Alysha Brilla

Music Artist

Twice Juno Award-nominated singer-songwriter, producer and community organizer Alysha Brilla is a critically acclaimed Indian-Tanzanian Canadian artist who just released her third self produced album, “HUMAN”. Brillas new music draws on the influences of her unique background. An ancestral journey to her father’s homeland in 2015 delivered inspiration for Brilla to write and produce the 10 new songs on “Human”; a lyrically timely record blending Indian East African sounds with a contemporary aesthetic. The first single from this newest release, “No More Violence”, is currently charting in the top 3 of the CBC Top 20 Countdown. Born in Mississauga, Ontario to an Indo-Tanzanian immigrant father and a European-Canadian mother, Alysha Brilla grew up in a household with unique discourse around the arts and social politics. Brilla is an art educator; frequently conducting music and social justice workshops in elementary schools across Canada and internationally.
TEDx speaker and Oktoberfest Woman Of The Year Arts Culture Award recipient, Brilla has been a mentor for YWCA’s “Rock Weekend”, helping marginalized female youth develop social skills through music. A multi-racial child of the Indian diaspora, Alysha’s art aims to unite people through the Canadian cultural kaleidoscope and bring light to social inequity issues in Canada and abroad. Her music and workshops feature strong themes of cultural diversity, gender equality and inclusivity

Brian Raine

Music Artist

Brian Raine began studying piano at the age of 4 in Yellowknife, NT, where he grew up. Always immersed in music, his instrumental interests expanded to guitar, saxophone, drums, synthesizers, and vocals before graduating high school. He was accepted into MacEwan University’s new Bachelor of Music in Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music program in Edmonton, AB. Majoring in Guitar Performance, he graduated with distinction in 2015 and was accepted into the University of Ottawa to take a Master’s in composition studying under John Armstrong. He was offered a position as a part-time professor to write and teach the curriculum for MUS 3315: Computers and Music. He returned to Edmonton to pursue a career as a freelance musician, bandleader, and music producer in 2016. He has since released his own album “Bloodless Arches” (2019) under the moniker “Ways In Waves” through Bent River Records, which was shortlisted for the Edmonton Music Prize. This album combined experimental electronic production techniques with art-pop songwriting, resulting in a uniquely vivid journey through dreamstates, guided by lyrics that explore mental health and the loss of self.

After hearing “Bloodless Arches”, Mallory Chipman hired Brian to co-produce the debut album ”Aquarian” (2020) for Mallory Chipman and the Mystics. During that production process he was invited into the group where he now plays guitar, keys, modular synthesizer, and sings backup vocals.

Up until 2022 – Brian was the bassist for “Bardic Form”, the touring guitarist/keyboardist for Martin Kerr (which included a tour in Singapore), and an Ableton Live instructor at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music. Now he works primarily as a freelance producer from his home studio while employed as a teaching artist for inPath, a multi-disciplinary arts program. Brian regularly collaborates with spoken word artist Brandon Wint, and YouTube video essayist “Polyphonic”. Together, this trio has created a 30 minute short film based on a poetry essay written by Wint, and are currently producing a “visual podcast” for PoetryLab.

Brit Kewin

Visual Artist

Brit Kewin is a Canadian researcher and filmmaker interested in the boundaries between art and documentary film. Past projects have explored creativity, child development and the social implications of health. She holds an M.A. (Distinction) in Visual Anthropology from Goldsmiths, UoL, and is currently working with Hot Docs and Toronto International Film Festival.

Bronwen Moen

Visual Artist

Originally from British Columbia, I moved to Montréal, Québec in 2006 where I completed my Masters of Fine Arts at Concordia University in 2013. My work in painting, drawing, and performance focuses on the vibrant materiality of the human form within the natural and manufactured world. As a dancer and performer, I draw deeply from my physical practice that provides a map of deepening connections with others and myself; sensations and images of the clumsy chaos of collaboration and interrelatedness. With a foundation of painting my work also extends into photography, illustration, large-scale puppets, and sets and props within TV/film and theatre productions. This multi-disciplinary practice includes a dedicated teaching and facilitation practice and is woven together with themes of embodiment, agency and connection.

Butta Beats

Music Artist

Butta Beats is an Argentinian beat-boxer, emcee, multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter and educator. Butta Beats was often seen and heard in countless freestyle sessions and beat-boxing encounters in concerts, on street corners and on the radio. He was part of the WEFUNK Radio with DJ Static and Professor Groove. He also collaborated with Ali Sepu on the Iron Chef Project, which allowed him to integrate his South American folkloric influences with occidental urban music. Joining Nomadic Massive gave him the perfect medium to express positive social discourse through music.

Catherine Pierre

Visual Artist

Catherine Pierre is a Secwepemc/Syilx multidisciplinary artist, writer, spoken word poet, workshop presenter, and arts educator. She lives within her traditional territory in the beautiful Okanagan valley. She is grounded in her culture and an active language learner as well as an accomplished seamstress.

She holds a Certificate in Indigenous Fine Arts through UVIC, with a focus on Creative Writing, and a NAPAT certificate from the National Aboriginal Professional Artist Training program through the En’owkin Centre in Penticton BC.

Catherine has performed her Spoken word poetry to audiences in both the US and Canada. As an arts educator, she has worked with Indigenous youth and children teaching sewing, printmaking, and creative writing. In addition, she is a self-taught seamstress for over 30 years with a passion for creating works that make the Indigenous experience visible. Catherine has also written an award-winning children’s book and has a passion for learning her peoples’ traditional social dances.

Cedar Eve Peters

Visual Artist

Cedar- Eve (Anishinaabe, Ojibwe) is an artist who grew up in Toronto, Ontario. She moved to Montreal at the age of 18, where she graduated from Studio Arts at Concordia University in 2012. She has painted murals in Peru and Alberta. She currently lives in Montreal as an independent artist and known for her brightly coloured beaded jewellery.
Her drawings and paintings are inspired by the idea of shapeshifting. Creatures bordering on human and animal intertwine with one another in a symbiotic relationship involving souls and energy. Mythologies and stories found in Indigenous cultures influence her work, along with her dreamworld.

Cheyenne Scott

Dance Artist

Cheyenne Scott is Straits Salish of the Saanich Nation/Norwegian settler descent and an actor, playwright, and emerging creative producer with a focus on new works. Having learned theatre through a colonial lens, she is working to Indigenize her process through her Salish values, personal expression, land-based methodology, and storytelling. She is a Dora Mavor Moore nominated artist for co-creating Now You See Her (Quote Unquote Collective/Nightwood/Why Not Theatre) which was published by Coach House, and for co-creating The Home Project (Howland/Native Earth/Soulpepper). She strives to create authentic stories that serve the community and offer good medicine for the future. Cheyenne has been shifting into a leadership position and hopes to support the work of other artists. She was named as the protégé of Lori Marchand for the Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award. She has been a guest artist in communities across Turtle island teaching Drama and Performance in schools with inPath for many years. As a performer, Cheyenne is drawn to complex contemporary characters and stories that involve music. Select Acting Credits include: Trojan Girls and the Outhouse of Atreus (Outside the March/Factory), The Herd (Citadel/Tarragon), Children of God (Urban Ink/NAC, Citadel/WCT, Segal Centre) Home Project (Soulpepper/Howland/Native Earth), Joyride (Caravan Farm Theatre), The Drowning Girls (WCT), Squawk (Geordie Productions), Sidewalk Chalk (Geordie Productions).

Christian Monias

Music Artist

“I am a Hip Hop artist, I work in song-writing, beat production and recording. I work mostly using a DAW and other needed equipments. A lot of my beats range from modern hip-hop to trap and/or even sample-based production. My song-writing abilities may vary depending on the type of I am working on, but I do write sing-song type lyrics, not just rap. I know of many unique rapping techniques such as slow flow, chopping or even the newly popular triplet rap you hear in trap music. I aim to show the youth that hip-hop production is easily accessible and the knowledge and equipment needed isn’t very hard to attain. The therapeutics behind hip-hop may even help youth escape the harsh living environments of today’s society, both mentally and physically. I am a firm believer that working in any art form is a definite step-forward into inspiring the next generation to achieve their goals. I hope to find new artists and help guide or even mentor their abilities to reach the next level. I also believe that I am perfect in opening the door for any new artist that may be interested in learning the basics of Hip Hop.”

Cindy Paul

Music Artist

Northern Alberta songbird Cindy Paul is deeply connected to her Indigenous roots and it shines through in every breath and beat. An established songwriter, producer, and visual artist, Cindy was honoured with nominations from New York’s Native American Music Awards, Western Canadian Music Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards, and Milwaukee’s Indian Summer Music Awards, featured on the Native American Music Award compilation CD Water is Life and composed the theme song for the World Indigenous Nations Games. Her original composition, He Can Fancy Dance is shared for educational purposes on the residential school system and for Indigenous cultural sensitivity and awareness in many conferences and workshops throughout North America. Cindy has developed and facilitated visual & performing arts workshops which include songwriting, Métis cultural dance, music, and art instruction. Her most recent charity work brings musical instruments and instruction to remote Indigenous communities and she continues teaching in conferences and schools across Canada. She is an advocate for health & healing through natural therapies, traditional medicines, and cultural teachings and truly believes in educating and healing through music and art.

Craig Edes

Music Artist

One half of the acclaimed Indigenous hip-hop group, Mob Bounce. Craig is a writer, actor, and performer residing in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Mob Bounce is Indigenous influenced Hip Hop with a fuse of EDM (Electronic Dance Music), with Traditional and Contemporary aspects. The group’s gripping lyricism delve into spirituality, social awareness/justice, and Mother Earth connection. Mob Bounce is a display of Hip Hop music and poetry with conviction.

Daniele Hopkins

Visual Artist

Daniele is a Toronto-based intermedia artist and founder and executive director of Electric Perfume, a community-oriented production studio focusing on experiential arts. At Electric Perfume, she organizes and curates shows and series that give creators within the community a chance to learn, explore, perform, and showcase their endeavours. Daniele also develops interactive and experiential works for events, festivals, venues, and gallery shows. Daniele is passionate about teaching and mentorship, and most of her projects are an exploration of intersections between nature, technology, sculpture, sound, and interactivity, and the sculptural component of her works is commonly based in discarded, obsolete, or found materials.

David Doody

Visual Artist

David Doody is 1/2 of Jordan and David Doody. As sculptors We wade in the brackish waters between image and materiality, investigating the tactile qualities of sculpture and three-dimensional space in the virtual light of screen culture and the post-internet age of the image explosion. With a genuine commitment to experimentation and improvisation, We construct material assemblages that respond to the constant deluge and saturation of visual information.

Our work explores the migration of contemporary culture and imagination into the realm of the virtual network where we are forced to reconsider presence, absence, and reproducibility as we sculpt our understanding of authenticity. Blurring the boundaries between the rational and the absurd, the measurable and the metaphysical, We strive to dislodge our creative practice from the dogma of prescriptive understanding. By wrapping the immaterial and the subconscious in a blanket of contemporary psychedelia We seek to cultivate an unbridled space where contemplation and entertainment mingle freely. We encourage rogue collisions between icons, symbols, and materials that forge new and vibrant networks of associative meanings within the vast nebula of the Post-American Imagination.

Our studio practice is highly inclusive and eagerly employs a vast array of traditional fabrication techniques in tandem with new media replication and production technologies. The variety and scope of the materials and methodologies reflect the dynamic encounters and exchanges of a restless, media-saturated, cosmopolitan experience. Through mixed method and mixed media assemblage, our research explores a dizzying vista that spills out over and down into an abyss of convergence and endless recombination.

Dee Barsy

Visual Artist

Dee Barsy is a painter based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 2013, she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Manitoba. In 2014, she graduated with an Educational Assistant Diploma from the University of Winnipeg. In 2016, she completed the Indigenous Women in Leadership course at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. From September 2017 through September 2018, Dee will be taking part in the Foundation Mentorship Program with Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Dee is a Visual Arts Facilitator with over 10 years experience instructing drawing and painting workshops for children and youth. She has also worked as an Educational Assistant and as a Youth Care Worker. Through her work, Dee has had the opportunity to observe the benefits of engaging young people in visual arts programming. Dee believes that creating art nurtures the processes of self-empowerment and self-healing in children and youth through creative risk-taking and confidence-building. In 2017, Dee was commissioned to create an artwork for the INSURGENCE/RESURGENCE exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The exhibition features the work of twenty-eight emerging and established contemporary Indigenous artists from across Canada. In her work titled My Four Grandmothers, Dee reflects on her experience as a First Nations person adopted into an interracial family. My Four Grandmothers acknowledges the diverse familial relationships in her life.

Drei (Andrei Savu)

Music Artist

A Multifaceted Creative in Music Production, Videography, and Youth Facilitation

Introduction:

Andrei Savu, widely known by his artistic moniker Drei, is a multifaceted creative excelling in music production, videography, and youth facilitation. Born in Romania in 1988, Andrei and his family sought refuge in Greece before immigrating to Canada, where he embraced a new life enriched by diverse experiences. Currently based in Montreal, Canada, Andrei has established himself as an artist with a versatile range of talents, creating captivating music, visually striking videos, and empowering young individuals through creative projects.

Early Years and Passion for Music:

From an early age, Andrei felt a deep connection to the world of music. Growing up in Ahuntsic, Montreal, he discovered his passion for creating beats and producing music. At the age of 11, he was introduced to the music of 2pac, which ignited a fire within him and set him on the path of rap music. It was during this time that he adopted the name Drei, a name that has become synonymous with his artistic identity.

Mastering the Art of Music Production:

Fueled by his love for music, Drei immersed himself in the art of music production. Through years of relentless practice and dedication, he honed his skills and developed a unique and captivating sound. With a catalog boasting over 600 type beats, Drei has showcased his versatility and ability to create diverse musical compositions that resonate with listeners. Moreover, his talent and passion for collaboration have led him to work with countless international artists from all continents, including South America and Asia. These collaborations have allowed Drei to infuse his music with a global perspective and create powerful cross-cultural connections through the universal language of music.

Venturing into Videography:

In 2012, Drei expanded his creative horizons by venturing into the realm of videography. Embracing the power of visual storytelling, he purchased his first video camera, allowing him to capture moments and create stunning visuals that complement and elevate music. Since then, he has directed and filmed over 100 professional music videos for artists across Montreal and Canada, establishing himself as a skilled videographer known for creating compelling narratives.

Empowering the Youth:

Driven by a desire to empower and inspire the next generation, Drei has dedicated his efforts to the N’we Jinan Mobile Production Studio. Through this program, he has had the privilege of working with schools and communities across Canada, including British Columbia, the Northwest Territories located in the Arctic, and many more. In addition, Drei’s passion for youth empowerment has taken him beyond Canadian borders, as he has also undertaken projects in the United States. With a commitment to reaching communities far and wide, Drei has traveled to over 80 communities, amplifying the voices and talents of young individuals across diverse regions and cultures. His work has made a profound impact on the lives of countless youth, instilling in them a sense of confidence, creativity, and self-expression.

Academic Pursuit:

Recognizing the importance of a solid foundation in music and audio engineering, Drei pursued a major in Electroacoustics at Concordia University. His studies in this field provided him with a comprehensive understanding of sound engineering and further enhanced his abilities as a music producer and sound technician. This academic background has allowed him to bring a unique perspective and technical expertise to his creative projects.

Notable Recognitions:

Drei’s dedication to empowering youth and amplifying their voices has garnered significant recognition, including capturing the attention of the Prime Minister of Canada, who shared some of his work on his Twitter page. This acknowledgment from such a prominent figure highlights the power and impact of Drei’s creative projects in promoting positive change and inspiring others. In addition, CBC Newfoundland featured a hip-hop song project in 2019, where Innu teen voices were amplified through music. CTV Edmonton highlighted a music video project in 2019, emphasizing the power of giving youth a platform to express themselves. APTN National News covered the N’we Jinan program, showcasing its impact on Indigenous communities across the Prairies. Furthermore, Drei’s work has been showcased in numerous other venues and platforms, solidifying the reach and influence of his creative endeavors.

Conclusion:

From his origins as Andrei Savu to the widely recognized name of Drei, he has embraced a multifaceted career as a music producer, videographer, and youth facilitator. With a repertoire encompassing over 600 type beats and a portfolio of more than 100 professional music videos, Drei’s creative endeavors have captivated audiences and left a lasting impact. His dedication to empowering youth and amplifying their voices has garnered notable recognition, solidifying his position as a respected artist and advocate. With a unique blend of musical artistry, visual storytelling, and a passion for nurturing young talent, Drei remains steadfast in his commitment to creating a positive impact and inspiring the next generation of artists.

Francine Cunningham

Visual Artist

Francine Cunningham is an award-winning Indigenous writer, artist and educator. She currently spends her summer days writing on the prairie’s and her winter months teaching in the north.

Her debut book of poems On/Me (Caitlin Press) was nominated for The BC and Yukon Book Prize, The Indigenous Voices Award, and The Vancouver Book Award. Her debut book of short stories God Isn’t Here Today (Invisible Publishing) is out now and is a book of Indigenous speculative fiction and horror. Her first children’s book What if bedtime didn’t exist (Annick Press) will be out in 2024. Her fiction has also appeared in The Best Canadian Short Stories 2021, in Grain Magazine as the 2018 Short Prose Award winner, on The Malahat Review’s Far Horizon’s Prose shortlist, among others. You can find out more about her at www.francinecunningham.ca

Hannah Doucet

Visual Artist

Hannah Doucet is a photo-based artist from Winnipeg, Canada. Through photographs, video and sculpture, she focuses on issues of representation, materiality and failure inherent in the medium of photography. Within the context of trauma extending from an experience of childhood illness, she is currently interested in considering anxiety over-representation as an extension of anxiety over the real body, and a perceived lack of control in both contexts. In an attempt to reconstruct her own body in three-dimensional form, she works with fabric images, cutting, placing and stitching my own form. Through this process of reconstruction, she wrestles with concepts of agency and anxiety within photographic representations of the body.
Hannah has received her BFA Honours from the University of Manitoba in 2015. Her work has been exhibited in alternative spaces and artist-run centers throughout the city of Winnipeg. She has exhibited nationally, at Art Mur (Montreal) and Avenue (Vancouver), Proof 23 at Gallery 44 (Toronto) and, most notably a solo exhibition I Never Recognized Her Except in Fragments at The New Gallery (Calgary) in 2016. In 2017, she completed a month-long residency as part the Banff Centre for Art and Creativity’s Visual + Digital Emerging BAiR Program. She is the co-founder and an active committee member of Flux Gallery, a gallery space for emerging artists. She facilitates art workshops throughout the city of Winnipeg, working with children and youth through Art City, with pediatric cancer patients through Cancercare Manitoba’s volunteer department, as well as with senior residents through the Misericordia Health Center’s recreation department.

Ila Barker

Music Artist

With soul and voice as smooth as warm honey, singer-songwriter Ila Barker captures audiences with her sweet melodies and dynamic presence. Ila is of mixed Anishinaabe and settler heritage with roots running deep in the Manitoban prairies, seasoning her craft with rich history and powerful textures. Coming from a long line of storytellers, she fuses authentic and timeless notes creating moments of serenity and blissful escape. Ila has brought her craft to an array of national festivals and stages including the Regina Folk Festival, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and the sākihiwē festival. In the summer of 2019 Ila opened up a sold-out show for Jeremy Dutcher at the Indian River Festival in PEI.

In February of 2020, Ila released the “Let Go” single, an atmospheric and stripped-down collaboration with UK-based artist Milan André that was recorded off the floor in one take in the northern Cree Nation of Nemaska, Quebec. “Let Go” landed on the National Indigenous Music Countdown, and climbed up the charts for three months straight hitting the top 15. Currently, Ila is in the planning stages of a future release.

Ila first got her start when she was awarded first place in the NCI Jam in 2011 for her original song “The Tree Song”. In 2013 Ila released her debut self-titled EP which continues to be heard on radio and satellite stations across North America. Her songs “Home” and “Complete” charted on the Indigenous Music Countdown and both hit the #1 spot quickly.

Having started her career organically, Ila keeps roots in the community by offering and participating in artistic and professional development workshops and local art initiatives. Currently, Ila is sitting on the Manitoba Music Indigenous Music Steering Committee and the FACTOR Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She created and facilitates a nationally-funded local music workshop program called AIRsessions, which primarily hires local Indigenous artists, and delivers mentorship to youth ages 13-25. During the school year, she works with Indigenous youth in Cree communities in northern Quebec, teaching songwriting and music production.

Janice Jo Lee

Music Artist

“I am a folk artist. An artist of the people! A storyteller. It is my responsibility as a folk artist to affirm our contemporary stories, emotions and ideas through art and carry these stories onward.
Art is my tool to build just and joyful communities that are as free as possible from systemic oppression. My art comforts the struggling and challenges political complacency. As a writer and performing artist, I combine my literature, music and theatre background with my political activism to create art that engages through its truth, comedy, lyricism and power. Genres and artistic disciplines do not limit me when creating songs, poems, scenes and stories. On stage, it is important for me to demonstrate power in embodied performances, unrelenting honesty, rhythm and humility.
I am constantly learning and thinking critically about my position and cultural context within systems of oppression. I aim to decolonize myself and my art practice from oppressive ideas and practices. My art is subject to criticism and conversation. As an artist and role model, I listen to and am accountable to my community.”

Jess Murwin

Visual Artist

Jess Murwin is a non-binary queer artist and programmer based in Montreal, Quebec. They received formal artistic training from Notre Dame de la Tilloye (France) and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (Canada), as well as informal training on various sets, at artist centres and in workshops in Canada, Europe and India. Their work combines myth, fantasy, humor and flamboyance with social commentary.
As a programmer, they have worked for the Atlantic International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, among others. Their focus in presenting films and media art works has always been to champion stories by female, LGBTQIA + and Indigenous filmmakers. They see this work as a critical way of reclaiming narrative spaces and as an important political and artistic act.

Jessica Canard

Visual Artist

Jessica Canard is a multi-media visual artist who is inspired by street art and murals. Born and currently based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, she has goals of traveling and making art internationally. Her roots are from Sagkeeng First Nation where she is using art to explore, reclaim, and bridge this part of her heritage with urban living. Her main focus is to use art as a tool for self-reflection/growth, to engage the public, and to build stronger communities. Accomplished at a young age, she’s been facilitating art workshops for youth since the age of 17, at 21 her work was purchased by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights thanks to a partnership that was started between the museum and the Michaelle Jean Foundation, and now she’s working towards those international goals. Jessica believes that art is about bringing people together and creating positive change.

Jimmy Baptiste

Visual Artist

Jimmy Baptiste is a youth facilitator, graphic artist, and curator, raised in Montreal, Quebec. His work is inspired by tattoos, graffiti, mangas, which helped him craft his unique aesthetic style and compelling high quality illustrations.
Over the last 10 years Jimmy as been working as a youth facilitator for the city of Montreal and various schools across the city of Montreal. He facilitated street art contemporary activities aimed at empowering and building up the sense of self worth through the arts. In 2015, Jimmy received the P. Lantz Bursary as an artist-in-residence from McGill University. There, he collaborated with local community organizations, McGill Faculty of Education students and teachers to offer free artistic workshops with an emphasis on engaging teaching in a non-formal setting. Jimmy has also been invited as a guest speaker for various art educational talks and documentaries for Under Pressure Graffiti Convention, McGill University and Save the Children/WEDAY.
As a graphic designer and artist, Jimmy as worked for international fashion companies such as Workshop Denim in New Zealand, Buffalo David Bitton, the Sid Lee \ Adidas Creative office in Montreal and the city of Montreal.

Kalkidan Assefa

Visual Artist

Kalkidan Assefa is a multi-medium Visual Artist and certified Artist-Educator specializing in figurative and iconographic mixed-media paintings and murals. He has participated in and curated group exhibitions and collaborative projects both regionally and internationally. As a Certified Artist-Educator, he facilitates interactive workshops for a diverse range of communities. Skilled in painting, drawing, ink studies, illustration, murals, collage, and live painting.

Website: https://www.drippinsoul.com/ 

Kristen Dobbin

Visual Artist

Kristen Dobbin is an Estonian-Canadian photographer interested in culture, identity and community. She holds a B.A. in anthropology and art history from McGill University, and an M.A. in anthropology from the University of Toronto. Her master’s research on photography in Scandinavian Sápmi was published in Visual Communication Quarterly and exhibited at FotoFocus Cincinnati.

Melanie Garcia

Visual Artist

Melanie Garcia is a collage artist and costumer for film. It was during her BFA in Film Production at Concordia University that she began her work in large-format digital collage. Inspired by Dada, Surrealism, and Poetic Cinema, her now analog mixed media collages are concerned with unconscious and liminal spaces, the distortions and aesthetics of the human body, and the spaces the body occupies. Her work has been exhibited across Canada as well as the Netherlands, Iceland, and Norway.

Since 2013 Melanie has had the pleasure of working with youth in in-class workshops, and art festivals around Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal with the Cultures in the Schools Programs and ELAN, and in several Indigenous communities through the inPath programs.
Referencing Dada and Surrealists’ depiction of unconscious spaces; mark-making and gestural use of charcoal, ink or paint anchor and create tensions between the elements, the use of limbs or anonymous bodies, balancing darkness and lightness, depicting a place that is somewhere as much as nowhere.

Since 2013 Melanie has had the pleasure of working with youth in in-class workshops, and art festivals around Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal, and in several Indigenous communities through the inPath programs.

Milan André

Music Artist

Milan André Boronell is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer. Born and raised in Montréal to a Slovak mother and an African American/Cuban father, Milan spent 8 years living in Toronto while getting his bachelor’s of music degree at Humber College. Between 2017 and 2022 Milan lived in London, Bratislava and Prague; recording, producing and playing shows. In 2021, Milan released his album ‘five hundred days.’ produced by Kristofer Harris of the UK, as well as his own self-production. The two are working on his next album, which will be released in 2023. In 2020, Milan co-wrote, co-produced and sang on ‘Reason’, a song for Czech rapper Paulie Garand which became one of the most played songs in the Czech Republic in 2021, earning it the title ‘song of the year’ at the Evropa 2 Czech radio awards.

Milan began working for inPath in 2018. Since then, he has produced and co-written over 70 songs in over 20 schools with dozens of youth across Turtle Island.

Moneca Sinclaire

Visual Artist

Moneca Sinclaire is a multi-media artist from outdoor installation art to drawing, sculpture, sewing, beading, and written word, who has Cree/English/Scottish Heritage. She uses everyday objects to upcycle or transforms them into objects of art. She is a self-taught artist who also loves the environment. She has combined both her passions for the environment and art, to help reduce the waste in landfills and by creating something from what people see as “nothing”. She also has donated much of her artwork for causes that raise awareness about Indigenous peoples, especially that raise knowledge and understanding about Indigenous women for example she recently submitted vamps for “Walking with our Sisters-Travelling Vamp Project” in September 2013, a project by Christi Belcourt. And in 2008 she submitted two quilt pieces for Indian Residential Healing Foundation, Winnipeg, Manitoba. “Living Healing Quilt Project Promoting Healing – One Stitch at a Time” which is a project that honors the strength, courage, and commitment of Indian Residential School Survivors (Quilt block 3-Child and Prisoners). She works with a variety of age groups and settings.

Patrick Shannon

Visual Artist

Patrick Shannon, also known as Nang Ḵ‘uulas is an Indigenous film director, award-winning social entrepreneur, and university instructor from Haida Gwaii, Canada.

Patrick’s work centres around social and cultural justice, and the elevation of marginalized voices through education, youth mentorship, media, and technology.

Paul Napash

Music Artist

Peatr Thomas

Visual Artist

Peatr Thomas is a Swampy Cree/Ojibwe multi-disciplinary artist from the Pimicikamak Cree Nation. Raised on reserve, he is a living by-product of the residential schools. He experienced firsthand the recycled trauma that came from the generation before him. Finding art, culture, and tradition was his way of coping and finding a way to continue healing from the past. Currently residing in Winnipeg as a full-time artist, entrepreneur & youth facilitator sharing skills & knowledge in visual arts, graphic design, and videography. He’s been working with our organization for the last year! Go and follow his journey at the following links:

Rex Smallboy

Music Artist

Rex holds considerable history when it comes to the native rap music scene in Canada as a part of the Cree hip-hop group War Party (era 1995 – 2005) Rex helped make music history when War Party became the first native rap group to have a music video featured on Much Music and Rap City.

Sabrina Bejba

Visual Artist

Sabrina Bejba (Бейба) is a visual artist, facilitator, learner and maker of things. She is a settler of Ukrainian and Italian descent, who grew up and lives in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal).

Her paintings, collages and jewelry pieces are inspired by her dreams and thoughts around her identity, connecting/re-connecting with her culture, gender roles, and sustainability. The mediums she creates with vary from candy wrappers, spray caps,
magazine clippings, to furniture she finds on the street. Repurposing and remixing objects and imagery in surreal ways is often what sparks her to create.

Her connection with art has guided her to a variety of art roles including artist, consultant, teacher and student. The main thread woven throughout these roles is her want to share art with youth and community. Making art with youth, sharing art
processes, and celebrating their goals is what grounds Bejba’s creative practice.

Shanna Strauss

Visual Artist

Shanna Strauss is a Tanzanian-American artist currently living in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyaang (Montreal). She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the California College of Arts and has exhibited her work in solo and group shows in Tanzania, the United States and Canada. Noteworthy achievements include her art being featured in the East African Biennale in 2009, a solo exhibition The Floating Homeland that opened the Vue D’Afrique 2015 Rally Expo Festival in Montreal, and a collaborative project and exhibition Re-membering: A sister Project that took place in Oakland, California in the summer of 2015. More recently, she was commissioned to create work for the Égéries Noires group exhibition at Montreal’s Place des Arts, in February 2016. She is currently working on an ongoing art project, with another Montreal based artist, Kevin Calixte, called Changemakers.
In conjunction with her art practice, Shanna has engaged in community work and organizing for the past 10 years, working with diverse youth groups in different countries. In 2014, she completed a Master of Social Work degree at McGill University with a focus on International and Community Development. Integrating arts-based programs and interventions in her community work, Shanna believes passionately in the power of art to create individual, community and social change.

Siibii Petawabano

Visual Artist

Queer, non-binary, singer-songwriter Siibii Petawabano flawlessly delivers an effortless performance that is seasoned with maturity and wisdom beyond their years. An absolute powerhouse vocalist, Siibii flows with emotions and an intimate vulnerability that cascades through distinct warm textures and catchy acoustic pop melodies.
Originally from the Cree community of Mistissini, Quebec, and now residing in Montreal, Siibii had an early start to music heavily influenced by both the musicians in their family and the biggest chart-topping artists of all time. Siibii started on their songwriting journey when they formed their first band, an indie-folk duo called Simple Human Tribe. Siibii quickly gained momentum as a solo artist in 2014 when they were selected to be featured on the first-ever compilation album created by N’we Jinan; a traveling music studio program. Eeyou Istchee Volume 1 shot to number one on iTunes chart the first day it was released and received substantial media attention across the nation. Since then Siibii has gone on to be featured on an array of artists’ tracks and has performed across the country. Most notable was their performance at We Day Montreal to a crowd of over 2,000 people, and the First Nations Schools First Symposium at the Musqueam Cultural Centre in front of the Right Honorable Paul Martin.
Currently, Siibii is in the final production stages of their debut solo album For Those I Love(d), set for release in 2020. Ultimately, Siibii goal is to be a changemaker. They feel a responsibility to pursue their talent to create more representation in the scene, recognizing that there are very few people in the industry that look like and identify as they do.

Steve Haining

Visual Artist

With photography awards in multiple countries and work published globally, Steve has spent the last decade excelling in his industry. Like everyone else trying to make it on their own he started out with a simple passion for photography. At the time he didn’t know “creative photographer” was even a job title and he spent his free time traveling in bands photographing along the way.Working on weekends as a photographer taking what he could get he spent his week days as a graphics designer and a hydro-geographer for the federal government mapping the waterways for shipping vessels in Canada. Over the years he found himself taking days off from the government job to do shoots on weekdays and making up the hours on the other days. It got to the point where he had to chose between the two and going with his heart he chased photography.

Thanya Iyer

Music Artist

Thanya Iyer is a multi-instrumentalist (violin/piano/voice), composer, arranger, and bandleader. She grew up submerged in the art of Indian Carnatic vocals, violin, and dance. Thanya’s multicultural curiosity led her to collaborate with a variety of artists whether it’s experimental free jazz, country blues or Indian fusion. Iyer has performed at festivals across Canada and the U.S., including the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the True/False Film Festival, as well as toured across Europe. Thanya’s main projects include Thanya Iyer, a genre-bending experimental pop future folk/jazz collective; and MAWMZ, a 5-piece chamber choir. She has also collaborated as a side-musician and recording artist with many musicians in the thriving art and creative music scene in Montréal such as Common Holly, Corey Gulkin, No Cosmos, Sea Moya, Waahli (Nomadic Massive), Paper Beat Scissors, and more. Thanya’s passion for helping others led her to teach music to youth as well as collaborate with inPath, an organization that connects artists with Indigenous youth across Canada for a teaching/artist residency, where she worked on songwriting and the creation of a visual album with youth. She just released her own visual album and feature film, KIND, a journey of self-love, and is pursuing her master’s in Music Therapy. 

Vanessa Stephen

Visual Artist

I am a cree multi media artist from Waskaganish QC. I paint, write, sing and recently started to do beading and carving. I am very passionate about learning new ways to express myself and my identity as an indigenous young lady and I ask love to learn more about my culture through relationships I build with others. What I know now definitely came from the inspiration I have received from many other remarkable people I have crossed paths with During my journey in the artistic media as well as those who have preserved their culture. I have picked up many different techniques in artistic expression from them and I am still learning today.

Whitney French

Spoken Word Artist

Whitney French is a storyteller and a multi-disciplinary artist. She is a certified arts educator who has executed over 100 workshops in schools, community centers, prisons, group-homes and First Nations’ reserves. Her debut collection 3 Cities was self-published in April 2012. Additionally, her writing has been published in Descant Magazine and anthologized in The Great Black North: Contemporary African Canadian Poetry. Whitney French is also the founder and co-editor and of the nation-wide publication From the Root Zine.