Artists in Residence Program
An opportunity for artists to develop new disciplines that enhance their portfolio

What Is The Program

Since Spring 2019, the Artists in Residence Program has been run in partnership with International Avenue Arts & Culture Centre (IAACC).

It has supported over 50 artists by helping expand their skills in order to cultivate their artistic practice.

What It Gives Artists

The program provides opportunities for artists to develop new disciplines that enhance their portfolio.

Selected artists receive a full three month membership to Fuse33 Makerspace and one certification workshop at no cost to them.

How To Apply

Applications for this program are now open.
Apply by December 16, 2024 for this three month residency — it runs January 6 to March 31, 2025.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date on future calls and opportunities.

Spring 2024 Artists in Residence Program Cohort
Winter 2024 Artists in Residence Program Cohort

Current Artists in Residence

Arun Kumar
Arun Kumar

Arun Kumar (he/him) is an emerging artist based in Calgary, originally from India.

His work is inspired by his Indian heritage, blending intricate designs with the stories and traditions of his culture.

Arun’s art reflects a deep connection to his roots while incorporating a contemporary twist, as he continues to explore and evolve his creative expression.

Annie Feng
Annie Feng

Annie Feng (she/her) is a multifaceted artist whose provocative surrealist imagery seamlessly integrates her diverse skills and passion for upcycling. With a background in neuroscience and psychology from the University of Toronto, complemented by a minor in visual art, Annie’s creative journey is a fusion of intellectual inquiry and imaginative exploration.

Annie’s innovative use of repurposed objects in her mixed-media art highlights her dedication to both creativity and environmental responsibility. Her artworks blend 2-dimensional paintings with tactile textures, reflecting a unique perspective that merges the discarded with the extraordinary.

Through her surrealist imagery, Annie offers a fresh and engaging dialogue on the intersections of materiality, sustainability, and artistic expression.

Victoria Sanchez
Victoria Sanchez
Victoria Sanchez (she/her) is a jeweller, visual artist, and arts administrator currently based in Treaty 7 land — Calgary.

With a rooted interest in craft disciplines, material-based work and arts education, Victoria strives for balance between a playful art practice, creative entrepreneurship, and the dedication to support arts organizations and create impactful art experiences for the public.

A jeweller by training (ACAD, 2012), Victoria likes to explore functionality and beauty, experimenting with traditional techniques, and making with intention. Conceptually, Victoria is intrigued by the fine line between the personal and the collective process of experiencing adornment.

Lacey Grey
Lacey Grey

Lacey Grey (she/her) is a queer neurodivergent emerging artist living in Mohkinstis (Calgary).

Lacey graduated with distinction from Alberta University of the Arts in 2024.

Lacey utilizes “availablism” as a way to collect symbols, images, and materials for her painting and puppet work. Her work is an ever evolving understand of what it means to be human through a non-normative lens.

Jiwoo Kim
Jiwoo Kim

Jiwoo Kim (she/her) is a Korean animator based in Calgary, who recently graduated from Alberta University of the Arts with a Bachelor of Design and a minor in Animation. Her passion for animation stems from the ability to engage and connect with audiences.

Through her artistic practice, Jiwoo aims to retell everyday life and struggles in absurd and comical ways, offering new perspectives to navigate challenging situations. Currently, she is working on a personal project called Cowman, a story about unconventional love that explores the metamorphosis technique in animation.

Outside of Cowman, Jiwoo has experience teaching animation and painting to kids, and you can often find her volunteering at Quickdraw Animation Society events!

Matias Martinez
Matias Martinez

Matias Martinez (they/them) is a LatinX Indigenous artist based in YYC.

They work in glass, painting, and poetry, and are the creator of Como se Dice, a latiné(x) collective bringing Latin programming to Mohkinstsis centered on identity, reconnection, and reclamation.

Spring 2024

Christy Herdman
Christy Herdman

Christy Herdman (she/her) is a compassionate, creative spirit — both problem solver and artist — a fun-loving, kid-at-heart and a certified art therapist. Christy uses creativity as a therapeutic tool to enhance emotional well-being, facilitating workshops that meld creativity and therapeutic techniques to teach psychoeducational concepts.

Her previous art activations include Bug Hunt (Beakerhead), Glimmers (Night Light), Warm Fuzzy Challenge and Let It Blow (Chinook Blast).

Christy’s work intentionally embraces a handmade/DIY aesthetic to invite both curiosity and interaction. She aims to share her sense of wonder through imaginative, child-centric art.

The driving force behind her creative process is cultivating a more compassionate community by sharing art-based practices that enhance mental well-being.

Camille Betts
Camille Betts

Camille Betts (she/her) is a sculptor and installation artist who graduated from Alberta University of the Arts with a BFA in sculpture and attended Toronto’s Canadian Film Centre in 2009 for an Interactive Arts and Entertainment residency.

She exhibited her handmade paper installations extensively in Calgary between 2008-19 and has most recently shown installations at Shambhala Music Festival where she is managing the Grove Art Gallery for 2024.

Volunteering for a variety of festival art departments became a big part of her art practice, inspiring her to move into new mediums for the ever-growing body of work. The last five years took Camille to BC to grow a family business and have time to reflect as an artist.

She is now re-emerging and ready to build a new body of work with more permanent materials for outdoor public sculptures.

Ciza Zoya
Ciza Zoya

Ciza Zoya (she/her) is a photographer and visual storyteller who recently moved to Calgary in December 2021 from Kerala, India.

With a solid foundation in arts and design, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from TKM College of Engineering in Kerala and a Master’s degree in Arts Management from Cattolica University in Milan, Italy.

Drawing inspiration from her rich roots and deep connection to the traditions of Kerala, India, Ciza’s artistic journey revolves around sharing narratives, particularly those of being a newcomer Indian woman adapting to a Western environment.

She uses photos, installations, and performance art to connect with the audience and explore the nuances of life in this unfamiliar environment. Through her art, she invites people to experience and understand different cultures and perspectives.

Anahita Mosayebi
Anahita Mosayebi

As an interdisciplinary artist born in Iran, Anahita Mosayebi’s (she/her) work explores the intricate connections between art, craft, and design.

Drawing inspiration from architecture, emotions, and the human sensorial experience, she blurs the lines between these disciplines, studying the interplay between control and spontaneity. Her interest in exploring these three fields has merged through designing and making daily functional objects as bridges.

Having studied architecture at the Art University of Tehran and pursued a Master’s in industrial design at Iran University of Science and Technology, she has enriched her extensive industry experience as an architect and product designer through her craft practice by pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at Alberta University of the Arts.

She strives to push the boundaries of her craft and design objects.

Fadi Alkhouri
Fadi Alkhouri

Fadi Alkhouri (he/they) graduated from Damascus University in 1991 with a degree in fine arts. Their artistic background includes professional sculpting in stone, wood carving, and painting on canvas. They also have experience in iron artwork, welding, and creating murals on walls and canvas.

They have participated in several exhibitions in Syria and Lebanon, including several individual shows, and received awards from the Syrian governor for their work along with several participation certificates.

They have created more than 500 artworks in their career. Unfortunately, due to circumstances, they had to leave their country and workshop, where they dedicated a significant portion of their life to honing their artistic skills.

New to Calgary, they are actively building their portfolio in their new home, and hope to continue pursuing an artistic career including exploring public art projects.

Jinger Zeng
Jinger Zeng

Jinger Zeng (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary creator, a curious traveller and entrepreneur.

Born and raised in Chengdu of Southwest China, Jinger’s journey has led her far from home, where she roams the world, seeking wisdom and inspirations from diverse communities and makerspaces to refine her craft in design methodologies and technological innovations.

Her interests are diverse, ranging from her fascination with embedded electronics, particularly wearables, to her genuine desire to communicate through the intersection of design, technology, art, and culture. Currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Design for Distributed Innovation, she delves into practices that enhance local and global communities.

Jinger’s creative endeavours revolve around bridging tradition and modernity through her efforts to crafting light-up costumes.

Ronald Carmichael
Ronald Carmichael

Ronald Carmichael (he/him) graduated from the Alberta University of Art in 1980 and 1990. He spent the next 20 odd years in improvisation with the Loose Moose Theatre and mask performance with masQuirx performance group. Now retired he is able spend his time on his painting projects.

Ronald has always been a fan of abstract expression. One of the biggest problems with spontaneous expression is how to relate the energy of the painting to the rigidity of the square/rectangular painting frame. For this purpose he has been creating a free form surrounding painting surface. Finding that instead of painting from the middle to the edge, the forces him to look at it differently. Painting from the edge to the centre.

He is even exploring the idea of making the painting surface more three-dimensional. His hope is that this residency will stretch his work just a bit more. Pun intended.

Winter 2024

Mackenzie Bedford
Mackenzie Bedford

Self-taught in projection mapping, Mackenzie Bedford (they/them) has pursued the medium since participating in the cSPACE Artist Incubator in 2021. Since then, they have collaborated with creators in theatre, dance, and music to blend projection and performance in a variety of settings. They also create their own installations with projection, offering contemplative or celebratory spaces for audiences to engage with.

Other ways to find Bedford are animating an independent sci-fi short, painting murals across Alberta, or at their local market offering hand-printed prints and apparel. Their visual influences stem from growing up as a closeted queer kid in a small town, using an unbridled, early 2000s internet connection to connect, explore and escape.

Unsurprisingly, they still find themselves chronically online. Off-duty, they are picking up the art of burlesque and costume-making!

Sharina Fong
Sharina Fong

Sharina Fong was born in a small town in BCS, MEXICO. With architecture and art studies, she has held 17 individual exhibitions and 32 collectives as well as she has been selected in the International Biennial of Pintura México and at the Pérez Romo Biennial. She is also the founder of the Collective Mexican Women Artist in Canada.

Sharina incorporates vibrant colours from her culture and the symbolism of Mexico, creating a visual experience that goes beyond the surface. The use of symbolic elements to hide from the human gaze adds an intriguing layer of complexity, inviting viewers to delve deeper into the meanings and hidden messages within her artwork. This interaction between the visible and the hidden stimulates curiosity and encourages contemplation, making her art an invitation to explore beyond the obvious.

Her art not only celebrates the beauty of Mexico but also serves as a vehicle to explore the cultural, emotional, and intellectual dimensions of it.

Harjit Gill
Harjit Gill

With a distinguished career spanning two decades in the corporate realm, Harjit Gill has dedicated her professional journey to the realm of finance, serving as a seasoned accountant for various charitable organizations in the vibrant city of Calgary.

Grounded in the transformative rituals of meditation and yoga, she has delved into the ancient teachings that transcend the hustle of the corporate world. These practices not only center her but also infuse her approach to life with a deeper sense of purpose and clarity.

Recently, her journey has taken an exciting turn as she discovered the profound power of sacred geometry. Drawn to the timeless allure of ancient patterns, she is now on a creative quest to channel these resonant symbols into art that speaks to the spirit of today’s world.

Through her creations, she aims to bridge the gap between the ancient and the contemporary, offering a visual language that connects with people on a profound level.

Kenzie Housego
Kenzie Housego

Multidisciplinary artist Kenzie Housego’s practice includes textiles, embroidery, new-media, and assemblage mediums. The use of technology such as LEDs, Arduino micro-controllers, texting, and screens within her research is symbolic of the virtual realms in which we participate as a society.

Housego’s artwork often offers an invitation for interactivity, encouraging viewers to shift from passive observers to active co-producers as they engage with the digital media, experiencing other points of view, and ultimately forming their own individual meanings.

Housego holds an MFA from the University of Calgary and a BFA from the Alberta University of the Arts. She has exhibited her art nationally and internationally, notably at the Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, CURRENTS festival, Santa Fe New Mexico, and Curiosity Festival, Dublin Ireland.

Mitra Samavaki
Mitra Samavaki

Mitra Samavaki (she/her) is an Iranian visual artist currently based in Calgary, Canada. She holds a BFA in Sculpture from Tehran University of Art and a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from the University of Calgary.

Mitra’s artistic focus centres primarily on photography, occasionally incorporating installation and video elements. Photography, for her, is not only a journey of self-exploration but also a bridge that intimately connects her with both people and the world around her.

Having relocated to Canada in 2021, Mitra’s current artistic practices are deeply rooted in the themes of home, displacement, and in-betweenness, reflecting her personal journey as an immigrant. With over a decade of experience, she has a background as a photojournalist for various news agencies, newspapers, and magazines in Iran.

Mitra’s work has been presented in several galleries throughout Calgary. She has been awarded an Alberta Foundation for the Arts graduate scholarship.

Saloni Sharma
Saloni Sharma

Saloni Sharma is an interior designer and visual artist from India. She is passionate about experimenting with diverse mediums and techniques.

Since moving to Calgary, she actively participates in community initiatives, using art as a catalyst for community development.

During the pandemic, Saloni dedicated time to her artwork and began sharing her skills online with immigrant women’s groups, fostering connection, skill-building, and healing through weekly art sessions. She has also conducted numerous in-person workshops for individuals of all ages and backgrounds, inspiring them to incorporate art into their lives.

Fall 2023

Jon Lowenstein
Jon Lowenstein

Jon Lowenstein, a renowned documentarian, addresses issues of power, poverty, and violence through film, photography, and personal narratives. With a strong commitment to social justice, he has spent over two decades working in Chicago’s South Side, teaching photography, and creating the impactful monograph “South Side.”

Lowenstein is best known for documenting the Central American and Mexican migrant trail to the United States in his work “Shadow Lives.” His TED talk on this subject has over 2 million views and has been featured in National Geographic Magazine.

Recognized for his work on migration, wealth inequality, and community resilience, Lowenstein is a Guggenheim Fellow, National Geographic Explorer, TED Senior Fellow, and Dorothea Lange/Paul Taylor Prize winner. He is also a Nikon European Ambassador, the founding member of the NOOR DOCUMENTARY FOUNDATION and owner of NOOR Images cooperative.

KC Bae
KC Bae

KC Bae’s (they/them) work explores the concept of perishability as related to our human experiences, the artefacts we encounter, and our physical bodies. Every portrait is perishable — the only difference being the time-horizon used to measure its existence. By compressing that time horizon down to a handful of days, we can explore a new relationship between the audience and the art.

Using an iterative and mathematical approach, KC takes meticulous measurements and develops recipes and techniques. Cookies with royal icing, or cakes with fondant are used as “canvases’’. The “paints” are made from scratch using all natural and edible ingredients such as coffee, raspberries, and butterfly pea flowers. Making portraits of raspberry lips, chocolate hair, and floral eyes — KC aims to make portraits of subjects who are then directed to eat their own faces.

Jose Macasinag
Jose Macasinag

Jose Macasinag is a Filipino visual artist who calls Calgary home. His artistic journey is characterized by a deep exploration of digital media and projection-based artworks, which breathe new life into public spaces. His expertise lies in the crafting of captivating animated creations, skillfully elevating the urban canvas. With every interplay of light and motion, he masterfully infuses the city with creativity, sparking a magnetic dialogue between art and environment.

Jose is on a mission to make art accessible to all. During his residency at Fuse33, he will be engaged in bold experimentation with novel fabrication techniques and the seamless integration of electronics for the creation of mesmerizing light-based installations.

Nikhil Joshi
Nikhil Joshi

Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, the rich physical and cultural landscape of his hometown has been a wellspring of inspiration for my creative endeavors. His academic and professional background in health, energy sciences, and environmentalism has equipped him with a unique perspective that informs my artistic approach.

He strives to take a holistic view of artistic creation, drawing from his diverse experiences and knowledge to infuse his work with depth and meaning.

His artistic journey is marked by a spirit of experimentation and a thirst for knowledge. He is not bound by any specific medium; instead, he works with virtually anything he can get his hands on.

In his practice, he produces contemporary expressionist pieces that incorporate a wide range of materials, including acrylics, oils, wood, fabric, and various mixed media. His work is driven by the desire to create art that prompts moments of reflection and connection.

Kay Heo
Kay Heo

Kyung Eun ‘Kay’ Heo is a visual artist from South Korea. She fell deeply into fine art after encountering oil painting in Seoul in 2016. The themes of her paintings are mainly nature and travel. She draws inspiration from natural elements that harmonize even in disorder. Her artworks were revealed through a group exhibition in 2019 in Seoul and 2023 in Calgary. Settled in Calgary two years ago, she completed Immigrant Council for Art Innovation’s mentorship program, Arts Commons’ RBC Emerging Visual Artist program, and is active in several Calgary-based arts organizations.

Kay has also been a professional writer for nine years. She has mainly explored ethnic groups’ diasporas and reunification, conflict and resolution, and the coexistence of differences.

As a writer who has collected people’s diverse lives and thoughts and an immigrant struggling to adapt to a new environment, she tries to express the value of harmony and coexistence using various materials in her artworks.

Spring 2023

Doro Buch
Doro Buch

Doro Buch is an accomplished Polish-German visual artist with an impressive body of work over several years. Having relocated to Calgary in 2012, she has established herself as a prominent figure in the local art scene. Her work reflects her passion for exploring social, political, environmental, and human issues that resonate with contemporary society.

Her art is a captivating fusion of the imaginary, symbolic, and real, brought to life through carefully crafted collage-like arrangements. Originally a painter, she has expanded her artistic horizons to include a wide range of materials and multimedia, experimenting with various techniques to explore the dynamic possibilities of static images and dimensions.

She approaches every project with an open mind, eager to discover new means of expression and connect with her audience in powerful and meaningful ways. Her work has been featured locally and internationally in various exhibitions and art galleries.

Shelby Charlesworth
Shelby Charlesworth

Shelby Charlesworth is an interdisciplinary artist and educator currently located in Mohkinstsis (Calgary). She received her Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from the University of Connecticut in 2021 and was Instructor of Record for Sculpture. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Alberta College of Art + Design in 2017. She has worked as a studio assistant, sculptor, and ceramicist in Los Angeles prior to returning to Alberta in 2022.

Through her residency at Casa in August of 2022, the Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge presented her with the Artist in Residence Award and she was the recipient of the Pilot Art Award for 2022/23. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for CARFAC Alberta, is on the Arts Acquisition and Program Committee for the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre and was recently a visiting artist at the National accessArts Centre. Her primary focus both through education and personal practice, is community engagement and arts accessibility through visual language.

Alexis Saulteaux
Alexis Saulteaux

Alexis Saulteaux (she/they) is a Calgary born and raised Indigenous artist who has a small jewelry company called Serene Saulteaux Cree-ations. They enjoy working with many mediums, many natural elements, and learning how to utilize many more in their art. They are inspired by living close to the mountains and all it has to offer as it helps them be at peace with themselves and reconnect with their culture.

They have two beautiful sons who were born in the shadow of the foothills here in Mohkinstsis Treaty 7, Calgary. They are Cree and Nakota Oyate people registered to Treaty 4. They enjoy giving back to the city and the people by volunteering their time and talents to various organizations around town and helping in whatever capacity is required at the time.

They believe it takes a community to build the community they want and need to be a part of the solution. This time at Fuse33 is a fantastic way to grow their craft and share their knowledge with other talented minds. They are honoured to have this opportunity made available.

Jessica Chiapa
Jessica Chiapa

Jessica Chiapa holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts in Painting which allows her to explore different techniques and create pieces. She is currently creating new paintings on canvas, and the materials allow her to analyze herself from the roots.

Jessica is on the search for her being and the appreciation of an “I” without comparisons or standards. She found the true value of existence in her ancestors and nature, which led her to self-knowledge that she would like to reveal in-depth.

Actually, she is a freelance artist, her work has been exhibited in Mexico and Canada cSPACE King Edward, Central public Library and Mexican consulate, collaborating with SpanicArts, Mexican Woman Artists, and the Mexican Consulate in Calgary.

Kelly Hofer
Kelly Hofer

Kelly Hofer is a visual artist based in Calgary, and was born and raised in a Hutterite colony in Manitoba. His artistic career started while living on the colony in the mediums of carpentry, photography, drawing and mechanical designs. With a penchant for the technical side of art, his interests have led him through the fields of science education filmmaking, wearable tech fashion design and teaching, furniture design, lighting design, and commercial photography. He has published a book of his Hutterite photographs, and created many documentaries regarding social and science issues that we currently face.

His wide area of interest have formed a path through artistic projects that resulted in a history of projects that are wide in scope and keep up the learning process by never repeating the same type of project twice.

This artist in residency program is Kelly’s first foray into building an interactive light sculpture for public display, and is inspired in part by a wearable tech tentacle project from years ago that never got finished.

Winter 2023

Maya Corona
Maya Corona

Maya Corona was born and raised in Mexico City, now living in Calgary, where she rediscovered her passion for art. With over 20 years of graphic design experience, Maya decided to step back from that world in 2019 to pursue art.

Maya likes exploring techniques like watercolours, acrylics, mixed media and digital art. Her paintings are bold and vibrant. She is always looking to add the feeling of freedom to her art.

She has shown her work in 15 collective exhibits and three solo art shows with SpanicArts at the 15+ galleries, the Consulate of Mexico in Calgary, McDougall Centre Art Exhibit, cSPACE King Edward and the Sothern Jubilee Auditorium, Minigalleries in Crescent Heights.

“My big passion is inspiring those around me, so they can get confident and become the next generation of bold magic colour makers. We are in this world to find joy and freedom and make our souls happy."

Haniyeh Jalali
Haniyeh Jalali

Haniyeh "Honey" Jalaliis an Iranian contemporary activist artist based in Calgary since December 2020. She works in installation, and is active in painting, poetry, digital painting, collage, and photography.

She is a member of Iranian Graphic Designer’s Society (IGDS). She has master’s degrees from the Art and Architecture Azad University of Tehran. She has been teaching graphic design for 15 years at university.

Even during the pandemic, Honey has built an impressive list of accomplishments and projects. She explores memories, good and bad, through creative multimedia artworks. She wants to show stories about individuals, humanity, suffering, love, and real life all over the world.

We live in troubled times. What trouble is the greatest? We still don’t care enough about one another. She tries to show her pains, your pains, to share them, find a cure for them, healing through art.

Michelle Atkinson
Michelle Atkinson

Michelle Atkinson is an internationally awarded artist and designer creating contemporary glasswork based on her own evolving relationship with the land which she stewards. Her body of work ranges from decor and sculpture to themed installation and evokes a sense of place, shared connection and memory while educating on topics relating to biodiversity and human existence.

Michelle was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and educated at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (NMPD ‘03).

Since 2010, Michelle has grown her fine art practice and exhibited her work in over 40 markets and exhibitions. In 2022, she was awarded a project grant from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts to continue her Human Sprawl body of work which will be showcased in a site-specific exhibition at the Leighton Art Centre in April 2023.

Israel Murillo
Israel Murillo

Israel Murillo comes from a family of artists and carpenters, in which his father and uncles practice painting, drawing, and sculpture, among others. He started his training in arts, where he learned techniques such as charcoal, pastel, watercolor, and acrylic. Also plastic arts studies at the municipal institute of culture.

He continued his artistic inclination when he started my architecture career, at the university where new knowledge was acquired, there he also started in photography, seeing from the basics to reaching a deepening of the subject, he has participated in different salons. Such as the fire hall, and photography hall; presenting among the works: installations, and photographs.

This has been the process of learning and passion. Whose path is not over yet. Between his techniques and knowledge is the carpentry, joinery, metal, welding, and handling of machinery and materials.

Katie Heinrich
Katie Heinrich

Katie Heinrich graduated from AuArts with a BFA majoring in glass. She loves working with glass; a love that started when she was a teen. Glass is a material that is great at replicating the visual qualities of many other materials, it can convey a quality of plasticity or rigid fragility.

This quality of mimicry is one that provides constant inspiration and leads her towards new exploration into shape and form. When not creating in glass, Katie is often creating new tools in the metals studio that allow her to manipulate hot glass in new and exciting ways.

As an artist with disabilities, Katie is drawn towards creating works of art that are accessible to her audience. Her art is often playful and humorous in nature and doesn’t ask of her audience to dig for deeper meanings.

If her work puts a smile on her face, or allows you to feel you’ve experienced something beautiful, her work has been a success!

Myke Buckingham
Myke Buckingham

Myke Buckingham is a professional artist born and raised in Calgary Alberta. He received his BFA in 2013 from AUarts/ACAD specializing in media arts and digital technology. He is represented in Alberta by Kanishiro gallery. Myke was selected to participate in the residency program by Calgary allied arts foundation (CAAF) for the months of November and December 2022.

"I create found object sculptures and iterate them into recursive motifs, creating works that become personal identity symbols. Understanding the connection between digital and physical work is the foundation of my practice. My artistic practice was born of adapting to my dyslexic perspective. Expected to operate within societal norms labelling me as disabled and disorganized, I actively challenge perceptions, creating visual representations of how I interpret my environment. As an artist, I take control of my mythos, defying the labels imposed on me by sharing my visual language."

Summer 2022

Almendra Vergara
Almendra Vergara

Almendra Vergara is a Mexican multidisciplinary artist based in Calgary, with a Bachelor´s degree in Visual Arts. She is a passionate artist who focuses on performing and visual arts and cultural promotion, painting, opera, theatre scenic design and arts education.

Her art talks about women, immigrants, human rights, and the relationship between the culture and her Mexican roots.

She works with Gato Negro Spanish theatre at W.O. Mitchel School. She is a co-founder of Mexican Woman Artist the Collective, and since 2018, she has been a member and co-founder of Mictlan Arts and Research, the Mexican Collective of performing arts.

Flora Johnson
Flora Johnson

Flora Johnson has worked with Colouring it Forward, John Howard Society, Women’s Centre of Calgary, New Tribe Magazine, and Avenue Magazine.

“As an artist I am passionate about my work. I have learned the importance of paying attention to the story that each image reveals. I am a Survivor, Mother, Sister, Aunty, Grandmother, Warrior, and most importantly a Spirit Holder. I am a member of the Mosakahiken Nation, from Manitoba. A "60s Scoop Survivor” as some people like to say, but I am human. Kindness is important to me… We all breathe and feel our surroundings. My paintings are a part of me and I want You to be a part of my journey. When I was born, it was a hard era, people were scared, hurt, and lots of secrets. I would like to share some words that I learned when I came back home to Canada:

Aaniin… is Ojibwe “I See Your light” an expression of saying “Hello”

Tansi… is Cree word “How are you? “an expression of “Hello."

Lili Yas Tayefi
Lili Yas Tayefi

Lili Yas Tayefi is an Iranian Canadian multidisciplinary artist, architect, researcher and academic, living between Mohkinstsis, Calgary and Barcelona. Her practice, LYT Studio focuses on contemporary ceramic arts including traditionally handmade, wheel thrown, and 3D printed sculptures. Works that are made with artistry, presence and thoughtfulness; a philosophy that permeates the spaces they occupy for mindful living. Inspired by its potential as a universally accessible, versatile, and grounding material, LYT Studio transforms clay through a ‘feel-first’ approach for intentional vessels that embody form and function and are beautifully character.

Lili’s expertise lies in robotic fabrication (high-precision manufacturing in architecture using robotics), and material science, with a specialization in the 3D printability of biodegradable materials.

Jeffrey Cockram
Jeffrey Cockram

Jeffrey Cockram is a multidisciplinary artist primarily working with leather and canvas, creating functional, wearable pieces.

He creates abstract paintings, is a photographer, and makes whimsical digital collages with his original photos and ephemera.

Jeffrey is currently experimenting with sculptural art.

Wes Daubeny
Wes Daubeny

No bio available.

Rami Abdelnour
Rami Abdelnour

Rami Abdelnour is a copper artist and craftsman who emigrated from Damascus Syria in 2019. Rami was introduced to metalwork as jeweller and a gem setter and started his own jewellery company in Damascus.

His father, an artist and photographer, helped Rami to further consider the elements of art in his work. Rami developed an interest in creating on copper, experimenting with intricate techniques to produce new ideas in art and decorative works.

Inspired by ancient and organic patterning, Rami has been experimenting with embossing, etching, engraving, metal press and patina on copper sheets.

Winter 2022

Jordan Peters
Jordan Peters

Jordan Peters is a furniture maker, designer, and photographer living and working in Mohkinstsis, Calgary. His current work focuses on design-forward pieces that are tailored to the user’s needs — furniture that is functional, easy to use, and is built to last.

Peters’ believes that form over function isn’t worth discussing and that furniture should provide both — it’s 2021. With the intention of challenging inefficient design, Peters creates furniture that is beautiful, user-friendly, and multipurpose. Using his experience as a cabinet maker, he has constructed several custom builds for local and international clients.

He continues to experiment with each project, using unconventional materials and techniques — such as resin and metalworking — to elevate the finished result.

Leah Petrucci
Leah Petrucci

Leah Petrucci is a glass artist with a focus on sculptural work. Born and raised in Calgary, she earned a BFA in Glass from the Alberta University of Arts and continues to practice in her home city. She works mainly in hot glass, however, enjoys the diversity and challenge of working with other material processes as well.

“Home” is an important influence throughout her life. Her strong sense of family has been a huge inspiration throughout her art practice with a particular emphasis on childhood memories. Leah’s work explores ideas of identity and how it relates to childhood and home. Play with pattern and colour are embedded into her work to evoke memories of toys, games, and a childlike sense of fun. Her work often seeks the balance between youthful whimsy and the deep roots of family and place. Leah is enthusiastic about exploring strategies that carry messages and embody experiences to create a more interactive experience between the work and audience.

Angela Dale
Angela Dale

Angela Dale is a costume designer and artist with a Certificate in Costume Studies from Dalhousie University, a BFA in Fine Arts from NSCAD University and an MFA in Design and Technical Theatre from the University of Calgary.

Angela has long been exploring and investigating various techniques for embellishing, creating, and manipulating textiles. Many of these experiments have been incorporated into costume creation and have given her an appreciation for utilizing textiles and surface design techniques in the creation of sculptural pieces.

In this residency Angela will be exploring a variety of approaches utilizing the juxtaposition of technology with traditional techniques. She will be looking at ways to manufacture and alter textiles from a wide variety of materials as well as manipulate those materials to create a series of sculptural pieces that are either worn or free standing.

Lovelia Vera
Lovelia Vera

Lovelia Vera is an experienced and creative Canadian-Venezuelan Artist who specializes in original interpretations using various artistic mediums: oils, acrylics, pastel, charcoal, stone and wood. Inspired by Picasso, Dali, Bouguereau, Leger and influenced from real life experiences in Canada, Venezuela, India, and USA.

Lovelia graduated from Venezuelan Technological University Institute. Maturin/Venezuela in Administration, but her passion always inclined her to the arts. Her formal training includes: visual art, architectural drawing, photography, stone sculpture. It is her belief that the sensation of freedom is achievable in every style and subject. She strives to convey that emotion in every canvas from the moment she starts creating. Lovelia is capable of creating something very abstract or shockingly realistic. Either path she takes, leads her to ultimate success and enjoyment.

Jacqueline Huskisson
Jacqueline Huskisson

Jacqueline Huskisson is an interdisciplinary artist born and raised in Calgary. Her art practice approaches the question of our existence through expressions of the human form. She received a B.F.A in Print Media from the Alberta College of Art and Design and an M.F.A in Interdisciplinary Studies from the Belfast School of Art.

She has had solo exhibitions at Main Space Gallery (Alberta Printmakers, Calgary), and Poolside Gallery (VideoPool, Winnipeg). Jacqueline has also been doing various projects, installations, and residencies around Canada, Northern Ireland, Germany and Finland.

She is the recipient of various local and national grants, the inaugural receipt of the Scott Leroux Media Arts Exploration Fund and won a Juror Award for the 2021 Salt Spring National Art Prize. Her next exhibition will be with the Helmut exhibition space in Leipzig Germany in 2022.

Brooke Brampton
Brooke Brampton

Brooke Brampton is a multimedia artist respectfully residing on Treaty 7 Land in Mohkínstsis.

A graduate of AUA(ACAD) in 1999 Brooke has been creating in the community for the last 22 years in various projects as a jewellery maker, sculptor, amateur taxidermist, DJ, VJ and via mixed-media performance.

Brooke’s work considers the place of the Artist in a modern technological culture that blends with traditional practices and the identity created from this fusion. Brooke creates personal symbologies drawing on her heritage and experiences interpreting both modern and traditional personal identity creating a language of talismans and markers for others to interact with.

Summer 2021

Kaela Caron
Kaela Caron

Kaela Caron (AKA Missy Jo) is a self-taught photographer who loves all things vintage. Specifically fashion and furniture from the 1940s-1960s. Living her life as a full-time pinup girl she has just opened up her very own photography studio called Cheesecake Dolls Studio and has been working away at that successful female entrepreneur life.

Her current work is taking her to new set designs where her clients will experience walking right into a pinup poster. More than just a photoshoot, they will be exploring their fun and sexy side while learning to love their bodies. These sets will be reused, put on display, and loved by Kaela and her clients for years to come. Not only that but exploring product design to make the Cheesecake Dolls community grow and help folks finding their inner pinup and feel like they are a part of something larger than themselves.

Ann Craig
Ann Craig

Ann Craig has been to Fuse33 a few times but only watching other people do things. Now she gets to do her own work. Ann is primarily an urban photographer. Her first serious camera was a used Yashica 44 twin lens reflex and have now a Pentax KR.

Other than her photography Ann has enjoyed drawing with pen and pencil with a continued emphasis on urban settings.

Ann is learning to work in wood at Fuse33 and will be turning one of her drawings into a wooden three-dimensional design and expanding her skills to make art.

Alia Shahab
Alia Shahab

With vast experience in sculpture and interactive work, community participation is key to Alia Shahab’s inspiration. Her process has been influenced by 10 years as a facilitator for Antyx Community Arts. Play, repetition, exaggeration, and absurdity are often used in her work as ways to explore re-connection with other humans, the natural world, and her own identity. Her work has been primarily sculptural and installation-based, often using electronics and new media for their abilities to deepen the potential for an immersive and interactive experience.

Alia graduated from the Alberta University of Arts (formerly Alberta College of Art + Design) in 2012 with distinction in Media Arts & Digital Technologies. She is a second generation Canadian of Singaporean, Yemeni and British descent. She grew up in a family of 7 in NE Mohkínstsis (Calgary), on Treaty 7 territory.

Julian Zwack
Julian Zwack

Julian Zwack is a media artist and 3D Designer based in Calgary, Alberta. He received his Bachelors of Fine Arts with Distinction in Media Art & Object Design from the Alberta University of the Arts in 2019 and is currently completing his Architectural Technologies diploma at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

His artwork explores social theories of post-humanism and object oriented ontology through the mediums of media art installation, celluloid moving film and computer-aided ceramic and glass sculpture and structures.

He has exhibited his artwork locally at EMMEDIA Gallery & Production Society, Calgary Beakerhead Festival, and internationally at the Estonian Academy of the Arts in Tallinn.

Morgan Possberg
Morgan Possberg

Morgan Possberg is a textile artist, printmaker, and architectural designer with a BFA in Textiles/Fashion from NSCAD University, and currently attending U of C for a Master’s of Architecture.

Morgan‘s current work explores ways of using craft as a medium to connect with their Indigenous heritage, as well as a way to encourage heterogeneity and sustainability.

Zero-waste and locality should be the norm, and Morgan‘s work focuses on ways to encourage local supply chains, as well as the creation of zero / minimal waste craft processes.
Thai Bao Tran
Thai Bao Tran

Born and raised in Viet Nam and residing in the Greater Forest Lawn area since 1991, Thai Bao Tran is a visual artist who works in both traditional arts and digital arts. His unique perspective enables him to explore themes of East and West, searching for unity. His distinctive personal style evokes joy and peace and there is a quiet tranquility inherent in his work.

His artwork is in private art collections and graces various Buddhist centres throughout the world.

2020 Participants

Cassie Suche
Cassie Suche

Cassie Suche was a recipient of the Artists in Residence Program in 2020/21, sponsored by the International Avenue Arts & Culture Centre (IAACC) at Fuse33 Makerspace. Watch the video to learn more.

Brandon Tyson
Brandon Tyson

Brandon Tyson was a recipient of the Artists in Residence Program in 2020/21, sponsored by the International Avenue Arts & Culture Centre (IAACC) at Fuse33 Makerspace. Watch the video to learn more.

Karen Ho Fatt Lee
Karen Ho Fatt Lee

Karen Ho Fatt Lee was a recipient of the Artists in Residence Program in 2020/21, sponsored by the International Avenue Arts & Culture Centre (IAACC) at Fuse33 Makerspace. Watch the video to learn more.

Adele Schatschneider
Adele Schatschneider

Adele Schatschneider was a recipient of the Artists in Residence Program in 2020/21, sponsored by the International Avenue Arts & Culture Centre (IAACC) at Fuse33 Makerspace. Watch the video to learn more.

Fredy Rivas
Fredy Rivas

Fredy Rivas was a recipient of the Artists in Residence Program in 2020/21, sponsored by the International Avenue Arts & Culture Centre (IAACC) at Fuse33 Makerspace. Watch the video to learn more.

Tracy Falukozi
Tracy Falukozi

Tracy Falukozi was a recipient of the Artists in Residence Program in 2020/21, sponsored by the International Avenue Arts & Culture Centre (IAACC) at Fuse33 Makerspace. Watch the video to learn more.