computer aided design). Lorrin has been using CAD software extensively in his business for the last 2 years, and was recently acknowledged with a second place finish in the 2011 international 3Design competition.
KERRY HARMER holds a BFA in Design Art from Concordia University in Montreal and a MDes in Industrial Design from the University of Alberta where she taught design for five years. Kerry has worked professionally as a furniture designer in Montreal and Edmonton. Her furnishings and accessory designs have been exhibited across Canada and her work has been published and presented internationally.
REBECCA HIRSEKORN works as a graphic designer for a public relations firm. With an emphasis on the design of print material for corporate communications, Rebecca's solid background in art and design lends a unique creative flair to all her projects, which includes logo design, corporate identity, and annual reports. Rebecca holds a BFA Degree in Visual Arts from the University of Victoria and a BDes Degree from ACAD.
BARBARA HIRST was born in southern Manitoba and completed her BFA at the University of Manitoba where she was named the faculty gold medal recipient. Since this time, she has always maintained a studio practice. She went on to complete graduate level clinical training in Art Therapy at the British Columbia School of Art Therapy and a BA in Art Education from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. In 1989 she completed her Art Therapy dissertation entitled, “How Artists Overcome Creative Blocks”. The results were published in the Journal of Creative Behavior, Buffalo, New York (1992). Hirst has lived in Alberta for the past 17 years where she works as a visual artist. She has traveled extensively in Ireland as well as England, Scotland, France, Spain and Italy where she attended artist residencies and worked from the landscape. The landscapes she found have had a strong influence on her painting. Her work can be found in collections throughout Canada, the United States and Europe. She is represented by two commercial galleries in Alberta.
JACQUELINE HUDON-VERRELLI is a Calgary based illustrator with a bachelor of design from the Alberta College of Art and Design. She has maintained a professional illustration studio practice since 2002. Although she has worked with a variety of clients that include Today's Parent Magazine, Sunterra Market, Utne Reader and The Canadian Red Cross, she specializes in the children's market. Her first trade picture book was published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside in 2012. You can see a portfolio of her work at www.jacquelinehudon.com.
HEATHER HUSTON received her MFA in Printmaking from the University of Alberta in 2006, and is currently an instructor at ACAD. She has exhibited locally, nationally and internationally, and has works in several collections, including the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University, and the Ottawa School of Art. Heather's work is based on miniatures--the 'every day,' and on trying to find interesting structures in cookie-cutter neighborhoods.
JOAN IRVIN is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, writer, and curator. Her jewellery and small-scale mixed media works have been exhibited nationally, in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Originally trained as a ceramist, Joan obtained a BFA in Visual Arts from The University of Calgary, and subsequently completed The Banff Centre's Advanced Studio Program. After working as a ceramic artist and technician, and Supervisor of Calgary's Wildflower Arts Centre, Joan registered in the Jewellery + Metals program at the Alberta College of Art + Design in 1999; winning numerous award and graduating with distinction. She further developed her metalworking skills through study at the Penland School of Crafts, working with a goldsmith, and an AFA Art Production Grant. An active arts advocate, Joan was recently awarded the Alberta Craft Council's 2009 Award of Honor. Examples of Joan's work can be found in Dona Meilach's book, Teapots: Makers & Collectors.
ADRIENNE JENKINS obtained her BFA in Painting from ACAD in 1999. She enjoys working in both two- and three-dimensional media. An active participant in the Calgary art scene, Adrienne's work has received local media coverage in both print and television. Her pieces reside in a number of private and public collections; and her work has been featured in solo and group shows, and juried exhibitions. Adrienne teaches K-12 art throughout Alberta for the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Schools Residency Program. She is presently painting a centennial mural for the town of Irricana. See also www.ukrainianart.ca
KASIA KORALEWSKA was born in Poland and graduated with a Masters Degree in 2009. She majored in printing on textiles and video art at Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz, Poland. During a one-year exchange student program Katarzyna explored mixed media, drawing, installation and printing on textiles at Alberta College of Art and Design. She moved to Canada in 2009 where she now lives. Her artistic practice involves creating large-scale textile pieces, drawings and video installations. Her art has been shown in galleries in Berlin - Germany, Warsaw and Lodz - Poland, Klatowy - Czech Republic and Calgary - Canada.
TODD KOROL "With camera in hand, Todd Korol has traveled the world on assignment for the world's top magazines. For the past 20 years, assignments have taken him to Scotland, London, Paris, Africa, the Middle East, Japan, South America, Central America, throughout the United States and far north of the Arctic Circle. He is currently a contract photographer for Reuters, and shoots assignments for Time, Sports Illustrated, Canadian Geographic, Reader's Digest, Stern, the New York Times, The Globe & Mail, National Post and Maclean's. His blue chip corporate clients include Apple, Milk, Visa, Rolex, Suncor, EnCana and Statoil. He has published a book of his photographs; "Harvest" a look at a Saskatchewan farm family as they work together to get their crops off their land. He has been a photographer in the Day in the Life series, as well as having photographs published in over 200 books. His fine art work is represented by the Paul Kuhn Gallery in Calgary.
ADAM LAGACE is a metalsmith jeweller who received his BFA as a Jewellery + Metals major at the Alberta College of Art + Design. In his graduating year he received the Jewellery + Metals Program Leadership Award along with the Legacy Scholarship. He currently holds his studio practice in Calgary, Alberta where he was born and raised. Mr. Lagace's work has been exhibited in many venues including Influx Gallery, Triangle Gallery, Marion Nicoll Gallery. He has had work published in Links: A Collective Knowledge, 2010 and will be featured in an upcoming issue of The Forge Newsletter of the Vancouver Island Blacksmiths Association. Adam enjoys working with blacksmithing techniques and applying them to jewellery making using various grades of steel. He specializes in torch twisting and enjoys exploring the many ways this can be used to create original jewellery.
CHARLES LEWTON-BRAIN has studied and worked in Europe and North America. A master goldsmith, author, artist - he teaches internationally on his research into rapidly manipulating metal and surfaces for artistic and manufacturing reasons. He invented Fold-Forming, internationally recognized as a new system of metal working. Charles is Program Head of the Jewellery & Metals program at ACAD, where he has taught since 1986, and Past-President of The Canadian Craft Federation, the national organization for craft. He co-founded the Ganoksin Project (www.ganoksin.com) with Dr. Aspler. It is the world's largest internet resource for jewellers, with over 700 pages of Charles' writing, receives four million unique visitors a year! Charles' articles can also be accessed through www.brainpress.com. He is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy, and in 2012 won the Saide Bronfman Award for Fine Craft, a national Governor' Generals Award. A short video is here www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq_OTqF3u3k
ZACHARI LOGAN received both his BFA (2004) and MFA (2008) from the University of Saskatchewan and works mainly in large-scale drawing. Logan has exhibited widely in group and solo exhibitions, as well as curated projects, across Canada and internationally in Athens, Barcelona, Cincinnati, London, Los Angeles, Miami, NYC, Paris and Vienna. Logan has won numerous awards including invitational residencies in Paris, Tennessee, Calgary, Vernon and Vienna. Logan’s work has been written about and featured in many publications worldwide. Working as an instructor throughout his masters degree, Logan has since continued as an educator alongside his studio work.
LORI LUKASEWICH received her art education at ACAD, and has applied her art and painting skills in the areas of graphic art, visual presentation, film and television properties, jewellery design, furniture design, decorative and faux painting, and paleontological restoration. She has exhibited throughout Alberta; and her work can be found in many public, private and corporate collections. In 2001, Stoddart Kids published "The Night Fire"--a children's book written and illustrated by Lori. Deeply involved in fine oil painting, Lori also has a passion for teaching visual arts.
TAMMY MCGRATH holds a BFA in Painting and an MFA in Intermedia. She is a painter, multimedia installation/performance artist and sculptor. Tammy has presented her artwork, lectures and artist talks nationally and has received numerous grants and scholarships. She has taught studio courses at the University of Regina, The University of Calgary, and ACAD. She also initiates and spearheads projects like the 'Mountain Standard Time' performative art festival, 'Space for Space' performative art collective, and 'EX 120'--a continuous 24 hours/day, five-day performative art festival in Calgary. She volunteers much of her time to non-profit art organizations, and has been a jury member for local and national granting agencies and art institutions. In her art practice, she examines constructed identities, how knowledge is retained and erased, hierarchical systems, and community. Currently, Tammy is working on an installation titled "Voir Dire," which will be exhibited in Calgary in the fall of 2009.
JAMIE MORRIS graduated from ACAD in 1997 with a BFA from the Visual Communications Program. After further study at the world-renowned Illustration Academy in Kansas City, he moved back to Calgary to begin his freelance illustration career. Jamie has since compiled a client list that includes names like Canadian Pacific, Parks Canada, and the Calgary Stampeders. More recently, Jamie has completed work on five murals for Glenbow Museum's acclaimed `Mavericks' project. In addition to his illustration and gallery work, Jamie has also been teaching at ACAD in the Visual Communications Department for the past six years. To see more of Jamie's work, go to www.jamiemorris.ca
BILL MORTON is an artist and teacher living in Calgary, Alberta. His dyed fabrics are collected and shown in the United States, Japan, China and Canada. A graduate of the Alberta College of Art (1967) he studied in Japan from 1969 to 1983. While living in Kyoto, Bill worked for ten years as an apprentice with a Master Dyer producing individually designed fabrics. He currently teaches in the Fibre Department of the Alberta College of Art & Design.
GARY OLSON --BFA (Minneapolis College of Art & Design) and MFA (Indiana University). Gary is a practicing artist and teacher. He currently heads ACAD's Print Media Department.
GUY PARSONS. A graduate of Alberta College of Art and Design in 1987, Guy has maintained a busy studio practice in Calgary for the past 20 years. Working as a Graphic Designer, Illustrator and artist, his work has appeared in many notable publications such as the Globe and Mail, Readers Digest Books, and Sports Illustrated. Among Guy’s numerous clients are companies such as Shell Canada, Canada Post, and Parks Canada. He has participated in several group shows (notably, Calgary’s own Artrageous), and his work is included in numerous collections. Two awards for illustration were given to Guy in the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada’s 1999 Peak national design and illustration competition. Two pieces of Guy’s were chosen for AdRodeo’s 2001 Fundraising Auction. A former member of the Canadian association of photographers and illustrators (CAPIC), and a current member of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, these past fifteen years he has held prominent positions on their executive boards and has been a lecturer on Copyright law, and the business of Design and Illustration. His position as a jurist for Oilweek magazine’s Annual Report competition for five years have allowed him to meet and critique the work of some of Canada’s top designers. Guy also enjoys working as a sessional instructor in design and computer related programs at ACAD. Guy Parsons Visual Communications Inc. has been providing Design, Illustration, and Creative services since 1989. We’ve worked on projects from Corporate identity, to Environmental graphic design, Publication design, Web design, Advertising design, direct mail advertising, and illustration.
LAURA POPE is a partner at Plum Studios which is a company that produces advertising and marketing materials as well as all types of graphic design, photography and illustration. She is a graduate of ACAD with a BFA and previously taught drawing, art fundamentals, painting and colour theory at ACAD from 1984 until 2001. Laura also maintains an active fine art studio practice where she paints, draws and works with embroidery. You can view some of her work at www.plumstudios.ca
SHONA RAE was a professional clay sculptor for nearly a decade before a series of dreams led her to begin studying goldsmithing and metal arts in 1994. She received her Diploma in Applied Art and Design from the Kootenay School of the Arts Cooperative in 1998; and then in 2000, she received her BFA (with Distinction) from ACAD. After nearly 30 years as a ceramist she has discovered that metal is clay! and is enthusiastically applying that knowledge to her creative works. After teaching jewellery and small object design for two years at the Kootenay School of the Arts, Shona returned to Calgary where she runs a professional practice, teaches part-time at ACAD, and in 2004--co-founded INFLUX, a contemporary art jewellery gallery. Shona Rae has won numerous awards and attention throughout Europe and North America for her sculpture and art jewellery. She maintains a deep commitment to the study and creation of art, craft and design.
BEV RODGERS has applied her ACAD Painting Diploma and BFA Degree to a wide variety of art and design pursuits, including a partnership in a color consulting business. She has many years of teaching experience, working with students of all ages.
DAVID SCHLEINDL received a BFA in Film and Video from the Emily Carr College of Art and Design, and a BArch from the University of Toronto. Prior to starting his design-build company in Calgary, he worked on numerous planning and design projects in Banff and Lake Louise, the greater Vancouver area, the Caribbean, China, and Australia. In addition to residential design and commercial interior design, David also works on public art projects, such as the recently completed plus 15 installation in downtown Calgary.
ROBERTA SHAW received a BFA with Distinction in Printmaking from the University of Calgary. She has a love of drawing from nature and is an active bookbinder. Roberta works in intaglio, lithography, and silkscreen, and has a passion for the print process. Currently she works full time in ACAD in the Bookstore.
LAUREL SMITH's paintings are borne out of a fun and messy process that reflects her love of learning through art. She received a BFA from ACAD, an MFA from Concordia University, and is currently a PhD student in the University of Calgary's Education Program. She is the recipient of several awards, has works in public and private collections, and has been the subject of exhibition reviews and catalogues. She has exhibited in the Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art, The RBC Canadian Painting Competition, and Neo-Minimalism – among others. Currently, Laurel's paintings are represented by Peak Gallery (Toronto) and Herringer Kiss Gallery (Calgary); and can be viewed at www.laurelsmith.ca.
JOHN SMITH JONES graduated from ACAD in 2008 in the Jewellery + Metals Program. He has worked for many years in the oil and gas industry in Canada and overseas. His practice is mainly in making raised metal vessels, exploring form, surface, and colour. Examples of his work can be seen at johnsmithjones.com
CARL SPENCER is Calgary based artist who experiments with film, video and sound. His work primarily focuses on generative aspects of audio/visual loops through the deconstruction and reassemblage of electronics. This process-based experimentation is an attempt to reveal new machine potentialities among electronic devices that are often categorized as obsolete. He is a recent graduate of the MFA program at the University of Calgary (2011) and is currently an instructor in the Department of New Media at the University of Lethbridge.
MENEKA THIRUKKUMARAN is an artist and teacher living in Calgary. She completed a BFA in drawing from Alberta College of Art and Design in 2007 and a Bed from the University of Lethbridge in 2010. She will receive an MA in art education from Concordia University in June 2013. Meneka has experience teaching art to a variety of age groups and ability levels; she currently teaches art to grades 7-9. Her portfolio can be viewed at: www.meneka.carbonmade.com.
BRITA THOMAS is a Calgary based artist and designer. She received a BFA with Distinction in Printmaking from the Alberta College of Art + Design in 2003. Her love affair with paper has led her to explore print media, paper cutting, and drawing within her work. Brita has also worked in curatorial studies and arts administration, most recently as the Associate Director of the Herringer Kiss Gallery. She is currently the Creative Director of Canmore's, Highline Magazine.
MARGOT VAN LINDENBERG studied Education in the Netherlands, and received her BFA (with Distinction) from the Fibre Program at ACAD. Influenced by living and working in Africa and the Arctic, she explores identity through microscopic imagery, using thread to create new forms. Recently, she was honoured to exhibit in the 5th International Biennial of Textile Art in Buenos Aires (Argentina). Margot also designs and produces a line of contemporary silk scarves. She uses surface design techniques of hand-dyeing, devore, silk-screening, shibori, nuno-felting and stitching, and grows her own plants for natural dyes.
MARK VAZQUEZ-MACKAY graduated with a BFA Degree in Painting from ACAD in 2002--before moving to San Miguel de Allende (Mexico) in search of a different culture and history. After completing his MFA Degree at the Instituto Allende, Mark returned to Calgary in 2004 to continue painting and drawing in his own studio. His work focuses on an observational transliteration of appearances; see www.markvazquez-mackay.com
STACEY WATSON studied at the University of Calgary in Photography and Printmaking. Her MFA program also involved training at the Royal College of Art in London. Since finishing her formal education in 2004 she has exhibited internationally, including at Art Basel Miami in 2007 and locally, including at The Art Gallery of Calgary in 2009. Her practice spans photography, video, assemblage and painting, along with heavy doses of papier mache. She has taught at Havering College, England and the University of Lethbridge. She is currently the Curator at Pith Gallery, Calgary."
DARREN WOOD is an Art Director and hobbyist developer working out of local digital agency Critical Mass. Darren graduated from ACAD with a BFA in drawing and has been working with the web for over 16 years. He's worked with everything from large brands such as Nissan, Adidas and Peanuts; to local startups; to individuals in his pursuit of new digital experiences and new thinking.
WILLIAM YEE came from Hong Kong in 1975 to seek freedom and inspiration in the arts. After a year of study in The Fine Art Faculty at the University of Lethbridge, William came to Calgary in 1977 to join the first group of students to enter ACAD's Photo Major Program. Since then, he has been involved in various commercial photography businesses, including set up of the first independent 1 Hour Photo Lab in Calgary in 1985. In his 30+ years as a professional photographer, though working in many fields of commercial photography, William's passion remains editorial photography: He believes a photo should lead viewers to think and imagine what the story is behind the image, and that there should always be a deeper meaning in a photograph besides the obvious presentation of the image.
WILL YOUNG graduated with a BDes in Photography from ACAD and is currently working out of his own studio. His work is often bent with wry humour and irony, or explores more serious subjects such as urban sprawl. Will has a keen interest in editorial photography, and enjoys creating new personalities with his subjects; see www.willyoungphoto.com