CATAPULT Alumni
Meet the graduates of CATAPULT throughout the years. Discover your new favourite artist(s) and find out more about the tremendous talent New Brunswick has to offer.
2025 Winter Cohort
Amanda Balestreri
Amanda Balestreri is a visual artist residing in New Brunswick. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Mount Allison University in 2008 and a Graphic Design certificate from McKenzie College in 2015. Amanda has shown her work throughout Canada and is a part of the City of Ottawa Art Collection.
Amanda enjoys staying healthy and active, working in her studio, exploring, and getting into a bit of trouble from time to time. Amanda lives in an old farm house in rural New Brunswick with her wife and two cats.
Anthony Bryan
Louis Anthony Bryan (he/him) is a theater artist and educator from Trinidad and Tobago. A graduate of St Thomas University’s Bachelor of Arts in 2017 and the Bachelor of Education program in 2018. Anthony is currently based in Fredericton, New Brunswick, working primarily as a writer, dramaturge, and stand-up comedian.
He has worked with several theater and film companies in his local art scene, including The Union of Black Artist’s Society, Rebel Femme Productions, Strike Pictures, Notable Acts, and Theatre New Brunswick: Young Company. This year he is interested in: gothics and folklore, supernatural soaps and writing about where he is from.
Audrey Favre
Audrey Favre is a visual artist born in France and currently based in Moncton, New Brunswick. Besides her career as a translator specialized in art and design, she is a self-taught printmaker and painter. She finds inspiration in folklore, flora and the occasional fluffball. Using a soft and cozy imagery, she explores themes such as seasonal rituals, the cyclical nature of life as well as cultural and environmental awareness, often with a touch of humour.
Garry Sanipass
Garry Sanipass, is an Indigenous artist journey began in childhood as a means of escape and self-expression.
Currently, Garry Sanipass is experimenting with creating pigments from natural sources, further deepening his relationship with the land. His evolving body of work continues to explore themes of transformation, interconnectedness, and the balance between permanence and impermanence, inviting viewers to journey with him through a layered and symbolic artistic narrative.
Jen Pilon
Jen Pilon is a ceramic artist and educator originally from Halifax. Now proudly based in Fundy, New Brunswick. Jen’s educational background began at NSCAD University. While exploring interdisciplinary mediums, she discovered her passion for printmaking aesthetics and earthen materials; both practices became the cornerstone of her creative exploration. Striving for a deeper understanding of the medium, Jen continued her education at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, solidifying her commitment to clay. The combination of masterfully wheel-thrown forms and tactile carvings is now the vessel for expressing the intricate relationship between humanity and the natural ecosystem. Jen’s ceramics reflect a longing for reciprocity, each piece embodying a connection to the earth.
Ramneet Kalra
Ramneet Kalra is an award-winning multi-disciplinary artist who combines his passions for poetry and photography. Author of The Lazy Motivation and Here We Are Forever. For his work for new and emerging BIPOC artists, he was awarded JL Community Event Award in Fredericton, March 2024.
Sabrina Goupil
Sabrina Goupil is a singer-songwriter and cover artist whose music is deeply rooted in her Acadian heritage. Originally from the Acadian Peninsula, she spent her formative years in Cambridge, Ontario, where her passion for music and singing flourished. With a distinctive Gothic EDM soundscape, Sabrina blends haunting melodies with classical and surrealist influences, creating a unique artistic expression that bridges past and present.
Sylvia Loomis
Sylvia Loomis is a photo-based artist living and working in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Her love for photography began in her early 20s in Quebec with a secondhand Voigtländer manual camera, capturing family gatherings and the beauty of summer weekends at Sunday Lake. With film as her canvas, she documented the landscapes of her life—mountains, sailing, and fleeting moments.
2024 Fall Cohort
Alina Karmadanova
Alina Karmadanova is a painter born in Siberia (Russia). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Design. From 2018 to 2023 she worked and lived in Shanghai, China. From 2022 to 2024 Alina studied at Falmouth University (UK) online and received her master’s degree in Illustration online. She graduated from New Brunswick College of Craft and Design with an advanced studio practice certificate. She exhibited her art in galleries in Russia, China, the UK, the USA and Canada over the past 5 years.
April Pyne
April Pyne’s abstract geometric paintings are informed by a childhood spent in Brooklyn, New York. Pyne has studied the language of abstraction looking to past modern masters and spent a summer studying sculpture at Cooper Union in New York. She has created a language of her own by painting images from her
childhood; geometric shapes like buildings against an expanse of sky, unexpected moments of natural beauty, texture reminiscent of earth, stones and pavement, fragments like stained glass from her grandfather’s church. Her style embraces modernism, geometric forms and sculptural elements. She is fascinated with circles (a shape without beginning or end) and with finding the shapes in the painting as a sculptor finds the shapes in wood or clay.
Pyne has had a full time studio practice for over seven years. She makes her
home in Moncton, NB with her husband. Her work has been seen in The Globe and Mail, the Times and Telegraph and at exhibitions in Canada and the UK. Her art can be found at Partial Gallery (Toronto), and is represented by Gallery on Queen (Fredericton).
Janie McLaughlin
Hard of hearing from birth, Janie McLaughlin developed her senses of vision and touch through art and textiles. Her interests led her to study fashion design, she has a diploma from Campus Notre Dame-de-Foy, Quebec, and a Bachelor’s degree, UQÀM.
In 2017, Janie interned at the Théâtre de la Monnaies, in Brussels, Belgium. This experience inspired her to create the “Anthropos” collection, which opened doors in the fashion industry, locally and nationally. Many public personalities wore her designs during events, and in photoshoots, she was on fashion runways. In addition, many of her creations appeared in magazines, including VOGUE Italy, in 2019.
In 2020, with the arrival of COVID-19 and the slowdown in the economy, Janie temporarily put aside her fashion design ambitions. However, this decision allowed her to return to her first passion: painting. As a result, she discovered the potential of a new niche market as a multidisciplinary artist. Even more, she realized that she could combine her two passions: textiles and painting. Since then, she has exhibited her works in Quebec and New Brunswick.
In August 2023, the artist took the decision to move from Montreal to her hometown, at Rivière-du-Portage, in New Brunswick. With a fresh start, Janie McLaughlin continues her artistic path by getting mentorships, connecting with the community, exploring her own voice, and sharing her work with the public.
Jasmine Violette
Jasmine Violette is a Latina watercolor artist based in Moncton, New Brunswick. Her vibrant and expressive works are inspired by the natural beauty of the diverse landscapes she’s encountered while living in various regions of Canada, including Kitchener, Saskatoon, and now Moncton. Specializing in florals, wildlife, and loose landscapes, Jasmine reflects her deep connection to nature and her love for capturing fleeting moments of serenity in her art.
In 2023, she began teaching monthly watercolor workshops, where she discovered her passion for teaching and building a creative community. Through her workshops, Jasmine encourages others to find joy in the process of painting, just as she does.
Her art aims to evoke a sense of peace, inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and find solace in the beauty of nature. Jasmine’s unique perspective, shaped by her travels and cultural heritage, infuses her work with warmth and authenticity, making each piece a heartfelt celebration of the world around us.
You can find Jasmine’s work on her website or find it locally at Made with Love: Janet’s Bake & Craft Shop in Riverview and KEPT on Main in Moncton.
Maxwell Brown
Maxwell Brown (Foghouseglass) is a glass artist and musician from Fredericton, New Brunswick.
He makes simple glass images because it brings him a lot of joy, he hopes to spread that feeling through light and colour.
Ranz Jaren Tayo Bontogon
Ranz Jaren Tayo Bontogon is a Filipino artist and photographer based in New Brunswick coming from Taguig, Philippines. In 2013 he immigrated to Canada and settled in the ever-growing city of Moncton. Ranz expresses his deep connection to his heritage with Photography and through his lens, he captures genuine moments and tells powerful stories that celebrate diversity, igniting curiosity about Filipino culture and perspective. Ranz graduated from the Pierre Lassonde School of Fine Arts at Mount Allison University. In 2023, he was the recipient of the Marjorie Young Bell Music & Fine Arts Award that funded his first photobook “Sa Pilipinas” or “In The Philippines”, which received recognition within the Filipino Association of New Brunswick.
DenMother
DenMother is the experimental electronic music project of Canadian multidisciplinary artist Sabarah Pilon.Her sound is described as atmospheric and ethereal converging with the feral, primal and instinctual, incorporating echoing vocal elements over layers of texture, drum and synth.
DenMother creates an intimacy with her audience during her performances, which become living extensions of her music and often act as rituals.Pilon first began experimenting with electronic music production in her bedroom, initially self-releasing music under the moniker ‘Orphan’.
After being discovered on Tumblr by then Maryland-based experimental label I Had An Accident Records, she released several cassettes and participated in collaborations with artists from across the US and Europe. Eventually, Pilon adopted the name “DenMother”.Since then, DenMother has self-released numerous digital albums and EPs, continuing to showcase her ability to experiment within sub-genres under the electronic umbrella, resulting in an evolving yet cohesive discography. DenMother continues to refine and redefine her unique approach to songwriting and music production.
“Frantic Ram” (2021), a concept album structured around Dante’s Inferno, explored deep within the psyche during times of chaos and confinement, was nominated for multiple awards including an ECMA for Electronic Album of the Year.
Her most recent work, ‘I Chased The Water’ (2024) is a devotional sacrifice to the Primordial Sea, examining themes of the Goddess, sexuality, quiet rage, tragic romance, and our ancestral relationship with the ocean and all her mythology.
Tina Antle
Tina Antle is a ceramic artist and artisanal potter based in Riverview, NB. Her love of pottery began in childhood on the shores of Maquapit Lake where she would spend summer days searching for wild clay, forming it into fanciful shapes, leaving it to dry in the warmth of the sun. Her techniques have become more refined over the years but that original joy has remained the same. She approaches her work with openness, curiosity, and a commitment to quality. She is also committed to infusing her work with calm, grounded energy, holding the belief that the energy we bring into each moment can have a positive impact.
In addition to being an emerging artist, Tina is a Registered Social Worker in both NB and NS with a specialization in trauma recovery. For over 20 years, her work has focussed on helping individuals to heal and reconnect with themselves, their loved ones, and their communities. She sees her work inside the studio as an extension of this calling, offering functional art as a tool for self-care and deeper connection. Each piece is created with the intention of helping to transform ordinary moments into meaningful experiences, bringing a deeper feeling of connection to rituals of daily living.
Tina is a member of ArtsLink NB, Craft NB and the Dieppe Arts and Culture Centre Ceramics Studio. Operating under the business name Inspired Ceramics, you can find her work online at inspiredceramics.ca.
2024 Winter Cohort
Catherine Arseneault
Catherine Arseneault is an artist, graphic designer and cultural worker living and working on the traditional unceded territory of the Wəlastəkwiyik and Mi’kmaq Peoples (Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada). As a lens-based artist, she mainly works in silver print and analogue photographic techniques. Her creative process explores the intuitive nature of intrapersonal communication and internal dialogues. She holds a BFA from Université de Moncton (2006) with concentrations in photography and printmaking. Her work has been shown in several group and solo exhibitions and she has taken part in creative residencies (ARTELES in Finland, 2023 and Cross Cultural Creative Residency, at Kouchibouguac National Park, 2021). Catherine has received creation grants from artsnb and Canada Council for the Arts and her most recent exhibition (All Thumbs) is nominated for the Éloizes 2024 Découverte de l’année prize. Since 2018, she has been consistently involved in local cultural initiatives through her work as Galerie Sans Nom’s Director of Special Projects, and as board member of the Association of Artist-Run Centres from the Atlantic. In 2023, Catherine officially took the lead in founding F Stop Studio Inc. — a new artist-run public access darkroom opening soon in Moncton.
Jacqui Clydesdale
Jacqui Clydesdale has made her living writing and editing for academics, marketers, magazines, websites and apps–but recently, she’s turned her attention to creative projects. She co-wrote/co-hosted Choral Fixation, a podcast about choral singing, and has written several scripts: two animated shorts, an original sitcom pilot, a theatrical Fringe show and an original dramedy TV show.
She’s currently working on a one-woman show about moving home to the Maritimes for the Fundy Fringe Festival, and co-writing a play about the time Prince (now King) Charles met Johnny Cash in Fredericton.
She lives in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada with her Labrador retriever, Coco, who has not written anything at all and never has any ideas for how to get rid of writer’s block.
Ryan Cubberley
Ryan Cubberley is a Windsor chairmaker born in St. Marys Ontario, now living in Sussex, New Brunswick. Ryan graduated with a diploma in mechanical engineering, which helped him hone skills in detail and spatial thinking. After his schooling, Ryan found woodworking, and in particular a mentor named Paul Sellers, who would help mold his passion for hand tools and woodworking as a lifestyle. Growing tired of the nine to five, Ryan and his fiancee traveled Canada in a big white van called Nanook which allowed much time for contemplation about life, woodworking and the next steps. During that time, he discovered green woodworking which built on the “less is more” philosophy. Windsor chairs have become his main focus and passion for the last number of years.
In his spare time, Ryan loves playing music and being outdoors, mountain biking and hiking the surrounding trails in Sussex and Fundy National park. The outdoors gives him inspiration and time to think and consider life’s highs and lows, always taking notice of the small things that are the true gifts that life has to offer.
Nadine Lipton
Nadine Lipton emerges as a contemporary functional ceramicist hailing from Moncton, New Brunswick. Drawing inspiration from a rich musical background spanning four decades, her venture, Bass Clef Pottery, marks a transition from the world of music to the tactile realm of clay.
Her journey into pottery commenced amidst the tech and finance industry landscape of the Netherlands in 2001. Upon returning to Canada, Nadine orchestrated the curation of the group exhibition, Outsider Art, in 2007. Notably, her efforts saw the representation and sale of works from diverse artists, both locally and on the international stage.
In subsequent years, Nadine showcased her own multifaceted pieces across various mediums in group exhibitions spanning 2007 to 2013. A hiatus from the art world ensued, only to be reignited as Nadine rekindled her passion for pottery. She dedicated three transformative summers to the study of ceramics at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, complemented by immersive winter sessions alongside fellow studio potters in Moncton.
In 2021, Nadine embarked on the realization of her own studio, a sanctuary where creativity flourishes with each passing year. Beyond her individual craft, Nadine is deeply committed to fostering a sense of community through art, advocating the belief that creativity is an inherent quality awaiting discovery in every individual.
Ella Christison
Ella Christison is an artist living and working in Saint John, New Brunswick. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mount Allison University, where she studied painting and printmaking. Her work explores themes of performance, artifice, and nostalgia. Through painting, she investigates found imagery to examine traditions of celebration and ceremony. Her work has been exhibited throughout the province in venues including the Owens Art Gallery, Struts Gallery, and the Cape Jourimain Nature Centre.
Duncan Rowan
Duncan Rowan Ireland is a storyteller based out of Fredericton NB, crafting storybooks, scrolls and unfolding contraptions in his basement studio, overlooking the Saint John River.
He searches for stories by venturing outside of his comfort zone, creating elaborate performances to convey the search.
Before building his home and studio, Duncan lived in Alberta and BC, working as a baker, a butcher, and landscaper while crafting art books. Before that, he went to school for tourism management and was able to major in Adventure Studies.
He shares stories because it makes people laugh, cry and smile.
He searches for them because it makes him laugh, cry and smile.
Ronnie Stanley
Ronnie Stanley is a handweaver and fiber artist based in Hanford Brook, New Brunswick. She has been weaving on traditional floor looms for around 20 years and sells her work under the name “Fundy Coast Weavery”.
Ronnie started her weaving journey with a second-hand loom, and before she knew it, she had fallen in love with the mesmerizing art of weaving. She admits to owning five floor looms and countless workshop looms and runs “Loomlust Weaving Supplies” with her husband Ben, to support her weaving obsession.
Ronnie was a member of the Huronia Handweavers Guild for over ten years before moving to New Brunswick and is now a member of the Atlantic Spinners and Handweavers Guild and the Complex Weavers Guild. She treasures the camaraderie and shared learning that she experienced in these Guild environments.
After balancing her handweaving hobby with a career in Adult Training and Education, Ronnie can now devote herself full-time to her art. Her passion lies in exploring and reproducing geometric patterns using thread, and she enjoys experimenting with weaving outside of the lines. Ronnie loves hand-painting her warps to create a unique cloth that captures the flow and movement of colors. She believes that paying attention to detail and using quality threads ensures the creation of exceptional pieces that can be passed down through generations.
Janine Daigle
Janine Daigle is a portrait painter from Saint-Ignace, New-Brunswick.
She follows her mother’s footsteps as an artist. After losing her mother in 2002, Janine traveled the world in search of herself. In her many travels, she was fortunate to discover many cultures, traditions and art forms. Returning to her roots, Janine rediscovered her passion for painting.
As a self-taught artist, Janine primarily works with oil paint and a palette knife. The majority of her works are based from photographs. From bold colors to monochrome, Janine aspires to capture the moment of raw emotion and intensity. One of her greatest pleasures is working with clients to create a portrait and preserve memories that emotionally impact their lives.
Since 2015, her work has been a public’s favourite in numerous galleries and symposiums, including the FAVA and the Moncton Gallery. Janine was chosen to be the first exhibit for the inauguration of the new Beausoleil Art Gallery. Her work is indeed a strong contribution to the art community and continues to highlight the beauty of this world.
2023 Fall Cohort
Ashley MacIntosh
Ashley MacIntosh is a visual artist born and living in Moncton, NB. Drawing inspiration from psychedelia, nature, and her own emotions and intuition, she creates colourful artworks with paint, various traditional media and software. In 2023 she began creating outdoor chalk art, chalking in Moncton and Shediac.
Ashley is a member of the Moncton Artists Society and ArtsLink NB.
Neuroleptix
Neuroleptix are a four-piece punk rock band hailing from Saint John NB. With loud guitars, drums, and group vocals they are straight up and demand their listeners attention, while exploring lyrical themes of reality, society and the truth.
They have played across the east coast of Canada including Saint John’s Container Village.
Sara Griffin
Sara Griffin, a painter and ceramic artist, is originally from Grand Manan Island, and currently resides in Fredericton, NB. Griffin holds a BFA from NSCAD, (2001) a BEd specializing in visual arts, (UNB,2010) and a Diploma of Ceramics, (NBCCD, 2023). Highlights of her career include residencies in Italy carving marble, printing lithographs in Vancouver, BC, and creating a series of paintings in Japan. As an arts advocate, Griffin served as the former Executive Director of ArtsLink NB (2011-13) and has sat on numerous arts boards in NB. Sara has exhibited internationally and has curated numerous learning programmes in Eastern Canada.
Jessica Kenney
Jessica Kenney is a Fredericton based disabled, neurodivergent artist, musician, and poet. They specialize in discovering unique and playful combinations between different mediums, including; digital art, needle felting, sculpture, illustration, watercolour, music, and poetry. Not only is Jessica a college educated artist with diplomas from the Center for Arts and Technology, and the Gaming and Animation Institute of Fredericton, they are also a self taught flutist and poet.
Jessica enjoys finding connections between unlikely mediums, in ways that delight both the artist and the viewer. With a motley and fun combination of techniques, Jessica explores chaotic ways of thinking and creating, resulting in the presentation of concepts and ideas in a new light. Jessica wants to make viewers question, learn, and think.
Jessica exhibited their acclaimed installation “Touching Music” at the Fredericton Arts Alliance Group show at the Charlotte Street Arts Center, this past September. They also had several pieces of art, poetry and an installation included in the group exhibit and zine “Speaking Out”. Jessica received a JL Micro Bursary from the Jane Leblanc Legacy Fund for their installation “Touching Music” in September 2023. Jessica has recently graduated from ArtsLink NB’s flagship Arts Accelerator, CATAPULT where she learned crucial art business skills to grow their art practice into a full time position.
Juliet Rose
Juliet Rose is a multimedia artist based in Moncton, New Brunswick. She uses a unique process to illustrate reflective and authentic documentary films using video, installation, archival media, and lights. Her method of gathering media as she builds the final project creates a subject-inspired narrative paired with Juliet’s vision. Her work explores themes of family, time relativity, and life duality.
Described by her colleagues as a peacock, Juliet’s flair and humor can be found in subtle hints throughout her work. She began to create video work at 6; Juliet feels that film has always been a way in which she communicates. There is no clear line where she began professionally, as she has demonstrated a serious passion and devotion- communicating through the lens- to creating films and art for well over a decade, putting her professional career start date somewhere between the ages of 13-15. Juliet’s creative and edged outlook on videography and life is the driving force that can visualize any story.
She studied the Intermedia (Video, Electronic & Performance Arts) BFA program and the Art Education program at Concordia University (QC). She was granted by the Canada Council for The Arts and various Municipalities to create her second feature-length film in 2022, The Stage. She worked with Atlantic Spotlight (2022-) and has created various multimedia pieces and performances throughout her career.
Francine Francis
Francine Francis’ arts journey is one of quietness, observation, reflection and lately research. Living in her community of Metepenagiag Mi’kmaq Nation, her Indigenous way of being and seeing, her awareness began at an early age as she became familiar with the forests and river that her father knew so well. The act of transferring traditional knowledge of the environment and the creatures who reside within it by spending time walking in the woods with her father or being on the Miramichi River was her favorite things to do.
Her second favorite activity was to draw and color and was so inspired by the art of Norval Morrisseau, she decided to continue her journey to Regina, Saskatchewan where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Indigenous Fine Arts.
Since then, she has exhibited in many group exhibitions such as “TransAtlantic Crossings” at Karlsruhe International Art Fair, Germany; “50 Years of Atlantic Canadian Art” at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton; “The Path We Share” at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax; and “Wabanaki” presented in Fredericton and Toronto by Gallery on Queen. She has done two solo exhibitions and residencies here in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
She continues to draw and color using her favorite medium acrylic paint where she enjoys the immediate and vibrant colors that help her portray what she knows and has come to know of her natural environment. Her future ambition is to create a large body of work where it can be exhibited in a major gallery here in the Atlantic and in Toronto.
Mélanie Paulin
Mélanie Paulin is a visual artist based in Moncton, New Brunswick from where she mothers, lives, and works. Once a PhD of environmental microbiology, Mélanie took her passion for breathing new life into unwanted furniture and turned it into a successful furniture painting studio. Wanting to push her creativity a step further, her focus has now turned towards other forms of expression such as textile arts and printmaking.
Forever curious in art and life, her work revisits and reinterprets life experiences with a particular focus on motherhood, environmental care and self-care. She embraces the handmade nature and imperfections of her work and holds a special interest in the acknowledgement and recognition of the many ways that women make art.
In 2023, Mélanie graduated from the Foundation for Visual Arts program at the New Brunswick College for Craft and Design. She has been supported by ArtsNB and is a graduate of the ArtsLinkNB CATAPULT Arts Accelerator program. She has served on the board of the Centre des Arts et de la Culture Dieppe, has contributed to fundraising art exhibitions and is a fervent supporter of her local art community. Her work has been featured at Galerie Sans Nom, Atelier Imago, George Fry Gallery and FICFA festival.
2023 Winter Cohort
Amber Carter
Amber Carter is an illustrator, graphic designer, and multimedia artist currently based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Carter’s artistic journey began in childhood like most, but became serious upon entering the University of New Brunswick and the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design. There, they completed their Bachelor of Applied Arts with a Diploma in Graphic Design & Illustration in 2022. Since then, they have split their time between freelance/contract work as a graphic designer, working with clients such as The Cap, Shivering Songs, The Recap Market, and bell·weth·er, among others, and pursuing new skills to continue advancing their craft.
Carter’s work primarily focuses on the exploration of value hierarchies, such as poverty and throwaway culture. They approach these topics with their personal perspective and experience, resulting in a body of work that is ever-evolving in terms of materials, techniques, and focus. They enjoy using tools in unconventional ways, such as scanners as cameras and digital microscopes to create textures for art and design. Their intent is to create bold and thought-provoking art and design that pushes boundaries and challenges the status quo.
Erin Goodine
Erin Goodine is a painter and interdisciplinary artist based in New Brunswick, Canada. Their work focuses on time, form, fluidity, and the uncanny through painting, drawing, sculpture, video and installation. Goodine graduated from the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design in 2011 and has developed an oil painting and interdisciplinary art practice through mentorship, community collaboration and peer support. Goodine collaborates as a curator and writer with the 3E Collective and maintains a dedicated studio practice in downtown Fredericton.
Helen Hillis
Helen is a weaverknitterspinnerdyer working and imagining out of her attic home studio. Having grown up in a family of fine crafters, she is interested in the practice of making and using handmade textiles as a means of intergenerational material and social exchange. She holds a BA (Hons.) in Early Modern Studies and English with a minor in Contemporary Studies from the University of King’s College and Dalhousie University where, in 2019, she won the Paul McIsaac Memorial Prize for demonstrated creativity in the English Department for her knitted response to Larissa Lai’s novel Salt Fish Girl. She studied floor loom weaving at the Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and is self taught in tapestry weaving. A DONA-trained Labour and Birth Doula, Helen is currently marrying her passions for textiles and supporting parents and babies by producing a line of handwoven baby carriers which she intends to debut in farmers markets and on digital platforms in the summer of 2023. She has taught multi-session tapestry weaving workshops to elementary-aged children at Armbrae Academy in Halifax. Her work appears in homes across Atlantic Canada, where she hopes it serves as a call to intimacy, witness, and quietude.
Jill McNair
Jill McNair is a visual artist and an educator based in New Brunswick. She has a background as an art therapist and art instructor, and this experience has expressed upon her the connection between the creative art process and one’s imagining of a more hopeful future. She studied Applied Social Sciences at the University of Guelph, Art Therapy at Western University and Education at York University. Her love of the natural world and her intention to seek physical and mental well-being has led her to her current body of work. Jill lives on the banks of the Petitcodiac River near Moncton, New Brunswick with her husband and her Yorkshire Terrier. She can often be found seeking inspiration along the Atlantic coastline, beach combing, or hiking in one of the sensational provincial or national parks.
Joëlle Martin
Joëlle Martin is a visual artist living in New Brunswick, at the edge of Fundy National park. Her studio is located in her lakeside lodge, nestled amongst ancestral orchards in the Acadian Forest, where she peacefully brings her artworks to life under the brand “Mon Pré” (My Meadow).
After working as a makeup artist for 15 years, she embarked on a new journey of expression and transitioned to the visual arts field. She currently uses watercolour as her main medium, combining antique or vintage paints with modern paints to depict flora, fauna and found objects, thus infusing a bit of history into her work.
Curious and observant by default, she loves exploring nature’s rhythm and life cycle as the seasons change, searching for new subjects to discover and portray. Heavily inspired by ancient botany and bygone naturalists, her work brings about an intricately detailed, layered and vibrant aesthetic combined with a playful twist on realism.
Joëlle has exhibited work at Picadilly Coffee Roasters in Sussex and has had the opportunity to collaborate with local businesses such as Sussex Ale Works and Lady Smith Manor to develop artwork to feature on their products.
In her spare time, she likes collecting antique books, vintage art supplies and timeworn treasures, exploring nature with her husband and Shetland Sheepdog Stella, experimenting in her kitchen and crafting espresso-based drinks as a barista at her local café.
Kelly Baker
Kelly Baker is a commercial, portrait, wedding, and family photographer based out of Fredericton, New Brunswick. She holds an MA and PhD in social anthropology, where she first nurtured her interest in storytelling and exploring the complex beauty of everyday life. She received a Photography diploma from NBCCD in 2015, which launched her career as an artist and commercial photographer whose work emphasizes the magic in the everyday mundane. Her work has been shown in the George Fry gallery and the Charlotte Street Arts Centre, and has been published in the Maritime Edit, Grid City, and Created Here Magazine. She has taught university-level courses exploring themes of photographic language and representation at both UNB Renaissance and Mount Allison University. Her passion for exploring people’s connections to place stems from her own upbringing in a tight-knit fishing village in rural Nova Scotia. Her clients include the Fredericton Playhouse, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, and The University of New Brunswick.
Laura Boudreau
Laura Boudreau is a jewellery artist based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She began pursuing silversmithing in 2010 at NBCCD in the Jewellery/Metal Arts program. After graduating, Laura continued to practice metalsmithing while studying Applied Arts at UNB and working as a bench jeweller. In 2021, she returned to NBCCD for the Advanced Studio Practice program to refine her craft, and officially launched Laura Boudreau Jewellery in 2022. She has since received the Sheila Hugh Mackay Foundation Merit Bursary, an artsnb infrastructure grant, and displays work in galleries across New Brunswick. Laura also considers herself a serial hobbyist, enjoying architectural miniatures, book binding, ceramics, making furniture, and gardening.
Melissa Kennedy
Melissa Kennedy is a visual artist and art instructor that lives and works in New Brunswick, Canada. Her career began as a student at The Florence Academy of Art, where she learned traditional methods of sculpture and drawing. For her third year of study at the academy, she received a teaching assistant scholarship, and she remained in Florence for an additional three years as a principal instructor at the academy. Since returning to Canada, she has taught various art courses, while continuing to develop her art own practice.
Her art consists of exploration and experimentation of many different mediums and techniques in both drawing and sculpting. And she has participated in many local opportunities such as residencies in both Fredericton and Campobello, as well as interning at the rock sculpture symposium in Saint John.
Her work has been included in exhibitions both locally, as well as internationally in cities such as London and Barcelona.
Melissa also enjoys visiting art museums, loosely following recipes while cooking, and snuggling with cats.
2018 Winter Cohort
Jared Peters
Jared Peters is a contemporary artist engaged with themes of painting, history, power, and identity. He was a semifinalist in the 2011 RBC Painting Competition, and his work can be found in collections across Canada. He received a BA in History from the University of New Brunswick, a BFA from NSCAD University, and an MFA in Visual Arts from the University of Western Ontario. He currently lives and works in New Brunswick, Canada.
Kelly Gwen Pleau
Kelly Gwen Pleau is a Yonsei-Canadian multidisciplinary artist, born in Calgary, Alberta. She earned her BFA in Art History and Studio Arts at Concordia University in 2015. Now, based in Fredericton, New Brunswick, she serves on the Board of Directors at Connexion ARC and is preparing to launch Department of Intimates, a critically-engaged line of lingerie.
Jean Rooney
Jean Rooney is an Irish born artist, living and working in the wetlands of French Lake, rural New Brunswick. In addition to 18 years as a practising artist she holds a bachelor of Fine Art in Printmaking and a Masters Degree in Multimedia from Trinity College, Dublin University. She is an award-winning artist whose work is held in the permanent collection of the Province of New Brunswick. Rooney is a member of faculty at The New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, Canada.
Glenn Shaver
Glenn Shaver is a computer graphics designer and visual artist currently living in Fredericton. His passion for the arts started when he was very young and continues to this day, both in both graphic design and painting. He recently completed an internship at CFB Gagetown doing graphic design for the Canadian Military, and he looks forward to applying what he has learned in a full time career!
Dawn Steeves
Dawn Steeves is a Canadian visual artist, primarily self-taught, who lives and works in beautiful downtown Fredericton, New Brunswick. In 2015, she began working full time as a visual artist from her studio in Fredericton and since then, has had multiple opportunities and many exhibitions of her paintings, including a solo show at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre (Fredericton, NB) a group exhibition at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery (Fredericton, NB), as part of the StudioWatch: Emerging Artist Series.
Kasie Wilcox
Kasie Wilcox is a New Brunswick based multimedia artist and Director of Connexion Artist-Run Centre for Contemporary Art, in Fredericton. She graduated from NSCAD in 2014, and her concept-based art practice explores the potential of using consumer media to present artwork, in the forms of books, zines, video, sculpture, and virtual spaces.
2017 Fall Cohort
Amy Ash
Amy Ash is a contemporary artist whose practice engages with the process of meaning-making through the connectivity of memory, learning and wonder.
She has exhibited and curated programmes in Canada, Japan and the UK, and has fulfilled roles within several arts organisations, such as: VP/Programming Chair (Third Space Gallery, Saint John NB), Learning Curator (Gerald Moore Gallery, London, UK), among others. Amy has been granted residencies in Canada (The Banff Centre for the Arts 2015) and the UK (Cubitt Arts 2016, Kestle Barton 2017) and her projects have been awarded the support of groups and funds, including, The Sheila Hugh MacKay Foundation, The Peter McKendrick Endowment Fund for Visual Artists and Arts Council England.
Amy has a BFA from Mount Allison University (2000) and a BEd from University of New Brunswick (2010).
Julie Ashford-Smith
Julie Ashford-Smith is the founder and current CEO of Dark Attic Enterprises, a publishing company based out of Saint John, New Brunswick. As a writer and avid reader, she plans to use her expertise to promote the amazing well of talented authors found in Canada and help guide young writers through the industry. She hopes to change publishing for the better with her company’s somewhat nontraditional methods and also validate the pursuit of literature as a career path for writers.
Jared Betts
Jared Betts earned a BFA from NSCAD University in 2010 and is a New Brunswick based neo abstract expressionist. He has exhibited in over 130 group and solo exhibitions in Canada, Paris, Tokyo, New York, Germany, Costa Rica and Iceland. He has exhibited at the National Gallery of Costa Rica, the Beaverbrook Gallery and last year he exhibited at the Tokyo Art Fair in Japan. Jared has taken part in artist residencies in Iceland, New Brunswick, a castle in Ireland, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Costa Rica. Jared Betts is the recipient of eight artsnb grants and currently works out of a studio in Moncton, New Brunswick. His work is included in numerous corporate and private collections in Canada, Paris, California, China and Iceland. Jared is currently working on three upcoming exhibitions this year: 1) Images Rémanentes, a collaboration between Canada Council for the Arts, New Brunswick Tourism, Heritage and Culture, Galerie d’art Louise et Reuben Cohen, Galerie Sans Nom and Atelier d’estampe Imago Inc. and is being curated by Elise Anne LaPlante + Michelle Drapeau 2) Apple Art exhibition in Moncton, June 7th, and 3) A Gallery on Queen exhibition in Fredericton.
Kyla Chung
Kyla Chung is a visual artist, born in Seoul, South Korea. She graduated from Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD University), receiving her BFA in Drawing and Painting in 2017. She was awarded the Frederick Hagan Passion in Paint Award at the OCAD Graduation Exhibition. Now she is based in Saint John, New Brunswick, and works both in oil and digital media, including animations.
Hilary Ladd
Hilary Ladd is an innovative soul seeking some semblance of life balance and ritual. Her days are spent juggling motherhood, a passion for all things fermented, and a never ending drive to create. Her list of artistic endeavours includes (but is not limited to) a budding sourdough business, Creature Comforts, probably brought to you by postpartum hormones, her band, Ladd & Lasses, who recently released their debut album “She Wanders”, and Turret Two Music Solutions, a consulting service for unmanaged musicians in need of administrative support. She also enjoys her day job as vocal director at the InterAction School of Performing Arts. But you can usually find her with George at their home on Queen Square doing laundry.
Abigail Smith
Abigail Smith is a Saint John adoptee and professional audience member. She is a co founder of the Quality Block Party, a non profit organization that presents bi annual music festivals in Uptown Saint John. The Quality Block Party’s mandate is to support and promote New Brunswick artists and to foster a music city culture in Saint John.
Danika Vautour
Danika Vautour is an emerging artist who currently resides in the Saint John area. Danika recently graduated from the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design where she received her Diploma in Ceramics (2017) and her Certificate in Foundation Visual Arts (2015). During her time at the College she also studied photography, drawing, and painting. In her studio practice, she uses a variety of mediums to create pieces that reflect the way she sees everyday life.
2018 Fall Cohort
Laura-Beth Bird
Laura-Beth Bird is a theatre artist based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Bird Graduated from St. Thomas University with a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatics in 2007. Since then she has gone on to work on both Film and theatre productions in the region. Most recent being “The Amazing Race Canada; Hero’s Edition” (Chase 6 Productions) “Cymbeline” (Bard in the Barracks) and “A Life of Galileo” (Theatre St. Thomas). Bird also sits on the board for Bard in The Barracks and Notable Acts and is the founder and Producer of Grey Rabbit Theatre Co.
Chris Doiron
Chris Doiron holds a Diploma in Fine Craft – Ceramics, from the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design and is building his career as a ceramic artist, working in both stoneware and raku temperatures.
Moving to rural New Brunswick ignited his deep-rooted appreciation of nature’s colours and textures, fuelling his fervour for wood-firing, with its unique qualities and unpredictable results. Chris is an Instructor for the City of Fredericton’s edVentures program, and most recently, was awarded a creation grant from the New Brunswick Arts Board, which will enable him to pursue his research in working with local river clays.
Andrii Gaidash & Natalia Haidash
Andrii Gaidash and Natalia Haidash are leather craft and jewelry artisans, a husband and wife team behind the Dodo Handmade Accessories.
They design and create a wide range of bespoke handmade leather bags, wallets and accessories under the brand DodoLeather and personalized jewelry under the brand DodoCharms. Their works are being sold mainly on-line via two Etsy shops where they have reached more than 5700 sales and more than 900 positive reviews from the customers all over the globe. Their items can also be found in Moka Spa Salon in Moncton, NB, Studio205 in Hamilton, ON and Dots&Loops in Lunenburg, NS.
They both grew up in Ukraine where they received their education. Andrii has a diploma of Architect Technician from Dnipropetrovsk Assembly Technikum and Natalia earned Masters degree in Business at Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics. In 2012 they started their practice with jewelry making and leather craft which evolved from the hobby to full time jobs for both in the next recent years. In 2017 they immigrated to Canada and brought their creative business with them.
Andrii and Natalia reside in Moncton, NB where they work at the home-based studio.
Emily Kennedy
Emily Kennedy is a cellist, improviser, composer and collaborator based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She is a graduate of the performance program at the University of Ottawa and Wilfrid Laurier University. Passionate about new music, Emily recently took part in the Britten-Pears Composition, Alternative Performance and Performance Art program in Aldeburgh, UK, performs in electronic improv trio Terre Wa, and works with guitarist and improviser Joel LeBlanc. This past year, Emily was fortunate to be the Emerging Musician in Residence at the University of New Brunswick. She frequently performs with guitarist Steven Peacock, the Kalaya String Quartet, Pallmer, Property//, Symphony New Brunswick, and as a part of UNB’s musicUNB Performance Series. Emily is active in genre-crossing projects, collaborating with poets, textile artists, and dancers. Emily teaches cello at Mount Allison University, and maintains a full private teaching studio in Fredericton.
Natalie Légère
Born in Moncton, N.B. in 1982, Natalie Légère has been, exhibiting and performing live art, as well as reading and publishing poetry since the late 90’s. She has a B.A in Multidisciplinary Arts with Concentrations in French Literature, Fine Arts and Artistic Expression from the Université de Moncton. She started painting abstract mandalas in 2001, sold paintings at the Moncton Farmer’s Market and had her first solo show Mandala at The Moncton Public Library in 2005. She participates in group shows and creates art live frequently, including the annual Earth Day Events in Moncton. In 2012-2013 she enrolled in continuing studies courses in fine arts including photography, sculpture and drawing. During the last 3 years, she’s been in dozens of workshops on creative writing, professionalization for visual artists as well as business courses for artists though Culture Plus, ArtsLink NB, AAAPNB, Emily Carr and others. She currently has a mentorship with Barbara Safran de Niverville and is opening Galerie d’Art Natalie Légère Art Gallery on Main St. in Woodstock. She lives in Woodstock First Nations and can be found online at www.natalielegere.com.
Indigo Poirier
Indigo Poirier is a musician, producer, and composer currently based in Fredericton, NB. Their solo electronic project, Wangled Teb, recently was awarded Music NB’s electronic artist of the year for 2018. They are currently working on their fifth album under the Wangled Teb moniker, in collaboration with the Kalaya String Quartet, with financial support from ArtsNB. They also have a strong interest in interdisciplinary collaboration with other artists, having performed at Third Shift as part of an installation created by Katie Foal, and at Flourish Festival as part of an installation created by Indigo and Erin Goodine. They graduated from daVinci College’s Audio Engineering and Production program in 2016.
They also perform as a synthesist in all-female electronic improv trio Terre Wa alongside synthesist Erin Goodine and cellist Emily Kennedy, and they play drums in psychedelic funk-rock two-piece Helium Submarine.
Katrina Slade
Katrina Slade, originally from Oregon, has an undefinable urge to create organically ethereal compositions through mixed media experiments. She works in layered combinations of acrylics, watercolours, and inks. Slade’s style is described as otherworldly, non-objective, and centred in the basic elements of colour and harmony. The abstract nature of her aesthetic invites the viewer to arrive at their own unique interpretation of her work.
Slade’s evolving style is influenced by her international lifestyle, especially from her time living in Tokyo, Japan, where she fell in love with the Japanese aesthetic. World travel has been instrumental in her artistic growth. Slade is currently living and working in Fredericton.
