NAPP Cohort 1
Newcomer Arts Professional Program
Previously called Immigrant Arts Mentorship Program (IAMP)
2021-2022 Pairs
Zahra Entezari
Visual Artist
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Zahra Entezari is a visual artist hailing from Shiraz, Iran, who now calls Calgary, Canada her home since 2018. With an impressive 25-year journey in the world of art, Zahra's expertise spans across painting, photography, and art instruction, with a particular fondness for oil and pastel mediums. Her work is a mesmerizing exploration of landscapes, where nature stands as a perpetual muse, guiding her artistic vision through the interplay of light and colour.
Zahra's artistic journey is deeply rooted in her lifelong passion for painting and drawing, which found its early beginnings in her childhood. Over the years, she has earned numerous prestigious art awards and exhibited her creations at various renowned platforms. In 1999, alongside her husband, she established a notable visual art institution in her hometown of Shiraz, where they shared their knowledge and love for painting and photography with a diverse array of students, garnering recognition in national and provincial festivals.
Following her move to Calgary in 2018, Zahra has been dedicated to evolving her artistry and establishing herself in her new artistic community. This transition involved honing her English skills, expanding her professional network, and initiating home-based art classes, further bolstering her presence in the local art scene. In 2022, Zahra's works were showcased at 'Arts Commons' in Calgary, and in 2023, she took part in a group exhibition at 'Three Sisters Gallery' in Canmore. Currently, she is eagerly anticipating her upcoming solo exhibition at the Central Library, organized by the ICAI. In recognition of her exceptional contributions to the field of Art & Culture, Zahra received the prestigious 'Immigrant Distinction Award' in Calgary in 2022. Her journey as an artist continues to evolve, intertwining her roots from Iran with her blossoming artistic presence in Canada, where she paints her unique vision of the world, connecting with both her homeland and her new home.
Natasha Faye Jensen
Multidisciplinary Artist & Culture Worker
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Natasha Faye Jensen is an interdisciplinary artist and cultural worker from Moh’kins’tsis/Calgary, Treaty 7 territory in the Southern Alberta region, Canada. Jensen completed her BFA at Alberta University of the Arts (formerly Alberta College of Art and Design) in 2013 and in 2020 completed a MA in Contemporary Art Practice at the Edinburgh College of Art. Natasha has exhibited in galleries, and festivals in Canada, United States, United Kingdom and Finland.
Juan ‘Joey’ Qi
Illustrator
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My name is Joey Qi, an illustrator. I was born in China, and Now I live in Calgary in Canada and continue my illustrator career. I loved painting when I was a kid, and I would draw my graffiti on all kinds of books and surfaces. Then, twenty years ago, I started my career as an illustrator. Over the years, I have drawn various types and styles of illustration, Cooperate with clients and learning and growing on every program. I've done illustrations for publications, fairy tale picture books and comics, game illustrations and storyboards, and countless commercial illustrations. I love all of these work. These are all represent a part of my life. But I love telling stories the most. I feel very happy when I put the plot into an illustration and a comic book, and they both tell their own story. I love illustration very much, and I will keep going on this road.
Brian ‘Bunny’ Batista
Media Arts & Animator
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Brian “Bunny” Batista is a man of many skills and interests. He found his bliss when he began to follow his passion as an arts educator and opened his own art school - Atelier Artista at cSPACE King Edward. Brian "Bunny" Batista got his BFA with distinction in 2001 from the Alberta College of Art and Design he went on to work in media arts and animation, and co-founded the Calgary Underground Film Festival. Since 2011, He taught in the Continuing Education department at the Alberta College of Art and Design, at Mount Royal and he also continues to teach animation to teens at the Quickdraw Animation Society and introductory sampler classes every few Sundays at Swinton’s Art Supply. He is the President of the Calgary Allied Arts foundation. He is active and consistent in his artistic practice and studies abroad and hone his skills through workshops and residencies in order that he can bring knowledge and experience back to Calgary and offer it to participants at Atelier Artista.
Lia Pereira
Writer & Storyteller
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Lia is a writer, public speaker & Storyteller finding her own language expressions between English & Portuguese. Four years ago, after finishing her Masters in Arts, she left the beautiful beaches and magical forests of Brazil to seek new stories in Calgary's cold winter.
Passionate about the daily adventure of living, Lia is fascinated by human resilience and is interested in hearing and telling stories about the different beginnings that everyone, newcomers or not, face throughout their lives.
Lia shares the adventure of life with her partner Daniel Monzon and her two faithful squires Nina & Katrino. When not working, she likes to walk around Downtown streets with her headphones & camera on, finding the protagonists of her stories and projects among the people and places surrounding her.
Thanks to the ICAI and the IAMP program, Lia is currently working on two Visual Storytelling projects about Newcomers and Language Barriers. She is also translating to English some of her short stories related to the culture shock of newcomers in Calgary, hoping to get them published soon.
Alex Kingcott
Communications & Arts Administrator
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Alex is the Founder and President of Shareworthy Communications (FKA: Shareworthy Content Lab), established 2013 in Calgary, Alberta. Alex is a lifelong lover of the arts and a born communicator with quixotic ambitions for the potential for digital communication to accelerate the way we build community. She has more than 15 years experience in PR & marketing in the arts, entertainment, real estate, tourism and lifestyle industries. Her special focus is in PR and media for special events and community engagement.
Prior to Shareworthy, Alex’s role at Canadian boutique PR Firm Anstice Communications (Calgary) included working with major lifestyle and tourism brands like Tourism Calgary, Travel Alberta, Calgary Stampede, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and The CORE (TD Square/Holt Renfrew) and her work was recognized by the Digital Alberta Awards (2012), International Shopping Centre Awards (2014) and Special Event Gala Awards (2014). Additional experience includes roles at the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts, Alberta Theatre Projects, and BrokerLink.
Alex is based in Calgary, Alberta. She volunteers her time for the Calgary Stampede’s youth programs via the Royalty Program, and for the Cinderella Fund, which supports disadvantaged young women to celebrate successful high school graduations. She is a regular lecturer at Mount Royal University’s Public Relations Program and at communications and digital media conferences across Canada including SocialWest and SocialEast.
The best way to be her friend is to ask her about musical theatre – make sure you have some time to spare. @AlexKGT
Anil Yadav
Visual Artist
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Hi, I am Anil Yadav. An urbanist and an urban sketch artist living and working in Canmore, Alberta. I am originally from northern India where I spent most of my life. I have been in love with sketching for as long as I can remember. I enjoy capturing vibrant urban spaces and natural landscapes to reflect beauty in our daily lives.
Francis A Willey
Multidisciplinary Artist
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Francis A. Willey is part indigenous and is proud of his Cree Ancestors on his mother's side and respects the history, languages, and cultures of the First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich his practice.
Francis A. Willey acknowledges that he is located on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Niitsitapi (inclusive of the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations), the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Iyarhe Nakoda (including the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations). The City of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III.
Francis A. Willey Canadian (Born, July 21st, 1969) Self-taught, 35mm film photographer. He is deeply fascinated by fabric and historical textiles and is a collector of rare books and antiquities. He writes poetry and also enjoys composing music on the piano in his spare time. All his images are created in-camera without post-production. He has been referred to as a portraitist or a neo-pictorialist in his photographic pursuits by the academic art world. He searches for depth in storytelling, continuity, and mystery to the narrative, and spirit of each individual, he has the pleasure of photographing.
He received his first KODAK camera when he was 12 years old from his mother June. The first frame ever captured with the aperture of his camera was a portrait of his mother.
He believes that a deeper, more compassionate culture can be created through the arts. As an outsider artist, he has always been questing for and seeking refuge in a higher beauty.
Francis composes ballads and poems, creates collages, and draws from life's observations. His school was the value of nature and dreams, people, intuition, that one develops by sharing empathy.
Perpetual ‘Perpie’ Atife
Saxophonist, Songwriter, Arts Manager
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Perpie is a recording and performing saxophonist, a songwriter, arts manager and aspiring producer. Through music, she is constantly creating expressive means to weave pieces of her life’s experiences and dreams into an open treasure box.
She released her debut composition project, ‘Meditation’, a 5-track EP in 2018, on which she wrote four (4) out of the five (5) tracks. The release was followed by a live performance for her exclusive Lagos audience at the Steinway Gallery which gained media attention and was a major feature in the news.
In the summers of 2016 and 2017, she was featured as an official saxophonist in the massive productions of ‘Saro’, the Musical and ‘Wakaa’ the Musical by Bolanle Austen-Peters at the Shaw Theatre in London.
She attended professional training in early childhood music education with Music Together in Manhattan, New York and gives voluntary music lessons to young children in her neighborhood. She recently completed her Musician’s Residency at the Banff Centre to work further on forthcoming musical projects. She also just concluded the RAMP executive training at the Haskayne School of Business.
Perpie studied Music Education at the prestigious Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and was awarded best graduating student in 2008. She was also a recipient of the MUSON & MTN Foundation 2nd Place Award for top three graduating students in 2011. In 2018, she graduated with a B.A (Music) from the University of Lagos, Nigeria where she produced with Dr. Oikilome, Nigeria’s biggest inter-collegiate choral music festival.
Headline artiste for the MUSON Jazz Festival 2016, Capital Jazz Festival in Abuja, 2016, the Steinway Piano Jazz Series, 2017, the MTN Project Launch in 2018, the GTB Orange Ribbon Executive Dinner, to mention a few, Perpie is often marked by her warmth, charming tone and lyrical expression on the saxophone. She is continuously empowering her artistic space and carving her niche.
She worked with the Musical Society of Nigeria, MUSON, as Manager, Membership & Events and followed up on music education and performance, teaching in top Lagos schools including the MUSON School of Music, Lagos Preparatory School, and performing in only high profile events across Nigeria and overseas.
Meghan Goguen
Singer & Arts Administrator
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Until recently, Meghan Goguen has followed a classical trajectory and completed a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance (Wilfrid Laurier University, 2015) and a Masters of Music in Voice Performance and Literature (Western University, 2017) before returning to her hometown of Calgary to pursue employment in the arts, starting with Cowtown Opera as a Roster Singer (2017-2019). Shortly after her return, Goguen was offered the opportunity to work with a former acquaintance as the Marketing Coordinator for Land’s End Ensemble (February 2018-present).
This first foray into arts administration turned out to be a portentous one, and Goguen has turned her lack of experience in arts admin into drive, determination, and a network within the arts community that highly values her work and contributions. From Event Manager for Cowtown Opera Company (2018-2019), to Program Assistant for Prairie Debut (2018-present), Goguen has amassed contacts and skills abound, and has spun straw into gold with her budding career. Her displays of creativity and drive marked Goguen as an up-and-coming entity in arts administration in Calgary
After working for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as the Interim Artistic Operations Coordinator (March-June 2019), Goguen had the confidence and experience to take the helm at Luminous Voices as their Interim General Manager. After a year, her contract was extended, and her role expanded.
Her exposure to different arts organizations, and the changing landscape of the arts within their greater community has inspired Goguen to look inward and challenge what she believes art can achieve. As a person with anxiety herself, Goguen believes in the transformative and healing powers of art, and especially music, and looks forward to discovering ways in which she can help members of the community with similar challenges.
Grateful for each individual organization and mentor that has allowed her to leap from stepping stone to stepping stone, Goguen looks forward to a continued career in Arts Administration and to using her passion, creativity, compassion, wicked sense of humor, and now varied and impressive set of skills to affect positive change in the arts and in the greater communities they serve.
Bang ‘Bob’ Zhang
Conductor
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Bang (Bob) Zhang, a Chinese Conductor, graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China, under the mentorship of Xiao-Tang Xia. In 2013, he became the assistant conductor of another distinguished conductor, Lin-Lin Wang.
During his career, Bang has worked with more than 20 professional orchestras and choirs, including China National Traditional Orchestra, Guangdong National Orchestra of China, China Youth National Orchestra, China Ruan Chamber Ensemble, Central Conservatory of Music Wind Band, Central Conservatory of Music Choir, Chinese Musicians Association Xinghai Choir.
As an educator, he has also tutored many primary, secondary school, and university orchestras in China such as Renmin University Symphony Orchestra, and has been invited as a jury for many music competitions.
Bang has a rich experience in Orchestra and Chorus rehearsals. When he was a permanent director for the China Ruan Chamber Ensemble, he rehearsed a lot of works and accurately grasped the style of modern works. For his efforts, Bang received many favorable comments from both Chinese and foreign composers, such as Yi Chen, Long Zhou, Wenchen Qin, Binyang Li, Jingjun Yu, etc. Moreover, he received on-the-spot rehearsal guidance from many famous conductors, including but not limited to, Otaka Tadaaki from the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Mark Gibson from the University of Cincinnati, Jeff Meyer from St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic. All the above works and performances were consistently highly praised.
Dean O’Brien
Violinist & Conductor
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Dean O’Brien earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music, with additional studies at the Peabody Conservatory and the Banff Centre. Before moving to Calgary, Dr. O’Brien taught viola and violin at Medicine Hat College and performed extensively in both Canada and the U.S. He has served as principal viola of the Montreal Chamber Orchestra, the Victoria Bach Festival and the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, and has played with the Austin, San Antonio, Albany, NY and Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestras as well as the Calgary Philharmonic. He is also Principal Violist of the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Kensington Sinfonia. Dr. O’Brien spent 7 summers in Boulder as a member of the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra.
He has performed with many leading chamber musicians including Anton Kuerti, Andrew Dawes, David Harding, Kai Gleusteen, Ian Swensen and Giles Apap. His performances have been recorded for broadcast on CBC Radio 2 and for NPR’s Performance Today. Dr. O’Brien is currently an Instructor at Mount Royal University Conservatory and the University of Calgary where he performs with the UCalgary String Quartet, the quartet in residence at the University of Calgary. The quartet has performed nationally and internationally and has been recorded by CBC Radio for regional and national broadcasts, Radio Europa, and the National Radio of Portugal. The quartet has recently completed performances of the entire Beethoven, Shostakovich and Bartok string quartet cycles. The UCalgary String Quartet was nominated for the Instrumental Group of the Year Award at the Canadian Folk Music Awards and at the Western Canadian Music Awards.
Dr. O’Brien became Music Director Designate of the Calgary Pro Music Society in 2005 and Artistic Director in 2007. Since that time, Pro Musica has grown significantly and started several new education programs while maintaining its financial stability. In 2008, Pro Musica moved its Subscription Series to the Eckhardt-Gramatté Concert Hall in the Rozsa Centre, doubled the number of its performances and attracted over 160 new subscribers. Its new education programs include annual Family Concerts (begun in 2008) and the Talmon Hertz Legacy Series (started in 2007 and named after Dr. O’Brien’s predecessor), which engages CPMS visiting artist to work with Calgary area music students through masterclasses, workshops and individual instruction. Pro Musica’s latest initiative is its Young Artist Development Program, which is intended to discover, nurture and promote young Calgary musicians. Participants in the Program receive exclusive instruction from CPMS visiting artists, are presented in a fully sponsored and publicized CPMS concert, prepare and perform a series of school concerts and receive scholarship support for their individual instruction.
Sahar Hakimi
Visual Artist
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Sahar Hakimi is a visual artist from Tehran, Iran, currently living in Calgary, Alberta. Her artworks are inspired by the femininity of women through emotional combination of realism and surrealism. As she doesn't have access to old family photographs, nor these physical spaces, Hakimi seeks out images online that spark her memory. Making collages from these architectural remnants, she creates spaces for her figures/subjects that are reminiscent of her past/homeland. By using various different tonality of grayish colours as well as intense, vibrant colours and noticeable brushstroke, she is attempting to illustrate her emotions such as anger, loss, grief and fear. Sahar obtained a Bachelor degree specializing in painting from Azad University and Master of Art in painting from Alzahra University in Tehran.
Mark Vazquez-Mackay
Visual Artist
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Mark Vazquez-Mackay received his BFA from Alberta University of the Arts and his MFA from the Instituto Allende. He then spent a year teaching at the Instituto Allende before moving back to Calgary and returning to AUarts as an instructor. He has been instructing a variety of drawing and painting classes at AUarts since 2004.
In addition to instructing students at AUarts, Mark has taught at a variety of institutions for a variety of populations such as teaching in homeless shelters, youth with CBE & CCSD, cancer patients at Tom Baker & Wellsprings, and various programs through his studio including taking groups of artists to Mexico for cultural tours.
Mark is not only drawn to instructing, he also engages in collaborations, community projects, and public Art. In 2014, Mark led a team of Artists from the Drop in centre to paint a mural on the east side of the building; a project that involved over 100 participants from multiple organizations and communities in the area. His projects are not limited to homeless organizations, he has worked with the refugee and Immigrant population at Calgary Catholic Immigration society, war vets at Prospect, and large community mural projects.
In his own practice, Mark is an observational painter and drawer whose work has been exhibited across the continent. He predominantly focuses on figurative subject matter, which has led him to receiving awards and national recognition in the field. His work is in predominant collections such as The Canadian Armed forces headquarters in Ottawa. In 2017, Mark received the CARFAC National Arts Advocacy award.
When not working behind the easel, Mark’s research interests include the history and use of optics in Art, the connection between historical methods of Art making and modern technological modes of Art making, and the role of public Art.
Partha Sarathi Gouda
Sound Engineer & Beat Producer
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Partha Sarathi Gouda co-leads the music team at Madhuban Performing Arts. Passionate about the realms of both music and technology, he produces his own tunes and beats across a variety of genres. Partha has recently created sound design for a regional Indian movie.
Today, as an engineer, I work in science, but have managed to hold on to the curiosity for art that's been a driving force in my life. This constant drive to understand how things work at fundamental levels took me from wanting to build my own computer, as a kid to exploring the realm of sound and music. You see, people don’t normally associate engineering with art, and I think it’s because the sensory stimulation from creating music just doesn’t compare to creating a marvellous design. Let’s face it, there’s usually no deeper meaning that pops out from a piece of code or an IC engine, no matter how deep you gaze into it.
For me, this connection between engineering and music, or art, really began one fine afternoon, when I was learning how a simple envelope filter functions during an early morning lecture. I downloaded a free audio software and quickly realized what an audiophile I was. I discovered a synthesizer for the first time, and from just a couple of sine wave signals, I was able to recreate the theme music from the famous Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” From thereon, my union with music and engineering truly took place. You’re probably going, ‘what a nerd,’ right? Well, let me let you in on a secret, nerds create the best art. And let my story be one of many, of how science and art can marry so beautifully. So go ahead, be a nerd, be an artist.”
Maud Salvi
Music Executive & Arts Administrator
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Maud Salvi was born in France, where she got involved with the arts community from a young age, spending years volunteering at festivals and in a music venue housed in a community center, where she fell in love with live music and grassroots organizing.
She has over 15 years of experience working in the music sector, both in France and Canada. After immigrating in 2008 and settling in Montreal, she joined the POP Montreal International Music Festival where she honed her skills as an arts administrator, producer, and curator. In 2013, she moved across the country to join the Sled Island Music & Arts Festival as Executive Director. Six months into her new position, the Calgary flood forced the cancellation of the festival halfway through, leaving hundreds of artists stranded, staff and volunteers displaced, and the fate of the organization more than uncertain. Through hard work and incredible community support, Sled Island survived and Maud has led its rebuilding ever since, further establishing it as a Calgary institution and an internationally acclaimed event. As a festival director and curator, she has participated in conferences across Canada, in the United States, Mexico, and South Korea.
Ligaya Domingo
Multidisciplinary Artist
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Ligaya, a native of the Philippines, is a versatile artist who has cultivated a diverse range of skills across various artistic disciplines, including painting, performance, video, and photography. Her artistic journey began with a formal education in Fine Arts. Fueled by her passion in art, Ligaya furthered her studies in art history at the University of the Philippines.
Throughout her creative endeavors, Ligaya's artistic journey has been intricately intertwined with her dedication to social justice work and active participation in art collectives in the Philippines. By actively engaging in advocacy campaigns for non-governmental organizations, she has utilized her art as a potent medium for shedding light on the experiences and roles of women. Driven by an innate love for visual storytelling, Ligaya has also worked in film production, contributing her creative vision as a production designer to a wide array of independent and commercial projects in the Philippines.
Her current creative endeavors are centered around a profound exploration of connection. With a desire to reconnect with her roots and document her immigrant experience, Ligaya captures the fragments of her bond with the concept of home in a thoughtful and introspective manner. Since moving to Calgary, Ligaya simultaneously pursues her art while working in a creative agency in Calgary.
Claudia Chagoya
Interdisciplinary Artist
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Claudia Chagoya is an interdisciplinary artist born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and based in Calgary, Canada. She holds an MFA degree from the University of Calgary, and a BFA from Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Her artistic practice explores topics related to gender violence and her socio-political background, through the use of materials rooted in Mexican culture tied to various rituals such as: rebozos, salt, copal and sawdust.