Sunday, March 7th at 3pm MST
Via Zoom
Join us Sunday, March 7 at 3pm for an artist talk with one of the current exhibiting artists, Sabrina Naz Comanesçu and her team, Kim Stanely, Ayobami Balogun, Misha Maseka, and Anthony Denaro.
Sabrina Naz Comănescu, Direction, Model, Dancer, editor is a dynamic member of the Calgary Dance Community through her work as a performer, choreographer, dance instructor and filmmaker. As a performer, Comănescu has worked with Machel Montano, House of Dangerkat, The Bad Girls Club YYC, ILLFX Entertainment and is currently in her sixth year performing with the Decidedly Jazz Danceworks company in Calgary, Alberta. She is also the current major force behind The Diversity Performing Arts Club of Calgary that “celebrates cultural diversity while promoting inclusion and respect for all youth”. She has also created Casa De Naz (CDN) in 2012, a collective with a mission to “excite and educate art hubs across Canada about the thriving Caribbean community in Calgary and the arts of the Caribbean as a whole”.
The Creative Team for S Curl Sanctuary:
Kim Stanley, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Hair Stylist: Born on the beautiful island St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Stanley has alway loved art. Her mother being a seamstress inspired her to delve more into fashion which led her to hair styling. She loves trying new styles herself and creating new looks on all hair textures. The past ten years have been filled with amazing artistic collaborations that have propelled her as one of the most sought out hair stylists in Calgary, Alberta. With an open mind, She is always willing to learn and grow in this ever evolving art form.
Ayobami Balogun, Nigeria, Photographer: Ayobami is a Nigerian born, Canadian based photographer. He was exposed at an early age to photography through his father, who always had a camera on himself to capture moments during family trips, encouraging Ayobami into an interest in photography. Ayobami immigrated to Canada in 2005 to finish his high school education in Hamilton, Ontario, then went on to obtain his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University. Upon graduation, Ayobami moved to Calgary, Alberta where he is currently based. Moving to Calgary and discovering the beautiful landscapes in and around the city as well connecting with people, encouraged his foray into both landscape and portrait photography. His work has gained him plausible recognition in Calgary. His photos have been featured by organizations such as the City of Calgary and Humans of The North, made to recognize individuals across Canada in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Media outlets such as Narcity and The Daily Hive have also featured his work.
Misha Maseka, Zambia, Cinematographer: Misha Maseka is a writer, director and musician. Born in Eswatini to Zambian parents but growing up in South Africa, Australia and eventually Canada, she has observed many people and their stories, however small and unseen. As a teen, she was heavily involved in theatre, where she discovered her love for revealing and reflecting humanity. However, she went on to study opera at the University of Lethbridge which led her to performing opera in Germany for a season. Realizing her love for storytelling was more expansive, she returned to Alberta to develop her skills as a writer, working on film projects with Media Mountain and writing and performing poetry. In 2019, she became a published editor of the children’s book series “I Am A Warrior” — distributed widely in Southern Africa. In early 2020, she made her docuseries directorial debut for the miniseries ‘Beats and Eats” and became head of the writer’s room for the upcoming television series “The African Family” (2021). Focussing her creative path on film has solidified her love and conviction to continue to tell small and unseen stories of humanity.
Anthony Denaro, co-editor: Anthony Denaro, M.F.A, aka YNOT, explores the design, sustainability, history, and community of Hip Hop. Through a futurist lens, YNOT’s work manifests in dance, typography, music, and architecture.
The Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation (ICAI) is an arts council based in Calgary, Alberta. The council was founded in January 2019 with the expressed purpose of connecting newcomer and immigrant artists with the existing arts community in Calgary, providing these artists with access to needed resources and helping them turn their passion and creativity into thriving careers or businesses. ICAI actively encourages diversity of expression and culture through the creation of a safe and welcoming community where newcomer and immigrant artists feel confident to showcase their artwork and distinct cultural identities.