Tina Ranger

Visual Arts

“As soon as I could hold a pencil I drew, and as soon as I could hold a camera I took photos. One of my guiding philosophies is to be a good observer, to practice and hone these skills, to have your art and photography express what you see and feel in the moment, to be inspired.“
Tina has been an educator for 25 years teaching young people and adults in fine art and photography among other subjects. She enjoys seeing her students knowledge and creativity grow along with their enthusiasm for artistic expression. She has been an active participant in art clubs, a continuous learner of photography and arts. She has a love of nature, her dog, horse, fitness, family and friends, and finding time for that and more.

Beth Hume

Visual Arts

Beth has been a children’s, youth and teen art instructor and an Early Childhood Educator for over twenty-seven years. She was trained how to implement art activities aimed at young artists at the Vancouver Art Gallery by Susan Hoppenfield in 1998 and takes an open-ended approach when facilitating art.
Beth believes that through experimentation and the freedom to choose, children can find their own voices and learning to do that at a young age is important. “Trust and belief in yourself—doing what feels right for you, even if others dismiss it. The act of listening to your intuition and believing in yourself bleeds into every day life and that can only aid in respect to self-esteem and making personal choices. These are the formative years and positive, highly creative experiences can have a lasting impact.”

Erin Larsen

Soapstone Carver

Soapstone carving is a hands on, tactile, creative outlet using tools to manipulate beautiful Brazilian soapstone into any shape you can imagine. Your imagination is the sharpest tool you will use to carve with.
Carving is therapy for the mind, body, and soul. In my experience I’ve realized it’s about enjoying the entire creative process and not just about the finished outcome.
My philosophy is……. Nobody Gets Left In The Dust, We Make It!!!

Sean Whittaker

Magician

Performing arts and magic have been part of Sean's life since the very beginning, however, he started taking them more seriously near the start of middle school. During those years, he spent most of his time learning magic tricks and performing in plays to build laughter, amazement, and bring people together.
A few years passed, and Sean joined the Fraser Valley Magic Company, where he learned skills from professional magicians, eventually leading to his first paid gig near the end of high school.
Later, Sean attended a two-year full-time theatre diploma program at Douglas College, where he dramatically improved his skills as both an actor and magician. He performed in plays including Unity 1918 (as Stan) and A Vampire Story (as Geoff and Moon).
After completing his studies, Sean performed professionally as a magician at restaurants, corporate events, comedy shows, birthday parties (for kids and adults), haunted houses, and more. Around this time, he also began adapting his skills to run youth workshops teaching magic, juggling, and acting to build communication and collaboration skills in a fun way. These workshops included programs in schools, camps, and neurodivergent programs.
To this day, Sean continues to work as a magician and artistic educator for events, camps, schools, and more.

Nicole Giesbrecht

Visual Arts

@thenaturalworldcreativearts
Nicole Marie Giesbrecht, a Metis-Mennonite multimedia artist and poet from the Fraser Valley, specializes in blending Poetry with Acrylic painting. She has also excelled in wire art, felting, beading, weaving and other mediums as an outlet for her creativity, expression, and healing. Her Spiritual Journey has greatly influenced her poetry and art, deep diving into the Interconnection of Nature, Spirit, Consciousness and Self. Her heritage and upbringing reflects in her message, giving voice to the importance and reverence of the Natural World to which we are innately connected.
Although Nicole is an emerging artist in acrylic painting, with her first Duo Gallery Exhibition, 'Growing Roots' debuting at the Mission Arts Council's Rock Family Gallery in July 2024, she has been a Creative her whole life. Her works have been published in the Footprint Press as well as displayed and sold at many Art Markets, Music Festivals, and stores throughout B.C.
"My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back." - Louis Riel 1885

Shelly Davies-Conley

Visual Arts

Shelly has a background in Early Childhood Education and has been teaching art based programs at the ACT Arts Centre since 2004. She graduated from Douglas College in 1985 and further studied at Seneca College in Ontario. Shelly pursued a career in Ontario working in daycare for 14 years until she moved back to BC with her husband and two sons in 1999.
Over the years, Shelly has expanded her education in the arts by experiencing hands on opportunities with different art mediums. She has continued to provide programs for children from preschooler to school age at the ACT, as well as after school art classes in public schools. Shelly offers a creative enriched learning environment which give children the opportunity to express themselves, learn, and grow through her art based learning programs.
“Through these hands on opportunities I experienced, I’ve learned the appreciation of art and how much it plays a part in the development of a child as a whole person. Seeing the joy on their faces when creating a masterpiece of their very own, speaks volumes for their self-esteem and growth. This is why I enjoy providing the art based learning programs at the ACT.”

Elena Markelova

Watercolour Artist

www.elenamarkelova.com
@elenamarkelova_art
Elena is well known for her double exposure animals, nature watercolour paintings, and the detailed city maps – all inspired by magnificent landscapes and engaging wildlife of Canada. She was born and raised in a small town in the middle of Siberia in Russia, and was often painting and drawing. Elena’s mom signed her up for art school when she was only 10 years old. She spent seven years there, then six more at Art University, learning different mediums and techniques while experimenting with subjects and ideas.
After moving to Canada in 2012, Elena was searching for her own style and inspiration. Family trip to Pemberton was a pivotal point in her artistic career – as she saw the very first bear in her life just a few meters away surrounded by stunning mountain scenery, she couldn’t resist the excitement she felt and painted that bear with a landscape inside. Since then nature and the wilderness have become her true love and inspiration. The beauty, peace, and truth she finds there have no equal.
Elena works with watercolour, the most challenging and magical medium, and shares her love and inspires others to paint with it. She's been teaching watercolour workshops and classes around the Lower Mainland for several years and can't wait to bring the joy of watercolour painting into your life!

Amiee Risby (She/Her)

Visual Arts, Ceramics

Amiee Risby graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of fine arts and visual art in 2020. Risby has always taken an interest in bright whimsical colours and integrated them into both her painting, sculptures and ceramic works.
Risby’s interest in human biology, connection, and storytelling is expansive and can be seen through whimsical characters who bond through food and experiences.
These stories express a deep desire to find lasting friendships and the ever struggle to make those connections in our changing world. While these paintings activate the surface the form is meant to find its way into the homes of the viewer and be used in daily life. Creating connections through the use of functional artworks.

Meet the Instructors

Meet the
Instructors