Anya Gansterer, Artistic Director
Anya is a curator, arts advocate, maker and promoter of rural cultural and economic development in the Ottawa Valley.
Anya is adept at identifying community needs and finding innovative ways to address them. She has over 25 years of experience managing large- and small-scale projects involving multiple partners and specializes in understanding the challenges and opportunities of working in arts and culture in rural communities. She has curated more than a hundred art exhibitions, including working with solo artists, collaborations, groups, traveling exhibits and open community exhibitions. In her position as Artistic Director for Ottawa Valley Community Arts she enjoys the versatility of arts administration, dreaming of new ways to engage people in artmaking, curating exhibitions, facilitating workshops, hosting events and whenever possible joining in to make art with other people. Anya lives near Killaloe, Ontario, with her family where they enjoy the best of rural living.
Emily Adam, Performing Arts Director
Emily Adam has been singing polyphonic folk music since she was swept off her feet attending a concert at age 16. With a deep love and desire to make a big and full sound and to join her voice to others, she travelled to study folk music in the country of Georgia in 2003 and 2004 and again in 2016. Emily continued to hone her love of folk music with ensembles Darbazi and Village and Northern Harmony, and toured with these ensembles across Europe, the US, and Canada. Emily is a dynamic facilitator and has led community singing groups in the Ottawa Valley for the past 13 years, most recently being The Constellation Community Choir and OVCAOS’ Dark Times Choir. She is also the Artistic Director of the Lyra Ensemble. Emily is excited to join the rich work of OVCAOS, and bring her enthusiasm for community-based creativity to the performing arts.
Maureen MacMillan, Social Media & Photography
Maureen MacMillan is a professional photographer who lives and works in the Ottawa Valley. She has been professionally photographing people in the Ottawa Valley region for the past 8 years, and has recently ventured into the world of photography as an art form. In 2021 Maureen completed the “Honouring Seniors – Creative Photography project” where she created artful portraits of over 50 seniors. The exhibit focused on elevating the status of seniors in our communities by challenging stereotypes. The collection was exhibited in the Pop Up Art – Ottawa Valley Galleries from 2021 to 2022.
Her company Madawaska Media is a one stop shop for branding, photography, websites and social media support. Here she offers services and learning for businesses and people across the Ottawa Valley. Maureen’s goal is to empower business owners and brands to learn, and support them wherever necessary to help them be as successful as possible in this ever changing online landscape.
Mary Hellingman, Secretary
Maggie Davis, Treasurer
Dani Peñaloza, Director
Anne George, Director
Joanne Lau, Director
Artist Facilitators
Tanya Lyons
Linda Archibald
Anna Camilleri
Emily Adam
Megan Spencer
Sylvia Tenisco
MJ Lévesque
Tristan Whiston
Kerry Fortin
Sherry Dion
Jenny Croft
Claire Mahaffy, Admin & Communications
Claire Mahaffy is the admin and communications support for Ottawa Valley Community Arts. With 10 years experience in programming and administration for nonprofits and small businesses Claire is motivated by removing barriers and finding ways to bring people together. After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Art, from OCAD University Claire went on to work for two Canadian magazines, PhotoEd Magazine, and Paddling Magazine. Claire currently lives and works in Eganville.
Naomi Blondin, Algonquin Cultural Consultant
Painted Loon, aka Naomi Blondin, born in Laval Quebec and has spent most of her adult life in the Ottawa Valley. She is Algonquin/Anishinaabe and French-Canadian and a member of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nations Community. Coming from a family of artists – canoe makers, basket weavers, story-tellers and visual artists. Naomi aims to create art forms in all aspects of her life, including gardening, seed keeping, herbalism, sewing, crafting, writing, interior design, murals, painting and public art. Her focus is in both art and community building through connection with land and sustainability practices. She is living in her ancestral Algonquin Territory and where the natural world can connect us to the healing spirit.
Christine Luckasavitch, Algonquin Cultural Consultant
Christine Luckasavitch is Madaoueskarini Algonquin and mixed settler, living in her ancestral territory at the headwaters of the Madawaska River. Her work is centered around creating spaces for Indigenous peoples to share their knowledges, both in physical and digital spaces, and encouraging the re-emergence of ancestral kinship ties. She is the owner of Waaseyaa Consulting and Waaseyaa Cultural Tours, two small businesses dedicated to reviving and celebrating Indigenous ancestral knowledge and culture-based practices through educational opportunities. Waaseyaa Cultural Tours an Indigenous tourism company located in the Algonquin Park region. She is also the co-owner of Algonquin Motors, a woman-led motorcycle clothing company that celebrates the land now also known as Algonquin Park.
Christine is a graduate of Acadia University, and she is completing her Master’s Degree in Indigenous Studies at Trent University, her thesis offering a critique of Algonquin Park as a wilderness space and the continued impacts on her Algonquin community.