At Guelph Arts Council’s Annual General Meeting on May 19, GAC members approved the slate of Directors for the 2016-17 year.
Anticipating vacancies on the Board, GAC’s Nominating Committee recently invited applications for Board positions. The Committee was thrilled with the response, and selected Janét Aizenstros, Kayla-Wray Amy, Laurel McKellar, and Ian Muller for nomination. We welcome them all to Guelph Arts Council and thank them for their commitment to the arts in Guelph.
GAC’s members also sincerely thanked outgoing members of the Board for their tremendous contributions. Chelsey Rae Hooker, Cynthia Kinnunen (past President), and Perrin Valli have donated both their amazing talents and precious time to GAC over the last few years. We look forward to continuing to work with them in new ways.
The 2016-17 Board has elected an Executive Committee as follows: Angela Delodder, President; Greg Pinks, Vice President; Jennifer Jarvis, Treasurer; and Gabriella Vegvari, Secretary.
Here’s an introduction to GAC’s new Board members:
Executive
Angela Delodder
Angela is the owner and founder of Sprout Graphic Design and has worked in the industry for over 18 years. Sprout specializes in creative branding and clear messaging, from annual reports to website design. During her career she has worked and volunteered with many not-for-profits and NGOs. She enjoys making things by hand and drinking locally roasted fair trade coffee.
Greg Pinks
Greg is the founder of Axiom, a Human Resources consulting business focused on HR strategy and Leadership Coaching. Greg got involved in the arts community in Guelph when his daughters were exploring their creative sides – something Greg hadn’t done much of as a child. He quickly realized that Guelph has both amazing artists and venues, and joined the Board of the River Run Centre, Guelph’s performing arts centre. This evolved to Greg chairing the City’s Cultural Advisory Committee, providing a community voice when it came to cultural planning. While not an artist himself, Greg sees the incredible benefits of a strong arts culture on the livability of a city.
www.axiomperformance.ca
Gabriella Vegvari
Gabriella Vegvari has lived in Guelph for 48 years and considers it her hometown, even if she wasn’t born here. She has worked at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs since 1999. She holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Waterloo, in history and music, as well as a Master of Arts degree in musicology from the University of Western Ontario. For most of her life her creativity has been expressed through piano and voice until almost six years ago, when she discovered new avenues of creative expression through stained and mosaic glass, as well as Saori-style weaving. Gabriella believes every person has a creative spark within themselves – discovering how to express it is the first part of a person’s artistic journey.
Jennifer Jarvis
Jennifer came to Guelph in 2004 and, like many others before her, couldn’t leave this great city. She’s amazed at the breadth and depth of art in Guelph, and she’s excited to support the arts community through her involvement with the Guelph Arts Council. Jennifer is inspired by other artists, by travelling the world, and by doing things she’s passionate about. She is venturing on her own creative journey by continuing to create photographs she’s proud of and by exploring other artistic outlets like woodworking and choir. Jennifer’s background is in both photography and social work, and is working in marketing and communications.
Directors
Kayla-Wray Amy
Kayla-Wray is an arts administrator and graphic designer who believes that the power of the arts can break down the barriers that divide and isolate us. Born in Montreal and raised in Guelph, she has grown into her creativity and chosen to concentrate her career on community organizations. She holds an Honours BA in French and Sociology from McMaster University, and a post-graduate diploma in Not-for-profit Management from the University of Western Ontario. Over the past seven years, Kayla-Wray has worked and volunteered with a number of cultural organizations including the Hillside Music Festival, Lakeshore Arts, Evergreen Brickworks, and TIFF. She is currently working as the Operations Manager at Lakeshore Arts (Toronto) where she plays a key role in marketing, board development, fundraising, and membership development. Kayla-Wray loves to learn, loves to travel, and loves to collaborate!
Ian Muller
Ian is a doctoral candidate in history at Wilfrid Laurier University, studying the intersection of culture and foreign policy in Canada. Growing up in Fergus, Ian’s interest in the arts was deeply influenced by his grandfather, a longtime Guelph-based artist. Ian holds a BA from the University of Guelph, and a MA in history from the University of Waterloo. In addition to experience with the Ontario public service, Ian’s work in the not-for-profit sector includes advocacy, strategic planning, project management, and team leadership. Ian is currently a casual photographer, especially motivated while spending time in the Canadian outdoors.
Ella Pauls
Ella Pauls serves on Guelph Arts Council board as ex officio on behalf of the City of Guelph in her role as Manager of Cultural Development for the department of Culture and Tourism.
Laurel McKellar
Laurel is the Senior Director, Exhibitions & Program Development at THEMUSEUM in downtown Kitchener. Much of her 12 years’ experience in the arts and culture sector has been in Waterloo Region, however, she has lived in Guelph for 16 years and holds a B.A. Honours in Art History and Studio Arts from the University of Guelph. She has volunteered for Art on the Street and as a member of the Cultural Advisory Committee for the City of Guelph. She has always wanted to be more involved in her community’s art scene and support local artists and arts organizations.
Outgoing Directors
Cynthia Kinnunen
Cynthia is a private music educator with a passion for arts and culture, particularly arts education. She is also Donor Stewardship Engagement Manager for the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College. Her experiences in communications and fundraising have found her working for a range of non-profit organizations over the years, including hospitals, universities, NGOs, and the arts. She moved to Guelph three years ago with her husband and three children and continues to enjoy its unique culture and personality. In addition to her volunteer commitment on the board and committees of the Guelph Arts Council, she regularly shares her love of music – especially the ukulele – with children and adults, alike.
Perrin Valli
Perrin is a criminal defence lawyer who completed his law degree at Queen’s University in Kingston. During his first year of law school, Perrin completed and received an MPA from Queen’s University School of Policy Studies. Prior to law school, Perrin completed a BA & Sc. degree in physics and political science at McGill University in Montreal. Perrin was born and raised in Guelph and is a proud alumnus of John F. Ross C.V.I. and the rock bands Prometheus and Casper Jones and the Powerful Others.
Valerie Blackmore
Valerie co-founded and is President of Wyndham Forensic Group. In addition to her business development and management responsibilities, she remains active and proficient as a forensic biologist. She holds an M.Sc. in molecular biology from McMaster University in Hamilton and an Hons. B.Sc. in biology from the University of Guelph. Valerie lives and works in downtown Guelph and is a patron and advocate for local arts.
