2023 Our Community Stories

January 6 – Nick Stacey: New year, new Our Community story! To kick off the new year, let us introduce one of our excellent teachers, Nick Stacey. Nick Stacey (he/him/his) Nick is an educator and an artist who enjoys working in many media, and Place des Arts is somewhere he can combine those interests. He has lived in the Lower Mainland most of his life, completing his BFA at UBC in 2009, majoring in Creative Writing. In addition to teaching/tutoring various forms of academic and creative writing, he pursues as many artistic projects as he can, including visual art, music, writing and film. His webcomic series, “Shadow Lair,” has paused after 300 issues as of November 2022, but can be viewed on Patreon or Tumblr. His teaching philosophy emphasizes student agency and independence, seeking to provide students the space, tools and support to create work that is uniquely their own. Tell us a memory from your time at PdA that has brought you immense joy? On the last day of one of my first summer camps at Place des Arts, a student came over at the end of class to ask if it would be all right for her little sister to enrol in a class so she could learn from me as well. That was a wonderful endorsement, and most welcome; I felt as though I’d passed a sort of test.

January 19, Cyd Eva: Teacher and exhibiting artist, Cyd Eva, has got it going on! This Friday, visit Place des Arts to be a part of the opening reception for her exhibition, Creating Home/Ukwakha iKhaya. Creating Home/Ukwakha iKhaya is an immersive exhibition that includes artwork and music! The beats were created and produced by Costa Besta. A selection of his music is available to listen to on SoundCloud through the QR codes within the exhibition. Also some of the artwork was created in collaboration with Brianna Klassen.

January 20, Louise Bunn: It was a pleasure meeting you, Louise! Your exhibition, Alchemical Transformations, is breathtaking and captivating. —- Artist statement “My recent work focuses on alchemy, Hermeticism and the rich symbolism associated with these practices. This symbolism appears in my spiritual and meditative practices, and their potency takes my work in intriguing new directions. Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung viewed alchemy as the path from ancient Gnostic wisdom to a modern understanding of the unconscious.[1] Jung suggested that alchemy was not merely about laboratory processes to discover the elixir of life or the Philosophers’ Stone, but it was also a metaphysical process concerned with the development of the soul. During my artistic process, I enter an intuitive and exploratory dialogue with each piece. I “speak” with the images that appear to me and with my materials about my intentions, and I allow the qualities of the materials and the “voice” of the image attempting to manifest to help me shape the piece. For me, this imaginal practice is the cultivation of the soul. I view art and the making of art as a metaphor for how humans make tangible our “self” in the world and how we open our soul and communicate with the numinous. The pieces in this exhibition are gateways, passages, indicators of liminal space, invitations to mystery, markers of an inner terrain, and some of the symbols encountered along the way. These works may be viewed as meditations or as explorations of the layers of being. They make visible what is invisible and show glimpses of the flow of life embedded in a matrix of relationships to other humans, animals and plants, to stones and the stars.” – Louise

February 3, Crystal Koskinen: Say hello to one of our new theatre teachers, Crystal Koskinen! Crystal is our new Acting 101 teacher. Crystal Koskinen (HBFA) has been an Arts Educator for over 20 years and is passionate about all things creative. Her mission is to renew the gift of imagination through her unique and creative classes. Creating an encouraging and fun environment allows students to grow in confidence, creativity, imagination, thinking outside the box and teamwork. Crystal is a writer, director and designer. She has created costumes, props and set designs for many shows over the years. She also has worked in hundreds of schools, developed arts curriculums for various organizations and even hosted several Canadian awards shows annually. She has acted in film, television and commercials and is no stranger to the stage. As a graduate of the Second City Conservatory Program in Toronto, improv is a big part of all she does. As a voiceover artist, Crystal has enjoyed recording for radio, television, Audible, Netflix, web, animation and more.

Feb 6 – June 16, Creative Connections series: View our 50th Anniversary video series, Creative Connections, that celebrates the many incredible people who have helped shape Place des Arts.

March 7, Vin Arora: It’s time for round 2! Explore the second iteration or “Second Wave” of ceramics in exhibiting artist Vin Arora’s exhibition, Meltdown: The Second Wave. Vin Arora | @vin_arora The work in this show is comprised of a few older works and many new iterations of “Meltdown”. In early March 2020, a show of this theme was installed at Place des Arts. A few days after the exhibition was installed, the world shut down, and the work went largely unseen. The relevance of this theme, relating to aspects of mental health, are more relevant in the current context. My own relationship to that theme, and the works themselves is much more personally poignant. The following is the statement, unedited, from the 2020 version of Meltdown: Vin Arora is interested in the art that emerges from perceived failures. This body of work celebrates what can be cultivated, learned and harvested from these fertile soils. Beyond the reference to technique and formal aspects of the artwork, Meltdown investigates issues of mental health, societal value of productivity, sleep deprivation and “busyness”. The work also reflects and reframes behaviours and conditions such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, hoarding and ADHD. Where and how comfortably does a person with no diagnosis sit in relation to a blurry and translucent boundary? Where does spirituality enter the equation? How do we contain our thoughts? What is the shape of that container? Meltdown: The Second Wave will be on view at Place des Arts from March 10 to May 4, 2023 and online from March 17 to May 4, 2023.

July 14, Mike Stack: Meet our 2023 Summer Theatre Troupe Director, Mike Stack! Mike is extremely grateful to have the opportunity to create and play with the Summer Theatre Troupe at Place des Arts. A theatre educator, performer and director, his extensive experience with young people includes leading programs for Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, Mortal Coil Performance, Carousel Theatre, Templeton Secondary and throughout the Lower Mainland home learning community. As a performer, he has worked with Bard on the Beach, Arts Club, Axis Theatre, Carousel, Gateway, Touchstone Theatre, Ruby Slippers, Pi Theatre and the Vancouver Playhouse, among others, and has been fortunate enough to tour throughout North America as well as overseas. He also serves as an adjudicator of Speech Arts at festivals throughout British Columbia and Alberta. Mike is a multiple Jessie Award nominee and recipient and a Studio 58 Professional Theatre training program graduate.

July 16, Amy Bell: Meet our Summer Theatre Troupe Stage Manager, Amy Bell! Amy (she/her) is an emerging Stage Manager in the Lower Mainland living and working on the unceded territory of the Kwikwetlem First Nations land for this year’s Summer Theatre Troupe (STT) production. She is very excited to be stage managing this year’s production. Amy is a graduate of Douglas Colleges’ Stagecraft program. Previous Stage Management credits include Mad Forest (Douglas College Fall 2022), Nosegate (Vancouver Fringe Festival 2022), From Now to Nowhere (STT 2022), Light Rapid Transit (Coffeehouse Theatre presented at rEvolver Fest) and an upcoming production for Vancouver Fringe Festival 2023!

July 17, Midori O’Connor:Meet our Summer Theatre Troupe Production Designer, Midori O’Connor! Midori O’Connor is in her final year at UBC studying Theatre: Design and Production and this will be her first show as the Lead Designer. She has years of experience building sets, props and costumes for a variety of UBC main stage shows as well as smaller productions and has been a Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager on many performances both at and outside of UBC. Some of her more recent credits include Stage Manager – The How and the Why (Aenigma Theatre), Assistant Costume Designer – The Birds (UBC), Stage Manager – Parliament of the Birds (UBC), Assistant Stage Manager – Something Rotten (Theatre Under The Stars), and Assistant Stage Manager – Coriolanus (UBC).

July 18, Janavi Chawla:Meet our Summer Theatre Troupe Assistant Stage Manager and Props, Janavi Chawla! Janavi (she/they) is a theatre artist living and working on the stolen, traditional and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. She is grateful to have the opportunity to be the Assistant Stage Manager for the Summer Theatre Troupe’s 2023 production. This will be her first time working at Place des Arts and is excited to be collaborating with an incredible cast and crew. Past production credits include crew for Polar Opposites (Burnaby Arts Council), Sound Board Op. for Six of One: New Play Festival (Studio 58), and Stage Manager for CATS: Creating a Transformative Space (Studio 58). Janavi is currently an acting student at Studio 58 and will be starting her final term this fall.

July 19, Gus Setala-Gay: Time to meet this year’s cast! Say hello to Gus Setala-Gay. Gus is very excited to be a part of Through the Looking Glass at Place des Arts. Most recently, they played the lead role of Phil in DNA by Dennis Kelly as a student at Theatre Temp. Over the years, Gus has been involved in Carousel Theatre’s Teen Shakespeare Program and Arts Umbrella’s Pre-professional Theatre programs and Young Directors program. They have had the privilege of working with the Director previously and know that this year’s production will be exciting and fun for the actors and audience alike. They hope to learn a lot from working in this professional theatre environment. Gus would like to thank their high school theatre and film teachers from Templeton for their support over the years. Gus is looking forward to starting the Theatre Arts program at Langara’s Studio 58 in September.

July 20, Hana Lowey:Time to meet this year’s cast! Say hello to Hana Lowey. Hana is 16 years old and in his first year of the Summer Theatre Troupe. He’s been a part of Into the Woods tech and as Ensemble in The Prom (at Gleneagle Secondary) as well as a few short shows like Cheque Please. Since they were 10 they’ve had an interest in theatre and performing arts and are eager to pursue it as a future career as it’s given him so much joy. They’re extremely grateful for the opportunity to perform with an amazing cast and crew this summer at Place des Arts and they hope you enjoy the show!

July 21, Indah Del Bianco: Time to meet this year’s cast! Say hello to Indah Del Bianco. Indah is 18 years old and in her fifth and final year of the Summer Theatre Troupe. Indah has been acting and creating with Place des Arts for the past 8 years and is about to enter into her first year of the Theatre Performance program at Simon Fraser University. Some of her previous performances include The Prom, From Now to Nowhere, Into the Woods, Youthless: It’s a bit Grimm, Rent, Second Star to the Right, Legally Blond, The Windsinger, Dear Edwina Jr, The Chrysalids, The Little Mermaid Jr, and James and the Giant Peach Jr. Indah is honoured to be a part of this wonderful program again and to work alongside the talented cast and crew!

July 22, Luke Ablett: Time to meet this year’s cast! Say hello to Luke Ablett. Luke fell in love with the theatrical arts and performing at the age of four. Favourite credits include: Peter Pan (The Act Theatre, Maple Ridge, 2016), Newsies (The Act Theatre, Maple Ridge, 2017), The Greatest Showman (The Act Theatre, Maple Ridge, 2018), James and the Giant Peach (Archbishop Carney Theatre, 2020), That’s Not How I Remember It (METfest, 2021), Little Shop Of Horrors (Archbishop Carney Theatre, 2022), Appropriate Audience Behavior (METfest, 2022) and Arsenic And Old Lace (Archbishop Carney Theatre, 2023). Luke has been enjoying working hard and appreciates the blessing to be working with both old, new and very talented friends. Luke would like to thank his family, Deb Solberg, Charles Harris and the Place des Arts’ Summer Theatre Troupe for helping him on his journey to this moment.

July 23, Onyx Schwengler: Time to meet this year’s cast! Say hello to Onyx Schwengler. Onyx (they/them) is a 16-year-old actor, singer, dancer, technician and director based in Langley. They received voice instruction from Peter Jorgensen and dance training through Lindbjerg Academy. Over the years, Onyx has appeared in over 15 productions; some of their favorite credits include The Lion King (Delta Youth Theatre), Matilda (Delta Youth Theatre), Moana (Delta Youth Theatre), Newsies (Delta Youth Theatre), Cinderella (CTORA), Little Mermaid (CTORA) and Peter Pan (CTORA). They have won numerous awards, and scholarships as well as numerous gold and silver standings from music festivals all throughout the lower mainland. Most recently, they directed a play that was performed at the Provincial Drama Festival in New Westminster. Many thanks to everyone who has helped them reach where they are today, including their instructors, mentors, friends and family.

July 23, Ioana Lazar: Time to meet this year’s cast! Say hello to Ioana Lazar. My name is Ioana Lazar, and I am 16 and going into the 11th grade at Port Moody Secondary. I have loved acting ever since my primary school days, and recently have played the part of Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Girl in Check Please and Carrie in The Audition. In middle school, I was part of my school’s choir, and now for the past two years in high school, I have been taking the Theatre Acting Course. Being able to make meaningful connections is one of my favourite parts about theatre, and taking theatre as a class is how I have met some of my best friends! In my free time, I like to hike, go to the movies and play volleyball since I am on my school’s volleyball team. I am excited to join the Summer Theatre Troupe this year and meet new people who share the same love for theatre I have.

July 24, Rosemary Diab: Time to meet this year’s cast! Say hello to Rosemary Diab. Rosemary is delighted to be joining the Summer Theatre Troupe for her first summer here at Place des Arts. Her favourite roles include Dill Grover in Align Entertainment’s A Christmas Story, Gomez Addams in the Addams Family, Michael Banks in Mary Poppins and Molly in Annie. She has studied musical theatre and dance at Lindbjerg Academy for the past nine years as well as trained for film and TV acting at the Tri-Cities Film Studio for multiple years. Rosemary has been in a few recent short films, including Invidious and Sestra. She also studies singing with Elaine Lindbjerg and Kimberly Markarian, and recently competed in the Performing Arts Provincials in Penticton, BC where she received an Honourable Mention. She would like to thank her family and friends for their support, as well as Michael Fera and Mike Stack for this opportunity.

July 28, Kim Dean:

August 12, Lee-Anne Theron: We know you are excited to see what we are doing at our BC Dumpling Festival booth, but first, we want to introduce our next Our Community story, Lee-Anne Theron! Lee-Anne has been a part of our Place des Arts community since 2018. During those years, Lee-Anne has taken Jazz and Lyrical dance classes with teacher, Ashley Binette, and her daughter has participated in our Summer Fun! art camps. Now let’s get to know Lee-Anne a little more! — I have a bachelor’s degree in journalism, a post graduate diploma in Marketing Management and I’ve taken two animation programs with the School of Motion. I co-own a video production company called Six Degrees Productions, where I manage a team of creatives. We create promotional videos and animations fto market and advertise clients’ products and services. I have been doing this for almost 17 years and love what I do! I am a creative person, so my profession allows me to combine art with business objectives. In 2018, my family took a giant leap of faith and moved to Canada from South Africa to seek new opportunities. My hobbies include dancing, spending time with my family, camping, hiking, exploring beautiful BC, reading and art. My interests (more like obsessions) include medieval and classical history and true crime. What do you love about PdA? I really enjoy the classes because they are challenging, a creative outlet and a good workout. Performing in the year-end recital and at dance competitions has forced me out of my comfort zone. Another aspect that is dear to me is the people. Ashley is a wonderful dance teacher. She is really patient, highly skilled, outgoing and just great fun. I have also bonded with my fellow sassy ladies in our dance class, and we have a lot of fun together. A number of us have signed up for Ashley’s Hip Hop dance class, which starts in September. This will be a new challenge! I turned 40 this year and I am so grateful that Place des Arts encourages adults to try new things and learn new skills!

August 25, Linden: Our next Our Community story is truly heartwarming! This story showcases how the arts indeed positively affect our lives. Thank you to Linden’s parents for sharing his story with us. Without further ado, please enjoy Linden’s story. — Linden has always been a very expressive and theatrical child. He absolutely loves dressing up as characters from the shows he watches and is constantly putting on little “performances” without realizing it. During third grade, Linden started to struggle with some of his spelling tests. As the words got harder, he found it much more difficult to sound them out accurately. He became extremely frustrated and doubted his ability to learn and improve his spelling. A teacher suggested we put him into speech therapy, but having gone through my own experiences with it and knowing my son’s personality and frustration triggers, I knew it wouldn’t help. It was time to put him into theatre classes. We’d considered this idea before; however, it got pushed aside due to other priorities. I had already spent time researching multiple options and knew the best environment for him would be at Place des Arts. He’s a loud, extroverted child but becomes very timid when he feels shy and nervous. I knew Place des Arts would provide him with an environment that would allow him to feel comfortable yet still push him out of his comfort zone and help him grow. He took both Musical Theatre and Speech Arts & Drama as his first classes in theatre, and he absolutely loved them. He adored his teachers, Holly Bradbury and Kayla Dunbar and the lessons they gave. His spelling improved dramatically, as he learned how to pronounce and emphasize difficult words without feeling personally attacked for the way he speaks. Linden loved sharing with his teachers and friends at school what he learned and is excited to return for more classes next year. As parents, we are forever thankful for the support and experience we had to help our child through this obstacle. Our family is so happy and thankful to have joined the Place des Arts community this year, and we all look forward to next year.

September 1, Marilyn: The perfect way to end the week before a long weekend is to share a wonderful story from Our Community series. Please enjoy learning about Marilyn! — My connection with Place des Arts has been through classes. Heddle Loom Weaving was the first step and I loved it so much that I bought a loom so I could weave at home. I took an online class in Abstract Art and for the past 15 months, I’ve been exploring pottery at PdA. I have been involved with art for more than forty years. I grew up in Edmonton and took art classes in high school. I have a diploma in Design Arts, focusing on Retail Display & Merchandising and a Bachelor of Interior Design. While working in that field, I began teaching classes in Interior Design and changed my focus to teaching. I have been retired for 4 years and enjoy having more time for my creative pursuits. I am influenced by the works of other artists, the natural world and my experiences, particularly travel. Each of my creative endeavors inform the others. My favorite mediums are oils, pen and ink and colored pencil. I have had my artwork included in shows at Douglas College, Place des Arts and at the Shadbolt.

September 29, Sarah Oki: The fun never stops at Place des Arts and that means we always need a helping hand or two to keep things going. With that said, I want to introduce the next member of Our Community. Meet Sarah Oki, an incredible volunteer whose passion for the arts and helping others really shines through. — My name is Sarah Oki and I am from Burnaby. I am fifteen years old and have a part-time job working at a family-owned cultural business featuring Dutch cuisine and products. I have been a volunteer at Place des Arts during Spring Break and Summer camps. I enjoyed spending time with all the joyful and bright people that I volunteered alongside, as well as all the talented kids in my group who brightened my entire day! As a person living in this beautiful and strange world, one indescribable thing we all experience is growing up. All the unique and different lives we encounter are tied by that one universal emotion, the passage of time. Although I also believe we are also united by art, and everything beautiful and tragic that art captures. In my life, creative expression through writing, dance, photography are things that make me feel alive and to share that with the world is what I want to do the most. I aspire to inspire people because the idea that I have shifted the way they think is so beautiful to me. I want to be an artist of some kind, or an astronaut, because of my never-ending fascination with space and the infiniteness of the universe. What do you love about PdA? Place des Arts is a place where everyone can feel safe while bound together by their universal love and admiration for the arts. I love the airy feeling you get when you walk through the doors with the tall ceiling and open lighting juxtaposed with colourful art on the walls. Simply being in a place where art is the focus connects me to my creativity. Although the best feeling is being able to guide youth in their artistic journey which in turn, inspires me. Being a part of something so meaningful is absolutely amazing and awing to me. I am so proud to be a volunteer here at Place des Arts and proud to be an ever-learning aficionado of the arts.

October 13, Matin: Welcome to the Place des Arts Community! We are immensely excited to introduce Zahra (Matin) Komeili, our newest visual arts teacher. She joined our wonderful teaching team in August 2023, and we can’t wait to see her share her skills and passion for the arts with our community! Get to know a little more about Matin below! — My name is Zahra Komeili, my nickname is Matin and with over 8 years of experience in the art field, I am thrilled to contribute to our vibrant artistic community. Teaching various art forms, including watercolor, oil painting, drawing, pastels and acrylics has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Originally from Iran, I bring with me a wealth of academic and practical experience in the field of art and a deep passion for teaching to Place des Arts. My artistic journey has been immensely fulfilling and I am enthusiastic about sharing my knowledge and love for art with the PdA community. Beyond the canvas, I have a keen interest in reading, pottery, cooking and playing badminton at a professional level. Since July, I have been working as a volunteer in art classes to help other teachers. Additionally, I started my own classes in September, which has been an amazing milestone for me. I firmly believe that art has the power to bring calm and peace to society, and my aspiration is to play a role in achieving this. What do you love about PdA? What captivates me most about Place des Arts is its unwavering dedication to nurturing creativity and fostering artistic growth within our community. The sense of camaraderie among students, staff and fellow artists is truly inspiring. It’s a place where creativity knows no bounds and I feel privileged to be a part of this vibrant environment. Matin’s passion and love for the arts is truly heartwarming and she exudes that in her teaching style. Explore your passion for the arts in one of her Watercolour, Acrylic and/or Pastel-based visual arts classes.

October 27, Blue: Our next Our Community member is extra special! As part of our Season of Wonder, we’ve engaged an incredible artist named Blue Chu as our Wonder Ambassador. You may recognize Blue from various events such as Family Day and our latest October Day of the Arts camp. Blue interacts with participants to create an atmosphere filled with joy, creativity, and WONDER! Get to know Blue! Blue Chu (they/them/theirs) is a mixed-race, multidisciplinary independent queer, non-binary artist. They are a performer, composer, multi-instrumental musician, singer-songwriter, writer, musical comedian and clown. They are passionate about encouraging others to explore their innate creative abilities and voice. They believe everyone is inherently funny and has a voice that can sing. Their main intention is to bring more joy and kindness into the world. Next time you are in the centre, say hello to Blue!

November 3, Joanna Kovats: This week’s Our Community member, Joanna Kovats, is most likely a familiar face. Joanna has taught in a variety of programs at Place des Arts including our Summer Fun! camps, Day of the Arts camps, Family Day events and is a Theatre teacher. Let’s pull the curtain and get to know our Musical Theatre teacher, Joanna. A musical theatre performer for over 30 years, singing, dancing, and acting have been Joanna’s life passions. She started dancing at a very young age completing all the examinations in Ballet, Tap and Modern dance with the British Association of Teachers of Dance in the UK. She successfully completed a teaching diploma in Ballet, Tap and Modern dance before setting off on a professional career on the stage that enabled her to travel the world. “I was born in Essex England and immigrated to Canada in 2003 after marrying a Vancouverite! I have been very fortunate enough to work in the theatre industry for many years but after having my children, – realized I wanted to have a more grounded career that kept me close to home. So, I began teaching and found that I absolutely loved it. I have such a passion for the arts and having lots of experience being on the stage myself, I just love sharing that with budding artists. I also love to see how quiet or shy children can flourish within the classroom, finding their confidence and really break-out of their shells. It is so rewarding! Place des Arts is a beautiful community and a great hub for the arts! My hobbies are fitness, yoga, mindset health and hiking in nature with my beloved dog, Lily.”

November 17, Stephanie Carter: This week’s Our Community post is a little different! With our annual Positively Petite: Miniature Exhibition and November Exhibitions Opening tonight, we want to celebrate the stories of the wonderful and talented artists who brighten up Place des Arts with their artwork. Please enjoy the first of many introductions to the artists on display from now until Dec 21. — In my artistic journey, I explore a myriad of symbols drawn from the rich world of flora and fauna. Whether it’s the formidable strength of a stag beetle or the cleansing purity of hyssop, I immerse myself in the diverse meanings found in nature. Through my paintings, I invite viewers to rediscover the profound significance that humans have historically derived from various natural elements. Each canvas embraces symbolism, reflecting the enduring connection between humanity and the world around us. Biography – @stephanie_n_carter Stephanie Carter is an accomplished commercial artist with a rich career, and she is recognized for her artistic contributions. Her work has received national recognition, being featured on three Canadian postage stamps. Stephanie’s fine art has graced various group exhibitions, reflecting her dedication to her craft. She honed her skills under the guidance of renowned mentors Kiff Holland and Denise Burton during her studies at ECUAD. Stephanie remains committed to the ongoing exploration of her artistry, continually pushing the boundaries of her creative journey. Artwork: Point of View, Stephanie Carter, acrylic, 5″ x 5″

November 17, Joan Taylor: Check out these miniature wonders by artist Joan Tayler! Artist Statement I have always loved plants and the way their organic forms physically embody abstract visual concepts. As an art student, I was inspired by the work of William Morris and the Japanese concept that fine art and craft should be part of everyone’s daily experience; and that decoration could be an integral part of functional objects. For this show, I have tried to make little windows into the natural world. Biography Joan was born in Manitoba but has spent all her life living in British Columbia except for eight years living in Tokyo in the early seventies. Her stay in Japan has influenced her taste in design. She works mainly in polymer clay which marries the three dimensionality of clay with the range of colours found in paint.

December 15, Allison Barton Youssef: Our community is always growing and we are excited to introduce you to photographer and filmmaker, Allison Barton Youssef. She is currently exhibiting, Beholden which is available for viewing until Dec 21. Get to know the inspiration behind the exhibit and a little about Allison below! Allison created Beholden in September 2021 as a response to climate and personal grief, inviting art to be seen as a form of ecological protection. The arts are being called upon to awaken us and remind us of our interconnectedness with the natural world. The experiences of 2020, including human loss, climate catastrophes and racial upheavals, prompted Allison Barton Youssef to seek a new story of beauty and empathy for all creation. The landscape of the Katzie and Kwikwetlem First Nations held Youssef when she needed it most and she vowed to document and give life to it. Allison studied filmmaking in London, England, and moved to Egypt before becoming an entrepreneur. She currently works on visual branding with individuals and organizations involved in the environmental and wellness movement. Her reverence for deep ecology, spirituality and community is the foundation upon which she guides all areas of her life and work. What do I love about Place des Arts? Despite being a photographer for many years and having an extensive body of work I have rarely concentrated on my own personal practice. This left me with the dilemma of being in my fifties and yet having to apply to exhibit as an emerging artist. So many opportunities had age limits which was extremely disheartening. When I heard about exhibiting at Place des Arts as an emerging artist, I saw it as a great chance to share my work with my community in a space that was inclusive and welcoming to all. It is an honour to show ‘Beholden’ in the Leonore Peyton Salon Gallery.

2023 Our Community Stories

Click through our gallery to explore the wide breadth of stories from different members of our Place des Arts community!