Written by GAC Staff
Guelph Arts Council has some new team members for the summer! Summer is a busy time at GAC so we are super excited to have two new staff for Summer 2025 through the Canada Summer Jobs Program! Welcome Isabella De Tullio and Sofia Habib!
Sofia Habib (she/her) is an actor and arts administrator. She holds a Bachelor of Art in History of Art from the University of Toronto, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Arts Administration and Cultural Management from Humber College. Sofia is the Founder and Director of the Peaks Central Asian Film Festival, a platform celebrating underrepresented voices through film. She has performed on stage and screen across the GTA, and had her directorial debut at the 28th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival in 2024. Sofia has worked with not-for-profit organizations across marketing, cultural programming, and event coordination. She is passionate about community engagement, inclusive storytelling, and supporting artists.
Isabella “Issy” De Tullio (she/they) is an emerging Guelph-based multi-disciplinary artist. They are excited to join the Guelph Arts Council (GAC) team this summer as the Communications Specialist and Programming/Marketing Assistant. With a passion for art, she looks forward to contributing to Guelph’s vibrant arts community by connecting with fellow artists and spotlighting incredible events, opportunities, and stories through GAC’s newsletter and website. Issy is enthusiastic about learning anything and everything, making friends, having a laugh, and creating through playful experimentation.
Issy’s practice seeks to redefine generational wealth and celebrate how life can become “rich” independent of financial gain. Standing on the shoulders of her grandparents, she honours their sacrifices and experiences as Italian immigrants, inspired by their ability to create abundant lives using minimal resources. Wrestling with her artistic aspirations and queer identities not originally imagined in the dreams for the family, she centers her creative practice in her grandparents’ triumphs, resulting in a love letter that will remain unread. Primarily creating using modest materials, she expresses themes of community, gardens, good food, and willful resourcefulness. Gratitude and struggle resonate throughout her work, calling attention to and critiquing the prescribed attitudes relating to identity, purpose, and value within social systems of all scales. Working in multiple mediums including printmaking, drawing, and painting, they are grateful for their privilege and ability to explore these ideas through the visual arts.
Issy graduated from the University of Guelph’s School of Fine Arts and Music in 2023 with distinction and several awards for their accomplishments as an artist.
