MiR - Mentors in Residence Cohort 6
Cohort Duration
January - December, 2026
Fill out this form to connect with a Mentor.
More mentors will be added soon—stay tuned for updates.
Jimmy Lo
Filmmaker, Film Educator, and Film Festival Curator
Areas of Support:
Film and Video Project Consultation
Grant Writing, Research and Development
Reseach-Creation Dissemination Consultation
Community Engagement and Networking
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Jimmy Lo is an award-winning filmmaker, film educator, and film festival curator from Hong Kong. His debut documentary film, Stories of Pang Jai (2024), won Best Feature Film Award and Best Cinematography for Feature Film Award at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival 2024 and was nominated for the Human Rights Award at the South Taiwan Film Festival. The film has screened internationally. Give and Take (2025) is his second feature documentary film, which explores the recent Hong Kong immigrants in Canada. The film was premiered in London, UK in September 2025.
Jimmy is an Assistant Professor at MacEwan University, where he teaches Film and Video Production. He is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Hong Kong. Jimmy co-curates and co-organizes the UBC-based Asian Independent Cinema Showcase (with Dr. Helena Wu). Jimmy holds an MFA in Film Production from the University of British Columbia.
Monica Joshi
Arts Administrator, Writer, and Educator
Areas of Support:
Cross-Sector Networking for Project Support
Branding and Personal Narrative
Grants and Funding Best Practices
Operational Management
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Monica Joshi is a dedicated arts professional with a robust background in operational efficiency, strategic fundraising for institutional sustainability, and creative programming, currently channeling her expertise as the Development Coordinator at Contemporary Calgary. In this pivotal role, she manages donor stewardship communications, coordinates impactful fundraising events, and oversees rigorous reporting and data analysis. Her work ensures a resilient and sustainable funding infrastructure, directly supporting the gallery's ambitious mission to be a vibrant center for contemporary art.
Monica’s experience spans the full spectrum of arts administration, notably through her significant tenure at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. As the Gallery Services Coordinator, she was a key player in optimizing operational efficiency, managing front-of-house and retail staff, and successfully overseeing the redevelopment of the e-commerce site and general website, which significantly broadened the gallery's digital reach.
Beyond administration, Monica is a passionate educator, having developed and taught "Art Inspired Writing I and II" to adult learners, guiding them to connect literary expression with contemporary visual art exhibitions. This pedagogical experience is rooted in her own literary career, which includes the 2020 novel Matriarchy, a work of speculative fiction exploring social and political revolution, and her 2014 debut novella, Aria: A Story of Ends, a psychological narrative focused on loss and reconciliation. Her creative output is further extended by her 2021 poetry collection, Shades of Deception, written in just 21 days and published shortly thereafter.
A recognized contributor to the Canadian arts landscape, Monica frequently serves as a Juror and Peer Reviewer, highlighting her informed understanding of cultural funding and best practices. She has lent her expertise to the Manitoba Arts Council’s Create grant jury for Literary Arts and has repeatedly served as a Young Canada Works (YCW) Peer Reviewer, evaluating funding applications from museums and heritage organizations. Complementing this high-level cultural sector involvement is her strong foundation in editorial precision from her previous roles as a Technical Editor and Content Editor, which ensures clarity and professionalism in all public-facing and grant documentation.
When she’s not working, she’s powerlifting, running, listening to metal, vibe coding, or lounging with her cats and husband.
Russell Thomas
Painter and co-owner of Birdsong Studios
Areas of Support:
Running an art business, Selling, Packaging, and Procurement
Brand Building/Marketing
Building habits that create success
Networking and Communication
Shaping your story and maximizing social media
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Russell started his painting journey at the age of 47 after a career path that included marketing and communication roles in radio, theatre, post-secondary education, and the charitable sector. What began as a focus on wild colour human portraits has evolved over the last decade to include animals, landscapes, and more. Along the way, Russell discovered that he could use his art for philanthropy. Through donations of art, painting challenges, and live painting appearances he has raised over a half million dollars for various charities and causes. Russell paints full-time in Birdsong Studios located in downtown High River. He is also an Ideal Protein weight loss coach and a volunteer with the Okotoks Arts Council and Bracelets For Buildings, an international charity that builds homes for the very poor in rural Cambodia. He co-owns Birdsong Studios with his talented wife Heather.
Dr. Viktoria Grynenko
Multi-Faceted Violinist
Areas of Support:
Grant applications in Alberta and Canada
Higher education
Career in music
Interviews
Networking and community connections
Performance opportunities
Alberta vs other Canadian provinces
Art residencies
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Dr. Viktoria Grynenko is a Ukrainian-born, multi-faceted violinist. In addition to frequent violin performance in chamber groups, solo, and in orchestra with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, she also focuses on research and educational projects that involve rarely performed works for violin. Building on her PhD thesis (University of Alberta, 2021) that explored relationships between violin and dance performance, Viktoria continues to be actively involved in multi-disciplinary projects with local and international dancers. Viktoria has released two solo albums “Violin in Movement” (2023) and “Unbroken: Music from Ukraine” (2025) that can be found on all audio streaming platforms. Viktoria has an active violin studio and teaches for Winspear Conservatory Program and YONA Sistema. She is a member of Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association, Suzuki Association of the Americas, and Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators’ Association.