Fuentes: “As a Chilean Canadian artist who has had to overcome adversity, forced to leave Chile and emigrate to an entirely new country. I believe my vision for this work can easily draw upon my and others’ life experiences and will be reflective of the community it serves.

COVID has provided me with new perspectives on my art, and this project celebrates the strength and resilience of the community.”

Fuentes: “I am a Chilean Canadian artist. I was born in Santiago Chile and moved to Calgary as a teen in the early 80s. Calgary was the city I arrived in and has been my home ever since.

My process is simple, I visualize in my mind and heart (sketch) and then find the suitable surface to create. And then, I let the creativity flow out. I have painted/drawn my art on walls, guitars, chairs and pieces of vinyl. I have also enjoyed sculpting and carving but generally fall back to painting, with acrylics as my go-to medium.”

Halliday: “I grew up in very conservative surroundings while also holding close, personal ties to the LGBTQ+ community. These two experiences have closely intertwined to give me an immensely sensitive view of the human body and experience, which serves as the primary motivation for my work. I want the humans I draw to be portrayed and understood as large wholes, specifically made up of countless intricate pieces.

My painting, Just Hands, exhibits the importance of being there for each other, regardless of sexual orientation, race and/or age, and the importance of gifting support to those around us.”

Halliday: “My name is Alana Halliday. I am a twenty-six-year-old, bisexual, emerging artist based in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2020, I graduated from MacEwan University with a Bachelor of Sociology. Currently, I work as a full-time legal assistant and a part-time artist. I specialize in the creation of detailed portraits through black ink in a pointillist style, and use other assorted mediums to add coloured accents to my pieces.”

Whiteway responds to the pandemic and environmental crises through the Indigenous concept of “All Our Relations” — the interconnectedness of humans, animals, plants, and the earth. Her paintings express traditional teachings and a contemporary resilience rooted in her cultural narratives.

Autumn Whiteway (Night Singing Woman) is a Saulteaux (Ojibway)/Métis archaeologist, artist, traditional craftworker, and curator based in Mohkinstsis (Calgary, Alberta). She is a member of Berens River First Nation in Manitoba but grew up in Treaty 7 territory.

Autumn explores Indigenous themes from a contemporary perspective through painting, digital art, and photography. Her painting and digital art is primarily focused on the heavily symbolic Woodland Style of art, used as a form of activism to highlight Indigenous issues.

Ku: “My current direction in my work aligns with the theme of resiliency…I like to balance serious subject matter with cute characters and fun colours.

During the lockdown, I think many of us faced mental health challenges, and it was quite a dark time. I think darkness is part of life, but I want to express it always with some sweetness so that things are balanced.

Through painting, I can connect with my inner child while healing myself, and hopefully providing some healing for the viewer too.”

Michelle Ku (a.k.a michellekuku) is a visual artist based in Treaty 7 Territory (Calgary, Canada). She works across painting, drawing, animation, comics, and public art. 

Ku: “I’m Chinese-Canadian and also diagnosed with Complex-PTSD (C-PTSD). Advocating for representation and mental health awareness is an important part of my art practice. Ultimately, the magic of art is that it can turn negative experiences and emotions into something positive and beautiful that may even help others. I see painting as a kind of alchemy!”

LALA [Lacey And Layla Art]: “Our intent with this project is to create something colourful and light-hearted, with our distinct blend of vibrant luminosity and representational natural realism will contribute to a sculpture that is both joyous and inviting and a contemporary artistic collaboration.

We have developed dozens of murals across the country that respond to the unique atmosphere and environment of each region we paint, taking great strides and pride in our community-engaged approach to design development, and research into the local history, natural splendours, and community heartbeats.

The features a honey bee and a crocus flower, in short, they represent the resilience of mother nature. The crocus is one of the first flowers to poke through the snow after a harsh Alberta winter, and the honey bee is incredibly tenacious and hearty, working tirelessly, travelling kilometres to collect pollen to survive.”

LALA [Lacey And Layla Art] is a professional collaboration of public muralists composed of artists Lacey Jane Wilburn and Layla Folkmann, born in Edmonton, Alberta in the heart of Treaty 6 territory. Since 2010, the duo has completed over 140 public mural interventions across Canada, France, Honduras, Iceland and Uganda. Specialising in site-specific public creations that respond directly to local communities, they have received over $150,000.00 in grants from provincial and municipal funding.