Zainub Verjee, a member of the Order of Canada, is a prominent advocate for art as a public good. With over four decades of leadership in cultural policy and institution-building, she has shaped Canada’s arts landscape. A 2020 recipient of the Governor General’s Visual and Media Arts Award, Verjee is celebrated for her contributions as an artist, curator, writer, and public intellectual. Her artwork has been shown extensively including at the Venice Biennale, Museum of Modern Art, NY, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland US, Art Gallery of Alberta, and resides in private and public collections. Recognizing her extraordinary contribution to arts and culture, she was conferred with honorary doctorates by OCAD University, Toronto and NSCAD University, Halifax as well as Simon Fraser University and University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.and currently serves as Executive Director of Galeries Ontario / Ontario Galleries.

Michèle Pearson Clarke is an artist, writer, and educator who works in photography, film, video, and installation. Born in Trinidad and based in Toronto, her work has been exhibited and screened throughout Canada and internationally with recent solo exhibitions at MOMENTA Biennale de l’image (Montreal), Plug In ICA (Winnipeg), and the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Clarke holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto, and in 2015 she received her Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Media from Toronto Metropolitan University. Most recently, Clarke served as the second Photo Laureate for the City of Toronto (2019-2022), and she was shortlisted for the 2023 Sobey Art Award.

Anie Deslauriers was appointed as General Director of the Contemporary Art Galleries Association in February 2024. After 15 years as Assistant Director at Blouin Division Gallery, where she developed new markets, organized numerous exhibitions and participated in Canadian and international fairs, she joined the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ Foundation as Philanthropic Development Officer. Over the course of her career, Ms. Deslauriers has forged close ties with several key players and partners from various fields, while proudly defending the interests inherent to the Canadian artistic ecosystem.

Juliana is the director and owner of Zalucky Contemporary, a gallery operating since 2015 with a focus on critically-engaged visual art practices by both emerging and mid-career contemporary artists. The gallery has maintained a rigorous exhibition schedule alternating between solo exhibitions and curated group presentations, and works to create a platform for emerging art practices. The gallery regularly participates in national and international art fairs including Art Brussels, NADA New York, NADA Miami, EXPO Chicago, Art Toronto and Plural (Montreal). Zalucky Contemporary is also a proud member of NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) and AGAC (Contemporary Art Galleries Association). Ms. Zalucky holds a B.A. in Art History for the University of Toronto and a M.A. in Art History from York University.

Marc Colangelo is a visual artist specializing in representational works of portraiture, figurative compositions and dream imagery. Along with his artistic practice, Colangelo is a drawing and painting professor at Humber College in the Visual and Digital Arts program.

Tara Moore-Jones grew up in a household surrounded by beautiful paper, art and artists. Working at The Japanese Paper Place off and on for most of her life, it was a natural transition to take over running the business, when her stepmother Nancy Jacobi who founded The JPP decided to step back. With other life experiences under her belt like attending U of T, getting her diploma in Interior Decorating and working as a Realtor in downtown Toronto, Tara brings her well-rounded skills and systematic approach to overseeing the day-to-day operation of the business. In her other life, she has 3 children and a husband, all creative individually and benefitting from Tara’s seasoned multi-tasking ability.

Nancy Jacobi, founder of The Japanese Paper Place (The JPP) in Toronto, started the company 40 years ago to encourage creativity through the special qualities of washi, Japanese papers, some of which have been in production for 1400 years. In that quest, Nancy has supported throngs of artists both independently and through collaborations with major arts organizations, galleries, universities and colleges. With them, The JPP has presented lectures and exhibitions, sponsored workshops and special events, including the World Washi Summit in 2008. She has acquired a vast collection of outstanding artwork on washi by prominent Canadian artists. Now with the next generation continuing the work and mission of The JPP to support Japanese papermakers and inspire creativity with washi, Nancy is chronicling her fulfilling life as a “washipreneur” while championing artists who have embraced it in exceptionally effective ways.

Lee Petrie (BA, MA, MMSt) is a curator and arts program manager based in Toronto. In her 25 year career, Lee has worked with hundreds of artists to bring exhibitions and programs to Toronto Pearson International Airport, the Living Arts Centre, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and the Varley Art Gallery. Lee is Curator for Archive Hospitality, which operates Gladstone House and The Broadview Hotel in Toronto and The Postmark Hotel in Newmarket. She manages the creation and installation of art in the hotels and the resident artist program at Gladstone House. Lee is also Chair of the Toronto Public Art Commission.

Lizz Aston is a textile artist, educator and designer. She holds a Diploma in Craft & Design from Sheridan College, a BDes in Industrial Design from OCAD University; and currently teaches in the Textiles Studio at Sheridan College and OCAD University. Aston is an alumna of the Craft & Design Artist-in-Residence Program at Harbourfront Centre (2009-2012), and the current Textile Studio Advisor. Aston has been commissioned public artworks for Google, Harvard Kennedy School, Holt Renfrew and Lululemon and has worked on sponsored projects with H&M, the City of Toronto and 3M. Her work is represented in public and private collections and has been exhibited across Canada, the US, Australia and South Korea.

Ryan Goldsworthy is the Museums Manager, Collections and Curatorial for the City of Toronto. He is an experienced heritage and culture leader and was formerly the Museum Director & Curator of the Royal Canadian Military Institute (RCMI) in Toronto. Ryan is a widely published historian, and he has curated more than 20 modern exhibitions and galleries. In 2023, he helped lead a historic repatriation project in partnership with the Whitecap Dakota First Nation.

Rebecca Travis is a curator, writer, and editor, originally from the UK and based in Toronto since 2014. She is currently the Curator and Collections Manager at Open Studio, where she shapes exhibition programming that gives a platform to wide-reaching approaches to print media. She has a BA in Fine Art from Newcastle University and has worked in public and commercial galleries since 2010.

Travis has contributed to many publications including Peripheral Review, Prefix Photo, Apollo Magazine, Canadian Art, C Magazine, Momus, and Aesthetica Magazine. She was Managing Editor of online art magazine this is tomorrow between 2014-2016, and Profiles Editor at Prefix Photo from 2018-2021.

Tiana Koffler Boyman is the past Chair of the Koffler Arts, a prominent contemporary cultural platform and Gallery presenting Canadian and International artists who explore the critical ideas and concerns of our time. The Koffler presents a cross-disciplinary arts program that promotes inter-cultural dialogue through a diverse range of programs and exhibitions in visual arts, literature, digital, public engagement and youth arts education.

Ms. Koffler Boyman is involved in the philanthropic community for over 30 years providing her focus to health, science, and arts related organizations. She has sat on numerous boards of charitable organizations including the Canadian Friends of the Weizman Institute of Science in Israel, the Board of Sterling Hall School, the Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre at the Mount Sinai Hospital.

Tiana and her husband, Marc, are active supporters of the arts including, Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, MOCA, Luminato, the Israel Museum and the Museum of Tolerance in Israel, Tiana is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and remains an active board member of the Koffler Centre of the Arts and Luminato Festival, Toronto.

Flavio Belli is an artist, curator, art consultant and art collector with a broad range of experience in the Canadian cultural community. He is the current Chair of the Al Green Sculpture Studio and School in Toronto. His artworks have been shown in over 50 exhibitions and form part of public and private collections including the National Gallery of Canada. Flavio served on the Board of the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition for 10 years and during that time was also a member of the Sculpture Selection Committee for the McMurtry Gardens of Justice. He served on the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board from 2005 to 2012. Flavio was also curator of the Carrier Gallery in the Italian community’s Columbus Centre from 1990 to 2005 and has acted as its guest curator since 2016.

Jackie is a certified Landscape Designer by training and continues to work in the field with residential and commercial clients. She grew up in the retail business and places great importance on client service. With a lifelong interest in the field of design and art, she has a strong belief in the arts in Canada and has developed a keen eye for spotting exceptional emerging artists and attracting established artists to the gallery.

Susan Friedrich is an architect with a practice focused on creating inclusive and accessible projects for diverse community-based, non-profit organizations including projects for institutional, educational and special needs groups.
Projects include work with indigenous groups and other service providers for shelters for abused women and children, care facilities for developmentally and physically challenged individuals, multiple child care centres, and arts organizations such as Artscape. Susan was also involved with artists’ live-work space legislation that resulted in revisions to the building code.

Susan has been a supporter of the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (Exhibition) since the early 1980s collecting works from emerging and established artists. As a collector with a broad range of interests, Susan has a longstanding appreciation for unique artist created jewellery whether it be vintage early 20th century, mid-century modern, Scandinavian design or diverse contemporary pieces.

Aaron M. Milrad was counsel at Dentons Canada LLP, a global law firm, retiring in 2021.

He was Chair of the Board of the Museum Trustee Association of America, a member of the Board of Trustees of The International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) in New York until 2024, a member of the Canadian Friends of the Israel Museum, former Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of The George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, a founding director of the Tate Canadian foundation, former trustee and Chair of the Acquisition Committee at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), as well as a member of their Photography Committee, former chair of the Koffler Centre for the Arts in Toronto, former VP of the Board of the McMurtry Gardens of Justice Inc. in Toronto and a former board member of AXA Art Americas Insurance Corporation, and a member and supporter of the Women’s Art Association of Canada.

He is an avid collector of postwar and contemporary paintings,
photography, sculpture and ceramics.

June Clark has earned a national and international reputation for her photo-based image works, installations and interventions. As an Artist-in-Residence she has spent more than a year in Paris, two years in New York City which included the Studio Museum in Harlem, and six months at OCAD. She has exhibited widely throughout Canada and abroad, including exhibitions in Ecuador, Austria, Paris and New York. She has taught studio and academic visual arts courses at a number of art schools, including York University, the University of Guelph, and the Ontario College of Art and Design. Clark received an MFA in visual arts from York University. June Clark’s work is currently on view at the AGO, MOCA and the Power Plant in Toronto. She is represented by the Daniel Faria Gallery, Toronto.