CASV Board Members 2013

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

 

President – Julia Kristjanson has been interested in art for many years and studied Art History both at UBC and at the Sorbonne University in Paris. In 2004 she founded a commercial gallery, which represented contemporary Ottawa artists. Pukka Gallery operated in Ottawa between 2004 – 2007. Julia holds an M.A. in Economics from UBC and is currently working for the Federal Government. She has been a member of the CASV since 2010 and has been active on the board since 2011.

Vice President – Jennie Biltek holds an Honours B.A. in Art History and B.A. in Commerce, Asian Studies and English. Originally from Alberta, she moved from Victoria, BC three years ago where she worked as Event Coordinator at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Since moving to Vancouver she has worked as the Marketing & Communications Manager for Art Toronto: Toronto International Art Fair and volunteered on the steering committee for the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Young Associates. Jennie is an art enthusiast, art supporter and sometimes an art collector. She has been a member of the CASV since April 2011 and has been active on our board since November 2012.

Secretary – Kate Bellringer currently heads up the contemporary and Canadian art auctions at Maynards Fine Art and Antiques. Prior to this position, she studied Art History while at UBC and completed a MA in Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York. In the years between her degrees, Kate worked as Associate Director of a contemporary commercial art gallery in Toronto. Kate has been a member of the CASV as far back as 2009 and has served on our board for the past two terms where has been entrusted as our archivist.

Treasurer – Tej Basi is a Chartered Accountant with over 15 years of experience working in the utilities sector as a Finance Manager. His expertise ranges from budgeting & forecasting to dealing with financial controls & complex accounting issues. Tej has demonstrated interest in working in the non-profit sector and he has been assisting our Treasurer and the Board since March 2013. Tej and his wife, Nancy, joined the CASV in November of 2012.

Holly Armishaw is a practicing contemporary artist and is represented by Galerie Rabouan Moussion in Paris.  Her art has been exhibited in Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, New York, Boston and Sao Paulo and Paris.  Her photographs have also appeared in various publications, including gracing the cover and featured in an art theory book that defined the presence of digital imaging in photography as a contemporary art trend.  Holly received her BFA in Photography from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in 2000, where she was also active in leadership roles serving on the Education Council and various other committees while also curating several student exhibitions.  Over the years she has volunteered at non-profit galleries such as Dynamo, the Contemporary Art Gallery and the Vancouver Art Gallery.  Today, she is a supporting member at many of Vancouver’s non-profit art galleries.  Holly is an avid traveler, attending major art fairs and exhibitions, constantly investigating international contemporary art trends.

Miriam Aroeste is a Vancouver based international artist and has travelled extensively and worked in visual arts for over 20 years. As an artist she has explored and developed a very comprehensive body of work in different media such as sculpture, painting and photography. She exhibits both nationally and internationally, and she has gallery representation in Canada, USA and Mexico. Miriam holds a degree from Emily Carr where she is presently studying photography. She manages her own innovative company “Miriam Aroeste Fine Art Consulting” sourcing and selling Fine Art for private and corporate clients specializing in local Canadian Art, but working with International artists as well. She has worked for institutions such as the Vancouver Art Gallery managing their Art Rentals and Sales department. In 2007 she was voted “Best Art Consultant in Vancouver” by the Georgia Straight. In 2010 Aroeste was selected to source all the artwork for the Olympic Village VIP offices, lounges and other common areas at the Winter Olympic Games. Miriam presently seats at the North Vancouver Public Art Advisory Board and the Vancouver Biennale Advisory Board. She has been a CASV member since 2005 and previously served on our Board in Programming between 2009 – 11. In 2010, she led the CASV trip to Mexico City.

Sunshine Frère is an intermedia artist with an MA from Goldsmiths, and a BFA from Concordia University. Her work has been exhibited in Canada and abroad and often integrates her longstanding obsession with systems and variables. Sunshine is also a writer, curator and art consultant. She is the founder and current project leader for Papergirl Calgary and the associate director of Winsor Gallery in Vancouver.

Rachel Rosenfield Lafo is Director of the Richmond Art Gallery. She has been an independent curator, writer, lecturer and art tour leader. She has guest curated exhibitions for the Seymour Art Gallery, Simon Fraser University Gallery, Surrey Art Gallery, OBORO artist-run centre, and the Jennifer Kostuik Gallery. Her reviews and articles have appeared in such publications as Sculpture Magazine, Public Art Review, Art in America, and Canadian Art and she wrote the essay on artist Thomas Houseago for the Rennie Collection catalogue. She has been Chair of Vancouver’s Public Art Committee and has taught in Emily Carr University’s Continuing Studies program. She is the former Director of Curatorial Affairs at DeCordova Sculpture Park + Museum in Massachusetts. She has been a member of the CASV since Fall 2009, joined the Board in January 2011, and has served two terms as our President.

Melanie Parent has had the privilege of being a member of the CASV board since 2009.  She currently works as a Senior Development Officer in the Philanthropy department of the BC SPCA, aiding creatures fuzzy and furry.  Originally from southern Ontario, Melanie earned her Honours Bachelor degree in Semiotics, with minors in Literature and Cinema Studies, from the University of Toronto, and now lives in Vancouver’s West End.

Wylie Rauch has his CMA and is a Finance Manager at BC Hydro. He is immersed in contemporary art and is well acquainted with many artists, collectors and gallery directors. Wylie has an insider perspective on the business and organization of the contemporary art world. He has been a member of the CASV for several years and has served on our board as Treasurer for the past three terms.

Elizabeth Snow is an active volunteer board member with an interest in the arts. Currently on the board of the Eastside Culture Crawl, she has also served on such community and arts boards as the Associates of the Vancouver Art Gallery, the YVR Art Foundation and the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre. She has been a member of CASV since 2008. She is retired from a career with the federal government. Elizabeth has been a part of the CASV board since 2011 serving as our Governance Officer.