Board and Staff

CARFAC National Board

The CARFAC National Board of Directors is comprised of volunteer CARFAC members who are practicing artists and represent all areas of Canada, from coast to coast to coast.

Board Opportunities

  • Daniel Rumbolt is an artist and administrator from the northern peninsula of Ktaqmkuk. He received his BFA from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, and his MFA in Studio Arts (Fibres and Material Practices) at Concordia University in Tiohtià:ke, Kanien’kehá:ka Nation (Montreal, Quebec). He is currently the Executive Director of the Anna Templeton Centre for Craft, Art, & Design. His multidisciplinary art practice is informed by his experiences being raised in coastal communities, and uses material manipulation to transform rural narrative into a tangible form. Daniel has shown his work in several curated & juried exhibitions, and galleries such as The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery, Union House Arts, The Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Confederation Centre of the Arts in PEI, and the Louise-et-Reuben-Cohen Art Gallery in New Brunswick. He was a featured artist in the 2025 Bonavista Biennale, and he has a forthcoming exhibition at Modern Fuel Artist-run Centre in 2027.

  • Justine “Tini” Stilborn is a Regina-based artist. She was born in 1988 of Indigenous (Swampy Cree: Sapotaweyak Cree Nation Band No. 314), Romanian and mixed European descent, and identifies as bisexual. She earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts degree from the University of Regina, majoring in Visual Arts (Drawing) with a Minor in Art History. Stilborn has designed a bus shelter for Transit Saskatoon and the City of Saskatoon, inspired by the stories of residential school survivors, The Survivors/Elders Called to Action Group (now known as Saskatoon Survivors Circle). She also has her art featured on a Regina Downtown Business Improvement District’s Traffic Box, and exhibited a solo exhibition called ‘POP! Now it’s Superflat’ at the Fifth Parallel Gallery, and several group exhibitions; the ‘Group Art Show’ at ComicReaders, ‘Re-Art’ at the Fifth Parallel Gallery, and several more. She has been on the CARFAC SASK Board of Directors since 2014, and currently holds the Past-president position.

    Inspired by animation & cartoons, comic books, pin-up models, graffiti, video games, and popular culture as a whole. Often she can be found online under the guise of Tini0069 paying homage to her love of spies, female sexuality, and all things campy. Her work explores notions of identity from different perspectives, and through the scope of consumerism and pop culture, appropriating the contemporary globalized visual culture and the new possibilities of manufacturing to create a flawless mix of high art and the lowbrow. Stilborn employs watercolours, pencil, and digital mediums to create works with playful layers of meaning, contain tongue-in-cheek, and offer social critique.

  • Justin Seiji Waddell is an artist and Associate Professor in the School of Visual Art at the Alberta University of the Arts in Mohkinstsis (Calgary), Alberta. He is currently the Vice President of CARFAC National, Board member of Peripheral Review, C the Visual Art Foundation, BlackFlash Magazine, the New Media Caucus, the Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation, and the Arts, Culture, and Education Committee (ACE) of the National Association of Japanese Canadians. He has worked in various capacities at several artist-run centers, festivals, galleries, and magazines in Canada, including Prefix Photo, Trinity Square Video, Lola Magazine, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the New Gallery, Emmedia, and Mountain Standard Time Performative Art Festival. He has served as the Director at YYZ Artists’ Outlet, the Director of the Stride Art Gallery Association, and as a founding member with the every-age art and music venue, Local Library in Calgary, Alberta. During the Fall of 2024, he was an Artist in Residence with the Past Wrongs, Future Choices as a part of the Japanese Canadian Legacies Project, the Centre for Global Studies, and the Centre for Asia Pacific Initiatives at the University of Victoria. In early 2025, he will be returning to Japan as an Artist in Residence with Studio Kura in Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture to research the measurement of time and the history of bronze mirrors while building kinetic solar sculptures and making audio recordings from the Sea of Japan.

  • Katie Green is an artist, educator, entrepreneur, and community connector at heart. Katie’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through over 15 years of experience building creative businesses and organizations and most recently as co-founder and previous Executive Director of inPath, a non-profit organization that works to nurture a network of support for Indigenous youth and artists through arts-based learning, job skills training, and mentorship. Throughout the years, Katie has worked in various capacities designing frameworks, organizations and programs to support people in exploring their individual and collective potential, making the unimaginable imaginable and building boxes for others to think outside of. Katie holds a BA and MA in Arts Education and an MBA in Sustainable Innovation. As an EIR at Purppl, Katie’s expertise lends itself to supporting social purpose leaders and organizations in the areas of: leading for succession, transition and growth, operational systems development, building reciprocal relationships and community-centered and sustainable business design.

  • Theresie Tungilik was born on the sea ice during the month of March in an iglu while her parents were traveling by dog team to get to Nauyaat, from Harbour Island, Nunavut. Her artistic parents have been her driving force to help other Inuit artists within Nunavut and Inuit Nunagat.  Theresie is an artist and an Inuit art collector. Theresie’s work and being on committees, boards of directors, governors and serving as a knowledge keeper have enhanced her knowledge and ability to work towards helping and improving the lives of artists.

    Being a Member of the Reconciliation Council for the Canadian Museums Association gave Theresie new insights of indigenizing Indigenous artifacts and creations, and the protection of such, through museums.  Being on the Board at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Qaumajuq, as well as an Inuit Traditional Knowledge Keeper on their Indigenous Advisory Council, has seen the empowerment of Indigenous People to voice and ask for changes that are necessary for the Truth of Inuit art history to be told.  The Indigenous Advisory Council was integral to the establishment of Qaumajuq, and provided Indigenous input into how the INUA Museum displays its Inuit art.

    Theresie has been a member of CARFAC’s board since 2017, becoming National President and Spokesperson in Winnipeg in May, 2023.  Within CARFAC, Theresie has been on the Indigenous Advisory Circle for the Indigenous Protocols for the Visual Arts.  Her main interest has always been the Artist’s Resale Right, as well as Indigenous Intellectual Property. Theresie was also the founder of Inuit Art Society in Rankin Inlet, and under this organization had Ivalu Ltd. established in 1992.  The Inuit Art Society also held its inaugural Kivalliq Arts & Craft juried exhibition 1994.

  • Lydia Pourmand is a queer mixed Iranian-English interdisciplinary designer currently residing on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. Lydia seamlessly merges design with technology, drawing from a diverse background that includes motion design, gaming, AR, blockchain, immersive installations, and entertainment. Dedicated to creating with purpose and working with intention, Lydia is committed to using her skills to unite art and technology for the collective benefit of her communities. They actively stand against exploitative practices within this intersection, striving to make a positive impact through her work. https://www.lydia-pourmand.com/

  • Jennifer Rae Forsyth is a Vancouver-born artist, independent curator, and museum professional. She has exhibited and curated internationally. Forsyth spent her early years living on a sailboat on the coast of British Columbia. Her work reflects and contradicts both the nomadic and minimal lifestyle she grew up with. Self-defined as a painter, she uses objects and images as a painting medium relying heavily on colour over material.

    Forsyth holds a MFA from The University of Calgary, a BFA  from UBC, a Diploma in Visual Art from Camosun College, and a Professional Certificate in Collections Management from the University of Victoria. She has worked for and volunteered at, museums, galleries, and Artist Run Centres, in Alberta and British Columbia for the past twenty years and is currently Executive Director and CEO of the Alberta Museums Association (AMA). Forsyth currently serves on the board of directors for CARFAC Alberta, and CARFAC National. Forsyth maintains several collaborative projects and collectives including: fast & dirty Artist and Curatorial Collective, The Inventstories Project, and Part and Parcel. These ongoing collaborations include collage, painting, and mail art using found objects, images, and writing. Forsyth maintains an active practice out of her home-based studio in Edmonton, Alberta.

  • Charlotte McGregor is a painter and installation artist working on Treaty 1 Territory. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours. She has been on the CARFAC Manitoba board for two years. Her art practise revolves around nostalgia and curiosity. Through works in installation, the artist seeks to incite a sense of fascination in her viewer, allowing them to touch and explore a narrative. Working with found objects and outdated technology, her practise touches on concepts of voyeurism and surveillance. Her work in painting focuses on colour theory. Creating her own oil paint colours by hand, she aims to build on the discipline of traditional oil painting through an expanded colour palette. She also works in printmaking, written word, photography, and with found images.

  • Rachel Butler is an art organizer, former labour activist, and lover of arts and culture from T(ka/o)ronto. She has worked at the Toronto School of Art, Akin Collective (as a Project and Studio Manager), and as an eyewear consultant at Rapp and Frankly. Rachel’s primary passions are championing emerging artists, advocating for the rights of artists, and striving for equality and awareness. Rachel exhibited at Black Cat Showroom.

  • Guy Lavigueur has more than 40 years’ experience in photography. Since 2011, he has also been working with video. Born in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, he spent his career in Montreal from 1981 to 2021. He began his artistic career in 1999. In 2004, he was admitted to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA). He was a member of its board of directors from 2010 to 2015. He has had 38 solo and group exhibitions. His works are included in private and public collections in Canada, the United States, and Europe. He has received grants from the CALQ for artistic residencies in Newfoundland and the Northwest Territories. After focusing on the abstract interpretation of landscape, mainly through aerial photography, his artistic approach now explores the action of seasonal variations and time on plant and human environments, in connection with the material and spiritual presence of trees. Guy has been a member of RAAV since 2005, and on its board since 2019.

  • Julia Purcell is a full-time visual artist. She paints and draws regularly in her studio in Clyde River and paints plein air around the Maritimes frequently. Julia is a developing printmaker and is teaching herself linocut. Her works range from representational pieces to non-objective explorations of colour and texture and pattern. She shows and sells her work from her home gallery in Clyde River and from a mini gallery at a weekly market. She teaches painting from her own studio, the Purcell Parlour Gallery, and drawing through the Seniors College of UPEI. Her artwork has been purchased by the City of Charlottetown, UPEI, the Art Bank of PEI and by private collectors. She has always believed in the importance of volunteering her time, talent and energy, whether it was designing for amateur theatre or fundraising for the local symphony, to name a few. She is currently serving as Chair of CARFAC Maritimes and is the Island rep for IWS Canada. She grew up in Lunenburg NS and has lived in Vancouver and Halifax, NS but calls PEI home now. She earned a BA with Honours from Dalhousie University in Scenography (stage design) and Music. She is the mother of four grown children and lives with her husband, Dr. Douglas Dahn here on Prince Edward Island. “Where others are inspired to write poetry, I choose to paint.”

  • Emily Pittman is a visual artist and writer based in St. John’s, NL. She earned an Honours BA (with Distinction), majoring in Studio Art and English from the University of Guelph. She is an instructor in the Art & Design Essentials program with the College of the North Atlantic and is represented by Christina Parker Gallery (NL) and Jones Gallery (NB). She was a finalist for Arts NL’s 2019 Emerging Artist Award and has exhibited at venues including The Rooms (NL), Confederation Centre for the Arts (PEI), Eastern Edge Gallery (NL), and Boarding House Gallery (Guelph, ON). She has been featured on the cover of Visual Arts News, as well as in Riddle Fence, The Overcast, and The Telegram. For more detailed information, visit www.emilypittman.ca

  • Gurjit Mann Toor is based in Calgary, Alberta and is co-owner of PnG Builders and Closet Art Studio. She brings 20+ years of technology, management and entrepreneurial experience to the Board. Her diverse industry knowledge has evolved from working in various industries, including Oil & Gas, Fine Art, Construction, and Technology. With a strategic approach, Gurjit excels at defining direction that aligns corporate vision with well articulated deliverables. She prioritizes stakeholder engagement, maintaining clear communication to facilitate swift and sound decision-making. She brings valuable insights and leadership to guide organizational growth and initiatives. Gurjit holds a BSc Computer Science and is a Project Management Professional (PMP). She has served as an Independent Director on a variety of Boards since 2018.

  • Kristen Piercey is a Newfoundland-based fibre artist who studied at Concordia University in Montreal to obtain a degree in Fibres and Material Practices. Within her work, she explores the self and how the body and mind adapt depending on the circumstances it is put in. This means she approaches a broad spectrum of ideas including things like fat bodies and chronic pain conditions. She works largely with crochet and embroidery but explores many varieties of fibre-based practices. Piercey has spent several years working for VANL and currently works at Memorial University.

CARFAC National Staff

Job Opportunities

  • Jenna Faye Powell is an artist and arts manager based in Tkaronto/Toronto, Ontario. She self-identifies as an optimist with a deep interest in the intersections between art and ideas that enact social change.

    Over the past 13 years, Powell has established herself as a leader in the arts, working across charitable, non-profit, commercial, and foundation sectors.

    Powell’s leadership in the arts began at Forest City Gallery, one of Canada’s first artist-run centres and a key site for early advocacy around artists’ rights and autonomy. She was profoundly influenced by this context, which remains central to her values today. From this foundation, she has built a career centred on advancing artists’ rights and championing the ethos of artist-run culture, leading initiatives such as the Artist-Direct Grant with Partners in Art Canada and producing various exhibitions, publications, and projects with prominent galleries and organizations across Canada.

    Powell maintains an active artistic practice, exploring concepts of sanctuary and resilience amidst increasing and concurrent disasters, including environmental collapse, finding hope and humour where possible. 

    Powell holds an MFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University and a BFA from the University of Western Ontario. She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in various solo and group shows and has participated in notable residencies, including the Vermont Studio Center and the SÍM Residency Centre. Selected exhibitions include 'Brave New Worlds’ at Museum London, 'the Windsor-Essex Triennial' at the Art Gallery of Windsor, and ‘Blue Monday' at Robert McLaughlin Gallery. Powell was a finalist in the 2012 RBC Painting Competition and currently exhibits with Patel Brown Gallery in Toronto. She is also a member of the curatorial committee for the Art with Heart auction, which supports Casey House Hospital in Toronto. She remotely manages Annandale Artist Residency, based in Prince Edward Island, and has worked as a contractual grant writer for artists and arts organizations.

  • Larissa Desrosiers is an Ojibwe Queer Singer/Songwriter and Beadworker from Couchiching First Nation in Treaty #3. She has been living as a guest on Unceded, Unsurrendered Algonquin Anishinaabe Territory since 2014. She is in the process of finishing her Bachelor of Music Degree at Carleton University with a Minor in Indigenous Studies where she had the opportunity to study under Singer/Songwriter Lynn Myles, as well as Guitar Virtuoso Don Ross. Upon taking a break from school in 2019, Larissa started a beadwork microbusiness: Bangishimon Beadwork. Whether on stage howling with her guitar or at her desk with her beads, Larissa’s goal has always been to create space for healing, grieving, imagination, and social growth. She has had the opportunity to do so through projects like the National Arts Centre’s Indigenous Cities: Ottawa and FemmeVox, where she collaborated on an original song with Amanda Rheaume. Larissa was formerly the Workshop Manager for indigenousprotocols.art, and is excited to now move forward with CARFAC National as Programs Director. Whether it’s the arts, advocacy, or aunty-ing her nieces and nephews around the dinner table, Larissa moves through life with an unwavering passion to help people.

  • Sydney Lancaster is a visual artist and writer living in Mtapan/Wolfville, in unsurrendered and unceded Mi’kmaq territory. Her practice considers the intersections of place, history, memory, and identity through the lenses of ecology and settler-colonialism. Her approach to making is rooted in the senses and the body in space. Often work in site-responsive ways, she responds to her environment through printmaking, sculpture and installation, video and sound.

    Sydney holds an MFA in Studio Practice from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador and she has also held several artists’ residencies, including at Gros Morne National Park ,Her most recent publication was a chapbook of poetry co-authored with Jannie Edwards, entitled Learning Their Names: Letters from the Home Place, published by Collusion Books in Kjipuktuk/Halifax NS in 2022.

    She is a member of VANS, CARFAC Maritimes, Eyelevel, and volunteered for over a decade on the Boards of CARFAC Alberta, CARFAC National, and Copyright Visual Arts.

  • Originally from Morocco, Meryem Alaoui is a Toronto-based dance artist, founder and artistic director of Jasad Dance Projects. Jasad supports her vision of seeing more contemporary dance created by and with artists from the SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) region, particularly women, in Canada and internationally. Her practice sits at the intersection of somatic research through movement, voice and improvisation, and the exploration of embodied performance practices and knowledge from her culture as a Moroccan diasporic artist.

    Meryem brings over ten years of experience in bilingual (EN-FR) arts administration, having worked with multiple arts organizations, including the Canadian Senior Artist Resource Network, CORPUS Dance Projects, and the Toronto Dance Community Love-In. She also has extensive experience as a freelance English-French translator and is currently expanding into consecutive and simultaneous interpretation, having recently completed a community interpreter training.

    Meryem is very excited to be joining CARFAC National as Interim Communications Coordinator, and is looking forward to working with an incredible team of artists and arts advocates across Canada.

  • Larissa Blokhuis is a Biracial, non-binary, multidisciplinary artist living and working on the unceded Lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations (Vancouver).  She brings her passions for anti-racist and decolonised practices, intersectionality and accessibility, and supporting artist practices to the role of Artist Services Director with CARFAC, as well as 15+ years of experience in arts administration and communications.  Larissa is enthusiastic to serve the artist community of CARFAC and beyond. 

    Larissa holds a BFA from Alberta University of the Arts with a major in glass.  She has been a working visual artist since 2009, with experiences including numerous exhibitions, several public art projects, teaching, and curation / project lead for arts events including a 2D art exhibition, two short film series, and a monthly art conversation series (on hiatus since 2020).

  • Shelby Millwater is an artist and arts administrator who was born in Calgary, AB. Shelby received her B.F.A. in Visual Arts, with a minor equivalency in Art History and Visual Culture from Memorial University, Grenfell Campus in 2017. Since then she has worked and volunteered in many roles throughout the arts sector with organizations such as VANL-CARFAC, Eastern Edge Gallery, and The Ottawa Art Gallery. Shelby has worked with CARFAC National since 2019, most recently as the Artist Services Director, before moving into her current role as Communications Director. Shelby’s art practice is grounded in painting, photography, and design which she uses as tools to look inward as she explores her connection with the human condition. She has exhibited her work nationally and internationally at venues such as Grenfell Campus Art Gallery in Corner Brook, NL, Eastern Edge in St. John’s, NL, and Gatehouse Gallery in Harlow, UK.

  • Michael is an art advocate born and raised on the East Coast of Newfoundland. He studied for his BA in the Humanities at Grenfell Campus of Memorial University where he focused on the human condition throughout history where it pertains to art, music, theatre, and philosophy. During his study, Michael was awarded the Alexander Doull Award for Excellence in the Humanities and became the president of the Humanities and Philosophy Society. He was a founder of the Parmenius Society, which is a collective of interdisciplinary Students and Professors who would gather once a week to discuss various artistic and philosophical bodies of work. Michael has recently worked in the Legal Field and Web development, and he now uses his critical reading, writing, and thinking skills to provide the best service and advice as a young professional.