2021 ELECTIONS: YOUR EXECUTIVE
President:
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Dawn Knight
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Hello! My name is Dawn Knight (she/her) and I am a senior years Visual Art Specialist at Fort Richmond Collegiate in Winnipeg. I have been teaching visual arts classes for almost 21 years in middle school and high school in Pembina Trails School Division, on Treaty 1 territory.
I have served as an art education consultant for the Winnipeg Arts Council, the Evergreen Centre for Green Studies, Pembina Trails School Division, the province of Manitoba (Manitoba Education), the Bureau d’Éducation Française, and Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art. I have presented close to 20 workshops for teachers at all grade levels - on topics ranging from "developing visual literacy skills" to "guerrilla art", from "decolonization through art" to "teaching art in the outdoors". Committed to decolonization and anti-racist teaching, I have been working at developing teacher resources in order to move our art classrooms away from only using the very limited (dead / white / European / male) resources often provided for art teachers (Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, Dali, etc.) towards a more inclusive and contemporary way of learning and making, focused on process, creativity, developing voice, and critical thinking. These resources will focus on ensuring that diverse voices, artists and artworks are represented and honoured in our classes. Along with Yvette Cenerini (Métis), Lita Fontaine (Anishinaabe/Dakota/Métis), and Elder Albert McLeod (Cree), I co-wrote the Resilience Teacher's Guide for use with the Resilience Art Cards Boxed Set, a resource to assist K-12 teachers to collaborate with local Indigenous Knowledge-Keepers and engage in decolonizing practices within their classrooms. This resource is now being used by K-12 teachers all across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Alberta. I am motivated to provide teachers with opportunities to connect, share and learn and have dedicated a large part of my life to passionately advocating for art educators, creating community, and making art education accessible for all. In my 25-year career as an art educator, I have organized and co-organized over 120 professional development workshops for art educators for the MAAE, my school division, and various other local arts organizations. I was honoured to be recognized in 2018 with the Canadian Society for Education Through Art's Provincial Affiliate Award for my contributions to art education in Manitoba. I would love the opportunity to continue to serve as your President, in order to support and advocate for my art-teaching colleagues the best way I know how. |
VICE-PRESIDENT: OPEN
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(OPEN)
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The role of the Vice-President is as follows:
Attends all MAAE Executive Board Meetings, is a voting member of the MAAE Executive, assumes the role of Membership Chair; manages new memberships and membership records, serves as executive officer of the Association in the absence of the President, and shall chair meetings or fulfill other duties in the event of the President’s absence, assumes the role of President in a situation wherein the President is unable to continue their term, is prepared to assume the office of the Presidency at the end of the term of the incumbent President; takes on other duties as assigned by the President. |
TREASURER: OPEN
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(OPEN)
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The role of the Treasurer is as follows:
Attends all MAAE Executive Board Meetings, is a voting member of the MAAE executive, is one of the three primary signatories on the MAAE bank account along with the President and one other Table Chair, maintains good stewardship over the financial records on behalf of the organization, keeping the books and records balanced and in order, tracks finances in general ledger and is responsible for all banking:
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Secretary:
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Kristina Karlsson
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Kristina has been the MAAE's secretary (2 years) and has served on the board for several years with other roles that have included Grants Chair and Conference Co-Chair. Kristina is a Grade 6 to 12 art teacher at Balmoral Hall School and is an aspiring potter and metalsmith in her free time.
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SAGE COUNCIL REP: OPEN
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The role of the SAGE Council Representative is as follows:
Attends all MAAE Executive Board Meetings, is a voting member of the MAAE executive, attends all SAGE Council Meetings at MTS, has voting rights to represent the MAAE, reports back to the MAAE about SAGE Council News. |
MTS PD DAY CO-CHAIR (FALL OF 2022):
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Stacey Abramson
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My name is Stacey Abramson (she/her) and I have taught 9-12 visual arts at Maples Collegiate in Seven Oaks School Division for the past nine years and am an alumni and former mentor in the Art21 Educators program. I have been on the committee for the past year as MTS PD Day Co-Chair, SAGE Council Representative, Advocacy and Promotions Chair and years ago as Vice-President. Outside of MAAE, I have run workshops and professional development in Manitoba in the area of teaching with contemporary art, activism and community building through art. I have organized artist talks, created multi-day workshops for teachers and helped my own division do so as their Visual Arts Liaison.
In collaboration with co-chair Jonathan Dueck, I would love the opportunity to create a rich learning experience for teachers, staff and artists of all disciplines to reflect the changing landscape of art education today. With the experience of planning the 2021 MTS PD under our belts, I believe that Jonathan and I will have the experience, feedback and drive needed to make another day of PD for the MAAE members a meaningful and engaging one. |
MTS PD DAY CO-CHAIR (FALL OF 2022):
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Jonathan Dueck
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My name is Jonathan Dueck (He/Him) and I am currently teaching 9-12 Visual Art at Grant Park High School. I have also worked at several other schools in Seven Oaks and Winnipeg School Division as well as in Calgary, AB. In these schools I helped to run the Visual Arts program and worked collaboratively with teachers in each building to help implement Inquiry and Project Based learning through art-making in the classroom. Some of this work has been documented in the locally published book, “Catch a Fire: Fuelling Inquiry and Passion Through Project-Based Learning.” Outside of the classroom I am an active alumni in the Art21 Educators program and will be a Teacher-Mentor for the Winnipeg School Division next school year.
I have been on the committee for the past year as MTS PD Day Co-Chair and Member At Large. In collaboration with co-chair Stacey Abramson, I would love the opportunity to create a rich learning experience for teachers, staff and artists of all disciplines to reflect the changing landscape of art education today. With the experience of planning the 2021 MTS PD under our belts, I believe that Stacey and I will have the experience, feedback and drive needed to make another day of PD for the MAAE members a meaningful and engaging one. |
GRANTS CHAIR:
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Rose Montgomery-Whicher
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Rose teaches Visual Art to grade 9 and 10 students at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Professional Division.
Rose has served on the MAAE executive since 2014, and has been Grants Chair since 2015. As an art educator with over 3 decades of experience teaching students of all ages in museum, community and university settings in both Canada and England, she brings wide experience supported by a depth of knowledge and commitment to quality art education. This along with the ability to work as part of a team, encouraging discussion of a range of views to arrive at thoughtfully considered decisions, make her a suitable candidate for Grants Chair. Following the enthusiastic response to the new MAAE Microgrants this year, Rose looks forward to helping the MAAE grants committee to continue to find innovative ways for grants to be accessible to teachers and impactful for students. |
PD CHAIR:
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Sarah Collard
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Sarah Collard is an artist and art teacher who has painted over 50 public art murals throughout Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. She has spent time teaching as an Artist in the Schools and has taught in a fly in reserve as far north as Tadoule Lake. Since arriving in Manitoba in 1994, Collard has taught her passion which is visual arts to elementary, middle and secondary students in 5 different school divisions across Manitoba [Louis Riel School Division, Winnipeg School Division, Interlake School Division, Swan Valley School Division and Borderland School Division].
The topics which Sarah covers in her curriculum range from drawing, painting, printmaking, clay, wood, and sculpture. Collard has also taught animation, graphic design, drafting and photography in Kamloops, British Columbia. Private schools such as Linden Christian School and Mennonite Collegiate Institute have also hired Sarah to teach visual arts to their students. In many of these contracts, Sarah has collaborated with students to paint permanent murals in the school community. Currently Sarah Collard is teaching drama and music to grades 1-6 learners at Stanley Knowles School in Winnipeg. |
PROMOTIONS & ADVOCACY:
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(NONE)
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WEBSITE EDITOR:
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(NONE)
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FRESH PAINT CHAIR:
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Anna Swaine
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I am the Visual Arts teacher at General Wolfe School, in the West End of Winnipeg. I am currently teaching Grades 7 through 9 students, including a Grade 9 Ceramics Shops course. I have 22 years of experience as an Art educator in the Winnipeg School Division. Currently I am painting house portraits during Covid, using watercolours as my medium. I am passionate about art and art education and would love to meet and mingle with new Art Education graduates, or volunteer as the MAAE secretary, whichever job needs to be filled. I have also taught watercolour painting through the life- long learning program to adults at River Heights School.
I have attended many MAAE workshops through SAGE. I feel that it is time for me to 'give back' to MAAE. With my years of experience in art education combined with my passion for art , I feel that I would be a good candidate for the MAAE executive. I am organized and reliable, and I feel I have many skills that would be useful to the MAAE. I would love to work with a group of dedicated artists and art educators and be a part of the MAAE executive. I have an Honours degree in Fine Arts from the University of Manitoba, a Degree in Education from Australia, and a PBCE from the University of Manitoba. |
RURAL REPRESENTATIVE:
Ryan Polinsky
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I have been the grade 7-12 visual arts teacher at a small private school in Steinbach for the last 14 years. Although I have attended SAGE and other PD events throughout my career, I had not realized the way the MAAE strives to represent and support Art educators across Manitoba until I joined as Rural Rep two years ago. Being a part of this association and also contributing to the grant board has been a special experience.
I see now how I, as an art teacher, am not alone. Art educators should know and feel they have this supportive community of fellow teachers. I hope to be a voice for the rural constituents and want to find ways MAAE can support them. |
MEMBER-AT-LARGE (2 POSITIONS):
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Shawna McLeod
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I worked for 15+ years as an artist and educator in community settings and at Concordia University, where I completed my MFA in 2008. As an educator and program coordinator, I have worked with several Winnipeg organizations, including Graffiti Gallery and Art City. I have facilitated youth art workshops throughout the prairies and the Northern Manitoba through the Canada Council for the Arts, and have served as a mentor at Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art.
I certified as a K-12 teacher in 2016 and have been teaching 9-12 Visual Art at Dakota Collegiate for the past 5 years. During this time, I have facilitated several community art / special projects, including a book of student artwork, and LRSD’s Community Connected Art program. I contribute to several in-school committees, including the student-led Voices for BIPOC, and Mino Giizhiigaad, our Indigenous education committee. I have contributed research and writing to Canadian Art Teacher magazine and School Arts magazine. I am an admin of Anti-Racist Art Educators, a collective and Facebook group of almost 3,000 international members. I am hoping to once again take on the position of Member-At-Large. I am committed to a contemporary, anti-racist approach to art education, and ongoing, quality professional development opportunities for art teachers. I also believe in advocating for arts education as a fundamental subject. I believe my diverse experiences as an artist and educator will serve MAAE well in the future. |
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Tara Lambert
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I have been a teacher in the Lord Selkirk School Division for 7 years now and teach grades 7-9 Art. In addition to teaching, I have a background in Women's & Gender Studies and have worked at both Rainbow Resource Center and SERC where I had the privilege of being a community educator.
This is my third year on the board of MAAE and I look forward to an opportunity to continue this role in 2021-22 as a Member at Large. In my years with MAAE, I have helped look over funding applications and contributed as needed. A few important priorities of mine both in and out of the classroom include valuing and celebrating diverse voices and life stories, inclusion, and building empathy. I look forward to having an opportunity to include my background and experience as a member of the MAAE board. |
CURRENT PAST PRESIDENT (not an elected position):
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(NONE)
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The role of the Past-President is as follows:
Must be a Past President of the MAAE, attends all MAAE Executive Board Meetings, is a voting member of the MAAE Executive, assists the President and act as a resource person and historical advisor to the board, becomes chairperson of the Nominating Committee at the end of his/her term as President and serves until succeeded. |