Team

Anahita Azrahimi
Executive & Creative Director
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anahita azrahimi is a seasoned arts manager and an arts maker. Bringing artists and audiences together to nurture the joy of engaging with art has been the core of her arts management work for the past 15 years.

Currently, she is the Executive and Creative Director of Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF), Canada’s leading outdoor art fair. In this role, she has reinvigorated the organization’s legacy through strengthening its infrastructure, building robust partnerships, and implementing essential new programs for artists and the public. Her experience as a visual artist has been instrumental in gaining a deeper understanding of the needs of independent artists and the community she serves. In response to the cancellation of the 59th TOAF, she devised an agile, tech-savvy plan to move their entire community of 350 artists online, maintaining their connection to the TOAF audience and economic livelihood with unprecedented success.

anahita has experience working with a diverse range of organizations and artists in contemporary dance, theatre, and visual arts such as Creative Trust, Theatre Direct, and Dancemakers to name a few. She sits on the advisory board of the Arts Management program at Centennial College and the WeeFestival of Arts and Culture for Early Years. She has served on the board of Modern Times Stage Company, the steering committee of Cultural Pluralism in the Arts, and numerous juries including Dora Mavor Moore Awards – Dance section, Ontario Arts Council, Craft Ontario, and Design TO.

Ania Pasternak
Operations Manager
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Ania Pasternak is a visual artist and arts manager. Motivated by the idea of artists as entrepreneurs, Ania strives to empower and encourage opportunities for professional development for visual artists and makers. Ania holds an Honours BA and an Advanced Diploma in Art and Art History from the collaborative program between the University of Toronto Mississauga and Sheridan College. Most recently, she has completed a Graduate Certificate in Arts Management from Centennial College. The 2024 season will be her eighth show with the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, Canada’s largest and longest-running juried outdoor art event.

Lavender Cheng
Artist Relations & Administrative Coordinator
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Yi Tung (Lavender) Cheng is a recent graduate of Centennial College with a Post-Graduate Certificate of Arts Management. She also holds a degree in Archaeology. She considers herself motivated by passion, hard work, and creativity. As a museum practitioner, she has a longstanding interest in widening access to art by engaging visitors with diverse curatorial perspectives. Lavender is excited to be starting her career in Arts Management by combining her knowledge and love for museums.