Paneet Singh (he/him/his)

• Paneet is a Sikh-Punjabi settler living on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Sto:lo nations, with a professional artistic practice in film and theatre.
• Paneet's artistic practice as a writer/director, whose work is rooted mostly in the Punjabi-Sikh and wider South Asian community, has led to a passion for driving forward causes of social justice and amplifying marginalized voices, in both process and performance, within the arts sector.
• As Director of Programs, Paneet provides leadership to the Programming staff and spearheads the systemic change initiative.
• Paneet's past experience includes six years in children's arts instruction and arts administration, and an ongoing practice as a playwright and filmmaker.

Winnie Nwakobi Doyle-Marshall (she/her/hers)

• Winnie is a first-generation Indian-Nigerian immigrant living on the stolen land of the Coast Salish, MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat), Á,LEṈENEȻ ȽTE (W̱SÁNEĆ), Te’mexw Treaty Association, and Lekwungen/Songhees. Winnie holds a B.A. from York University and is a graduate from Humber College's Arts Administration and Cultural Management Program. Winnie is a theatre producer. In her free time, she loves to cook, dance, and spend time with her family.
• Winnie is on a continuous learning journey of anti-oppression frameworks and practises in her work as a leader, fundraiser, and producer.
• As the Co-Director, Development, Winnie co-leads the development and implementation of organizational strategy, oversight, financial and operational management, and the implementation of the vision and mission of Artstarts. Winnie also leads Artstarts in building fund development strategies that activate a mission-aligned network of supporters to raise resources needed to achieve the mission and revenue goals of ArtStarts in Schools.
• Winnie's past experiences include arts education, theatre producing, fundraising and corporate governance education.

Heather Campbell (she/her/hers)

• Heather is a 4th generation white settler living as an uninvited guest on the unceeded territory of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō, Səl̓ílwətaɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) and Qayqayt (Kay-Kate) Nations. She is a musician who has toured all over Turtle Island, and was the co-owner of a Winnipeg-based independent record label and music publishing company for 13 years. Heather holds degrees in psychology, philosophy, and gerontology from SFU. She also likes to craft things with needle and thread.
• Having worked for a number of years in community mental health, specifically in the DTES, Heather has been an advocate for individuals marginalized by the intersection of poverty, addiction, homelessness, mental and physical illness, law enforcement, isolation, gender and sexuality, and many other factors. She continues on a life-long journey to learn about equity, cultural humility, and anti-oppression, and endeavours to deploy those learnings both at work and in her personal life.
• As Co-Director, Administration, Heather is part of the shared leadership team at ArtStarts. Her focus is on providing leadership to the organization in the areas of finance and operations. She shares responsibility for strategic development, governance, and supporting the mission, vision, and values of ArtStarts with the leadership team..

Hannah Jarvis (they/them/theirs or she/her/hers)

• Ask me about: AIE grant, block booking, Showcase, Artist Directory, and school artist bookings
• Hannah is a fifth-generation white settler from Sḵwx̱wú7mesh lands, emerging visual artist and a passionate lover of disco music.
• They completed their bachelor's in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies with a Sociology minor at Simon Fraser University in 2018. Since then, Hannah has had the opportunity to continue learning from local, grassroots organizers and artists with a focus on justice and accessibility.
• As Program Manager, Hannah supports artists on our touring roster to get connected with schools across the province of BC. They support with the day-to-day communication and invoicing on behalf of artists as well as our annual ArtStarts Showcase.
• While in university, Hannah got involved in anti-violence work for feminist nonprofits in Vancouver. In doing this work, they became keenly interested in how marginalized groups can use art as a means of resistance and connection. They are so excited to be supporting artists, and ensuring that youth all over BC can gain access to the arts in meaningful ways.

Lily Cryan (she/her/hers)

Schedule a phone call with Lily

• Ask me about: How you can submit a strong grant application
• Lily is a white settler who grew up on Duwamish territory, colonially known as Seattle. She is a practicing emerging choreographer who immigrated to Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Territory to attend SFU and holds a BFA in Dance and Communications.
• Lily's creative practice works with artists from all movement backgrounds and all bodies to create interactive works performed in public spaces. She is committed to continuing to learn from local artists and activists to work for a more just and accessible world.
• Lily manages the AIC, CSV, and Cherniavsky grant programs and continually reviews grant processes with community feedback to remove barriers. She also works with the Gallery Team to design and deliver process-based activities that emphasize process over product to move away from Eurocentric definitions of “high” art.
• Lily has worked at educational institutions and arts organizations in the Lower Mainland. She is thrilled to bring her dance, theatre, and education backgrounds together at ArtStarts to provide hands-on connection between Artists and young people.

Alyssa Martens (she/her/hers)

• Ask me about: ArtStarts Gallery, touring exhibitions, Weekend family programming, ArtStarts Ignites Artist Residency for early career artists.
• Alyssa is a Brazilian settler living as an uninvited guest on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She is a poet, community-engaged artist, and gallery curator interested in activating spaces in a way that connects audiences to land and identity. She holds a BFA in Playwriting and Directing from Concordia University and an MEd in Education for Sustainability from UBC.
• Her work in public space activation and community-engaged arts focuses primarily on addressing themes of identity and place, eco-feminism, and climate justice.
• As Program Manager for Public Programs, Alyssa curates experiences in the ArtStarts Gallery and Maker Space for families and young audiences that focus on inquiry-based and place-based learning opportunities. She provides leadership for ArtStarts' public programs through strategic planning.
• She has designed arts-based education programs with Sierra Club BC, DAREarts, the Bolton Academy of Spoken Arts, Arts & Health, and Megaphone Magazine, and has been teaching performing arts and creative writing for over a decade. With a passion for public space activation, she has led creative placemaking projects with BC Culture Days and the Vancouver Park Board, and is on the board of the Vancouver Public Space Network.

Doaa Magdy (she/her/hers)

• Doaa is a Nubian Afro-Indigenous interdisciplinary artist living on the unceded stolen lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Doaa’s artistic practice coincides with social justice principles, and she is currently pursuing her second M.A. degree at SFU’s School of Contemporary Arts.
• As a researcher and an aspiring horror film director, Doaa’s goal is to use her research and art to connect kinship through shared stories of systemic discrimination between Black and Indigenous peoples to dismantle white supremacy together as groups who are systemically marginalized through enslavement, colonialism, or both.
• As the Operations Coordinator of ArtStarts, Doaa manages the financial, administrative and operational aspects of the organization, and she is committed to being an active part of Artstarts mission of decolonizing our current knowledge systems within an inclusive anti-oppressive framework.

Kay Slater (they/them/theirs)

• Ask me about: ArtStarts' goals for more accessible public space, family programming, and art installation.
• Kay is a queer, hard of hearing, multidisciplinary artist, and colonial body living and working as an uninvited guest on and across occupied and stolen Coast Salish territory.
• Kay’s artistic practice explores value as it relates to expectations. They enjoy creating and maintaining spaces where people can explore, try, learn, experience, and create!
• Kay works to develop and challenge the traditional gallery experience to reflect the ever changing and ever present need for accessible public space. Working both as a facilitator for our public programming, a builder and designer collaborating with the gallery team on exhibitions, and as a digital creator who builds assets and outreach for families across BC, Kay is passionate about making space for hands-on, process-based learning and critical thinking for humans of all ages.
• Kay has worked, and continues to work with multiple artist-run centres and galleries throughout Coast Salish territory. They are devoted to sharing assets and resources across organizations so that we can learn and grow together.

Alexandra de Guzman (she/her/hers)

• Ask me about: Showcase, Artist Directory, and school artist bookings.
• Alexandra (or Alex, for short) is a first-generation Filipino settler living and working as an uninvited guest on the ancestral and unceded homelands of the hən̓qəmin̓əm̓ (Halkomelem) and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) speaking peoples. Alex is a Filipino food fanatic, amateur nail artist, and lover of people. 
• Alex has had the fortune of working with various mentors in her academic and professional pursuits, as well as her peers, who have challenged her to reflect on her (un)learnings. She is committed to continue building her knowledge on anti-oppressive frameworks and practicing consensus-based decision-making to promote community empowerment and provide safer, inclusive spaces. 
• As a Program Coordinator, Alex provides support to the Program Manager in the Booking & Touring Department. She helps the daily facilitations of supporting the touring artists and connecting them with schools and young audiences across British Columbia.
• Alex is humbled by the opportunity to serve the arts community as a Program Coordinator at ArtStarts. ArtStarts is a reflection of her own commitment in delivering Arts education and programming that prioritizes accessibility and equity, and that fosters community.

Peisen Ding (he/him/his)

• Peisen is a Chinese immigrant and queer artist living on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations.
• Equity has always occupied an important role in Peisen’s work. His art practice explores queer identity and social issues through his lived experience as a gay immigrant. He believes it is meaningful to deliver love, care, and courage to people who are also immigrants to Canada, and/or from the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Moreover, working at ArtStarts has significantly helped him to continue his learning journey of equity and anti-oppression.
• As a Public Program Coordinator, Peisen works with the Public Program Manager and Gallery Coordinator to support and develop in-person and online workshops, exhibitions, events, and resources for artists, teachers, and local communities.
• Apart from being an artist, Peisen also worked as an art teacher at several schools and communities in the past. He is honoured to work at ArtStarts because it not only enables him to encounter diverse forms of art and meet different artists, but also offers him opportunities to facilitate workshops and work on educational programs and resources.

Our Volunteers

Our Board