A Public Art Manifesto For Toronto
September 27, 2017
|In Press
Communication Design
Geoff Campbell is communication designer who works in the realms of environmental sustainability and social engagement. His design process is driven by co-creating with user groups in order to deliver projects that are engaging and useful to stakeholders. While completing his Bachelor of Design at Emily Carr University in 2015, Campbell joined the Border Free Bees team as an in-house graphic designer and workshop facilitator. He also works on creative freelance projects for small businesses and socially engaged non-profit organizations such as Pacific Wild.
Project Manager
Asia Jong is a cultural worker, arts facilitator and emerging curator based on unceded Coast Salish territories (Vancouver, BC). She is a co-organizer of Ground Floor Art Centre, a collectively-run studio, gallery, and project space that supports emerging artists in Vancouver and she has been a part of various arts organizations throughout BC. Jong’s practice centers on researching and developing projects related to Chinese diasporic identity, complicating Asian settlerhood in Canada, and public community-engaged art.
Planning Director
Nick Strauss is an expert in strategic planning, consumer trends, market research, and communications planning. He routinely advises top managers in corporate C-Suites as well as decision makers in small businesses and local government. With Chart, Nick facilitates group workshops for organizations and management teams and helps us craft branding and communications strategies. Nick is a frequent speaker and panelist on topics of management, marketing, branding and communications strategy, at venues ranging from Emily Carr University, the World Foresight Forum in The Hague, the Ernst & Young Forum in Tel Aviv, the UK’s Institute of Directors, the Cap Gemini/E&Y European Summit, or the International Advertising Week in Barcelona. He has held high-level management positions in global communications agencies such as Ogilvy and Mather, Young & Rubicam, Cossette, and Saatchi & Saatchi. He holds an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, a B.S. in Civil Engineering from MIT and a B.S. in Psychology from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
Environmental Art
Jaymie Johnson uses plant and earth materials to create site-specific works involving fibre processing and community participation. She is an interdisciplinary artist whose work literally weaves together ecology, art and community. Johnson’s background includes studies in sustainable agriculture both globally and locally. Since graduating with a BFA in Visual Arts from Emily Carr University, she has worked on numerous community-engaged environmental public art projects as a member of the chART Collective and as a Project Assistant with Border Free Bees, as well as on her own public art commission as winner of the First Capital Realty 2016 Sculpture Competition.
Industrial Design
Christian Blyt’s work encompasses a wide range of international experiences in different segments of industrial design, including wood/furniture design and manufacturing. He received his MA in Interior Architecture and Furniture Design from Aalto University (formerly University of Arts and Design) in Helsinki, Finland and a technical diploma in Wood Product Manufacturing from BCIT. With chART, Christian lends his design talents to our public sculptures and architectural initiatives. He is also a partner in the design and development firm, Greenhus Designs, and is an Associate Professor at Emily Carr University in Industrial Design and Coordinator of the Innovations in Wood Design program.
Project Manager
Megan is an art historian by training with a strong interest in utilizing the academic skills of research, writing and public speaking in a broader context. Her MA and PhD reflect a deep background in Indigenous issues relevant to historical and contemporary arts. With chART, Megan has focused her project management skills towards environmental issues, community outreach, and public art.
Founder & Artistic Director
Cameron Cartiere is a creative practitioner, writer and researcher focused on public art, urban renewal, and environmental issues. She specializes in community-based collaborative public projects. In addition to an active art and research practice, she is also the author of RE/Placing Public Art, co-editor of The Practice of Public Art and The Everyday Practice of Public Art: Art, Space, and Social Inclusion, and co-author of the Manifesto of Possibilities: Commissioning Public Art in the Urban Environment. Dr. Cartiere is a Professor in the Faculty of Culture + Community at Emily Carr University of Art + Design.