Allison Yearwood | Chair
Allison Yearwood (she/her) is an alumnus of the University of Winnipeg, with a political science and business administration degree, and brings a fresh focus to the business of arts administration. Allison returns to her hometown, Winnipeg, from the Banff Centre, where she was Program Manager at the Indigenous Arts Department. Previously, Allison served as Art and Business Manager at Yamaji Art, an Aboriginal art centre in Australia, and was the General Manager of Collective of Black Artists in Toronto. Allison was the Programming and Events Coordinator at the Northern Life Museum & Cultural Centre in Fort Smith, North West Territories, and was the first non-Indigenous staff member at Urban Shaman Gallery in Winnipeg. Allison advocates for racialized and disenfranchised groups to decolonize institutions of power from the ground up. She is exceptionally skilled on issues of equity and a powerful and transformative voice for anti-racism action. Allison is a proponent of equity justice in media and digital production and has acted as program manager for digital art residencies at Banff Centre. Allison’s institutional critique articulates the creation of safe spaces for underserved communities within the institution. Currently sitting on the boards of aceartinc. and Spiderweb Show.
Albyn Carias | Vice-Chair
Albyn Carias (he/him) is an interdisciplinary artist living in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He immigrated to Canada from El Salvador at the age of 13 and has a BFA from Brandon University Ishkabatens waasa Gaa inaabateg, Visual and Aboriginal Arts Department. Carias’ process focuses on experimentation with unconventional materials, pushing against imposed social and artistic borders. This is achieved through meaningful engagement with his Latino community in Manitoba. The collaborative nature of community-based artwork addresses the barriers that Latino immigrants face every day. Carias served as Vice-President and Arts Coordinator for Brandon’s Latin-based organization, Hispanic Association of Manitoba Inc. (HAMI). He developed intercultural art programs that created space to raise the voices of his community. He worked as Gathering Helper for the Beading Symposium: Ziigimineshin, complimenting his ability to navigate the responsibilities he holds as an ally and person living on these territories.
Rob Crooks | Treasurer
robcrooks (he/him) is a musician from Winnipeg whose work contains traces of hip-hop, post-punk and psych-folk. Using a sampler, vocal modulation, synthesizers and live percussion, Rob’s one-person-band approach to performance creates a sound as rich and full as many ensembles. Rob has performed his genre-bending music across Canada and Europe, and has opened for artists such as Buck 65 and Ceschi. More recently, Rob’s music has become increasingly conceptual, exploring the idea of the sample as revenant, and the themes of memory, history and hauntings. When he is not performing, listening to record or reading, Rob is facilitating beat and rap workshops with youth throughout Winnipeg’s Downtown and North End.
Michelle Panting | Secretary
Michelle Panting (they/them) is a writer and lens-based artist living on Treaty 1 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A graduate of the University of Winnipeg as well as the Cartae Open School program at aceartinc., Michelle is currently working on a photography and fiber installation project while serving as secretary on the aceartinc. board. Their previous projects include the arts and culture blog FULL which ran from 2013 to 2018, a body of self-portrait work that showed in Winnipeg and Toronto and another fibre art installation that has yet to be unveiled.
Janell Henry | Director
All the way from Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation, Janell Henry (she/her) can be seen on screen a few seconds as an extra near the end of the film, Mr.Hockey, as a reporter chasing the big story. In real life, the main gigs she chases are those as curator, writer, audio engineer and project manager. Janell’s interest in media began in radio production where there are no rules – interning on CKOP 100.5 Renegade Rez Radio. In pursuit of becoming a producer, she’s studied in many different areas including audio, video, writing and psychology. Currently she works at the Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art Gallery.