OUR BOARD

Laurel Wood | President | Pacific/South Island

Retired after a 30 year career in professional services, I now call Victoria – the magnificent traditional territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations – home. As a collector, maker and above all appreciator of art, I am passionate about the value of art in society. As an experienced Director, I know that good governance empowers the work of members and volunteers and am committed to our progressive journey as an arts community. I am so proud to support and engage with ArtsBC as ‘We Power the Arts’.

McKaila Ferguson | Vice President | Pacific/South Island

I have been involved with arts communities and non-profits around the world for several years. I hold a MSc in Museum Studies from the University of Glasgow and a BA (honours) in Art History from the University of Victoria.

Currently, I am a Collections Technician at the Royal BC Museum, packing and moving their 7 million object collection to a new research building. I also sit on the Board of Directors for the provincial arts service organization, Arts BC.

My past experience includes: designing touring exhibitions for a World Heritage Site; assisting with the decant and storage process of a 6,000 piece museum collection; researching for an EU-funded heritage project that changes how we interact with heritage sites; documenting and digitizing large collections; designing community outreach projects; and managing various museum and gallery collections.

Art should always be accessible to everyone and remain at the heart of every community.

Rup Grewal | Treasurer | Southwest/Lower Mainland

As a settler in Vancouver, Rupinder Kang is grateful for the opportunity to live and work on the unceded, ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh people. Her work has immersed her in the world of professional communications, project management and advocacy. Rup’s appreciation for art and culture was born in the vibrant cultures of India, her ancestral home, which drive her to advocate for the arts and for those voices which have been historically  underrepresented. She is an art enthusiast in every form – as a maker, collector and appreciator.

As the Communications and Program Director for the British Columbia Achievement Foundation, Rup works on province-wide award programs to celebrate the arts, specifically in the areas of First Nations art and  applied art and design. Her current work combined with her past careers working in advertising and for governments has given her the experience and relationships that will support the work of the Board.

Together we can do good things for the future of arts and culture in BC.

Beng Leng Tan Favreau | Secretary |  Northwest

Beng Leng 鸣鸰 is of Chinese ancestry with family roots in Singapore. She was adopted as a Haida clan member by her dear friend, Dr. Jiixa Gladys Vandal, Matriarch of Naa ‘Yuuwans Xaaydaga clan. Beng was blessed with the Haida name Guulaagii meaning Always Willing, thus sharing the same name given to Jiixa’s late husband Alvin.

Beng deeply appreciates the opportunity to live and learn on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Haida Nation. She has been a passionate volunteer of the Haida Gwaii Arts Council since 2007, and is its current President. She strongly believes in advocating for community arts and cultural development for rural communities. Beng has experience in fundraising, resource development, community service and grant writing. She has organized and over saw numerous performance and literary series, community events and festivals.

Darin Corbiere | Director | Pacific/South Island

James Darin Corbiere is an Indigenous artist, writer and teacher from Wiikwemkong, an Indigenous community on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. Darin is Anishinaabe (Indigenous people from the Great Lakes region). His spirit name is Waabshki Makwa (White Bear). Darin belongs to the Bear Clan. Darin drew upon his role as an Indigenous culture and language teacher to create “The Truth in Truth & Reconciliation” educational board game. He also created DED-C-Comics, the label producing his graphic novel and comic books series. In 2015, Darin embarked on a healing journey from church-related, childhood trauma. His technique of using ink on sculpted wood originated from a desire to connect with the spirit of each individual piece, which in turn, has a story to tell. It is in their creation that he has found a way to heal. Reconciliation is an emerging theme in Darin’s projects.

Joanne Finlay | Director | Northwest

Joanne Finlay is situated on Tsimshian traditional territory with a background in Public Administration, Life Skills and Human Relations. Since 1996 Joanne has used her skills to help Indigenous artists and organizations in Prince Rupert and the surrounding villages. This work has led to a passion and talent in arts administration and includes project planning and coordination. Joanne has helped artists with developing their bios/ artists statements and has assisted with developing their portfolios and documenting their work. She opened a small agency called Mousewoman Consultants in the summer of 2018 and has continued her work in the community.

She has raised close to one million dollars in funds for artists and community arts projects in the community for over 25 years including assisting with capital fundraising efforts. 

Joanne has volunteered on non-profit Boards for over 25 years. She has recently retired from her job in education and plans on dedicating herself to the community arts in the next few years. 

She is presently planning to conduct research into the needs of Indigenous artists in Prince Rupert based on and using an Indigenous strategic planning and evaluation framework model she learned while attending the Banff Centre of the Arts. Her main objective is to assist Indigenous artists to build their capacity and make community plans as a group. This project will begin in Oct 2021.

Joanne has planted herself at the grassroots level to work in community development through the arts. She hopes to one day organize a conference for local First Nations artists regarding taxes and professional development. 

Diane Levesque-Majewski | Director | Central Interior

Diane is an artist and was born in the beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia. Her ancestry includes Kwakwaka’wakw and she is a proud member of the Dzawada’enuxw First Nations (Kingcome Inlet, Alert Bay and Guilford Island). She is French Canadian & Indigenous.

Diane’s interest in art began in 2003 and she is a self-taught artist. Her passion is creating art in a wide range of mediums including painting with acrylics & oils on canvas, watercolors and alcohol inks, pottery, beaded & leather jewelry, and metal art. Diane inspires to continually learn from those she comes in contact with. Her community involvement includes being the President of the Northern Indigenous Arts Council (NIAC) and a Board of Director on the Prince George and District Community Arts Council (CAC).

Shay Paul | Director | Thompson Okanagan

Shay Paul is a Secwepemc artist residing in Secwepemc’ulucw and also the director of the self-made Indigenous Resurgence Project, which exists to support and showcase Indigenous artists in and around the Southern Interior. Her work with this project includes holding free public events and activities to helping mentor emerging artists. Shay is a multimedia artist, graphic designer, community organizer, public speaker, and has experience in various field backgrounds.