The Hearth Gallery is thrilled to welcome our newest team member, Mathilde Rohr. She joins us as the Cultural Connector linking the arts council and the community bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience. Mathilde is an interdisciplinary artist and a cultural worker. Originally from France, she graduated from the Fine Arts department of Concordia University in Montreal in 2017. Her research gravitates around performance, movement-based practices, video, drawing, installation, printmaking and writing.
She has been involved in many collaborative and community art projects in public spaces and contemporary art venues. After living nomadically in various places of British Columbia for the past two years, she recently moved to Bowen island where she is looking forward to engaging with the locals and contributing to the arts.
We would also like to welcome Aryana Rayne as the Volunteer Coordinator. A 30-year resident of Bowen Island, Aryana has been involved in creating community and promoting Bowen as a very special place. Her background as a registered nurse, community midwife, and administrator of a business well positions her to take on this next chapter in her life as the Volunteer Coordinator for The Hearth.
She has sat on three volunteer boards as well as being the coordinator for the Community Lunch Program in 2019. She is passionate about the arts and culture as being essential components for a healthy life, as well as knowing that volunteers are the heart and soul of most communities.
Joining our team as the Gift Shop Manager, we welcome Elize Fitzgerald to the Hearth Gallery. The gift shop at the gallery focuses on providing a variety of art from our Bowen Island creative community. Items like books/poetry, jewelry, ceramics, cards and paintings. Elize is educated in fine art, art history and psychology and has enjoyed a varied career as a graphic designer, teacher and communications professional.
She now practices as a registered clinical counsellor seeing most of her clients via Zoom. Many years ago Elize worked as a curator at the Gallery at Artisan Square, and is thrilled to return to the Hearth as a volunteer for the gift shop. She loves and appreciates a wide range of artistic expression and is currently learning to paint again after a gap of 25 years!
Please stop by the Gallery and introduce yourselves to our newest additions to the Hearth team!
