Staff & Board of Directors

Executive Director

View Bio

Manny Travers (he/him/il) is a queer multidisciplinary artist of Acadian and Lebanese descent from Wolastoq (Fredericton) living in Menaquesk (Saint John), New Brunswick. He currently holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mount Allison University and a minor in Visual Communications & Culture, alongside a Certificate in Contemporary Management of Arts & Culture from the University of New Brunswick. His artistic practice includes drawing, sculpture, and woodblock printmaking themed around purposeful incompleteness.

contact

President

View Bio

Lindsay Jacquard (she/her) is an arts educator and administrator from Nova Scotia, now living in Saint John, New Brunswick. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Arts Management from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from NSCAD University. She is passionate about encouraging and enabling creative pursuits, working with organizations such as the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, Halifax Regional Municipality, and Imperial Theatre. Lindsay’s own artistic practice involves painting, portraiture, strangeness, and play.

contact

Vice President

View Bio

Lindsay Hazen (they/them/iel) is a cultural worker and singer who performs music as Stellaleona, and also works in the Box Office at the Imperial Theatre. They are a co-founder of Moondrip Collective, a queer run record label and community organization. They are passionate about inclusive and equitable spaces and the role of the artist in decolonization and social justice. Stellaleona has been featured in First Listen Zine; on CBC Radio and Pagan Place podcast; and won the Party Sauce Award 2022 for Best Experimental Artist as well as Local 107.3 Best of Saint John Award 2021 for FEMCORE Artist of the Year. They recently expanded their artistic practice to performance art and are a recent graduate of ArtsLink NB’s CATAPULT program. Their work can be found on Bandcamp and Soundcloud.

Secretary

View Bio

Kate Beresford (she/her) is an arts administrator, and lifelong lover and supporter of the arts. Born and raised in Elmira, ON, she lived in Ottawa for 20 years and moved to Saint John in the Fall of 2020. A graduate of Carleton University’s Art & Culture program, she is passionate about providing support for artists of all kinds, and has worked at various cultural institutions including the National Gallery of Canada, Canadian Museum of Nature, and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Currently she is working at the Canadian Dance Assembly, a non-profit organization that provides support to professional dancers across Canada. She herself is an enthusiastic but amateur dancer, who also loves hiking, riding her bike, and is always up for exploring new places.

Treasurer

View Bio

Jesse Elliot McRae (he/him) is a trans queer visual artist from Saint John, New Brunswick. Jesse fell in love with the theatre at his first dance recital at the age of four. In high school he received awards for his dedication on the tech team and a creative writing piece he performed about his transition journey at the NB Drama Festival. After graduation he spent some time living in Vancouver, gaining experience in film. Recently returning home, he now works at the Imperial Theatre while pursuing his other found love of painting and photography. Painting became an outlet to express his vision of the world while photography allows him to capture the memories of artists in his community.

Communications Officer

View Bio

Tess Allen (she/her) is a teacher, writer, and former journalist living in Saint John, New Brunswick. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University and a Bachelor of Education from the University of New Brunswick. When she isn’t teaching English as an additional language at St. Malachy’s Memorial High School, she can be found ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the inspiring efforts of local creatives. Or re-watching Gilmore Girls.

contact

Member at Large

View Bio

Ben Peterson (he/him/his) is a queer settler and an architectural historian raised in Saint John. Ben holds a BA in Architectural History and Theory and Law from Carleton University and an MA in Art History from Concordia University. Ben works in development planning and built heritage. He is fond of speaking publicly and his writing has appeared in publications including Visual Arts News and RENDER: Graduate Journal of Art and Culture.

Member at Large

View Bio

Holly Timpener (they/them) is a queer, non-binary performance artist working with themes of resistance and transformation. Timpener’s works investigate issues related to gender, intimacy, trauma, and the body, while “The Personal Is Political” is embodied in a modern sociopolitical context. They have presented work for Month of Performance Art Berlin, The Art Gallery of Ontario, SummerWorks, The Bronx Museum, Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery, La Centrale, Venice International Performance Art Week, among others. Timpener is honoured to have worked several times with La Pocha Nosta at Montreal Arts Interculturels, the Taos Paseo Festival, and Encuentro in Mexico City. Most recently, they performed for the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and have been the recipient of two Canadian Council Grants.

Member at Large

View Bio

Sarah Allen (she/they) is an authentic soul whose love for creativity and storytelling drives their artistic expression. Her work navigates complexity and subtlety, weaving everyday moments into a tapestry of expression. With a unique perspective, Sarah invites viewers to step into their world – where fragments of life converge to reveal the intricate web of human existence.

Originally from Tkaronto (Toronto), Sarah currently resides in Menaquesk (Saint John). She apprentices as a glass-blower under the master, Curtis Dionne, and does photography as Soulful Moments.

Member at Large

Main Objectives