Laura Albers has loved working with her hands ever since she was young. Getting muddy playing with clay, covering a page with colorful paints, and rubbing designs with charcoal are all her ideas of a good time. Clay is her favourite medium, and she enjoys being a member of the St. Albert Potters Guild. With many years of pottery under her belt and her Bachelor of Education, she’s looking forward to delving into the creative world with you.

Kathy Aldous-Schleindl holds a Bachelor of Design Degree from the Emily Carr University of Art & Design and started her career as a graphic designer working for Penguin Books in Toronto and Fifth House in Calgary. Simultaneous to her design work, Kathy began running art programs in her children’s schools about 18 years ago, and this led to a career teaching art. For the past 11 years her experience as a professional art instructor has included working at the City of Calgary’s art centres, after-school programs, elementary schools and community centres. She has also facilitated several community art projects and volunteered for eight months at Inner City Arts in Los Angeles. Kathy is a member of the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles and the Canadian Network for Arts and Learning. In her own practice, she works primarily in acrylics, oils, watercolours and fabric.

Melissa-Jo Belcourt Moses (MJ) comes from a rich Métis ancestry and possesses a wealth of cultural skills, acquired from Métis and First Nation Elders and Knowledge Holders throughout northern and central Alberta. Her passion lies in her cultural heritage and as a certified instructor, she has taught decorative arts and creative skills that touch on Indigenous culture, history and traditional art skills. The former Indigenous Artist in Residence for the City of Edmonton, MJ has been recognized by the City of Edmonton’s Salute to Excellence and was awarded the Aboriginal Role Model of Alberta Art Award in 2009. MJ is the Indigenous Visual Art Programmer for Art Gallery of St. Albert. 

Alexandra Despins is a Metis Women, born in Mistahi Sakahikan (St. Albert) with families ties to Marcelin and Meadow Lake Saskatchewan on her father’s side. On her mother’s side, she has family ties to Vegreville and Pembina. As an Educational Programmer with Musee Heritage Museum, Alex leads field trips, tours, and community programs.

Christina grew up in Edmonton and is of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous ancestry with family ties to the Métis of Lac Ste. Anne & St. Albert. She holds a diploma in Theatre Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in History from MacEwan University. She loves gardening, making pickles & local history. Christina has worked in museums for over ten years and is the Public Programs & Heritage Sites Manager with the Arts & Heritage Foundation of St. Albert.

Shelley Harrison first went to pottery classes with her mom when she was just 12 years old. Originally from Ottawa, Shelley has lived across Canada and in 2001 she started taking pottery classes before joining the Edmonton Potters Guild. When she moved to BC, she volunteered in the Westshore Parks & Recreation Pottery Studio in Victoria and then studied ceramics at North Island College in Comox, BC. She learned about the chemistry of glazing and firing at North Island College and later joined the Comox Valley Potters Club. Shelley returned to St. Albert in 2019 and joined the St. Albert Potters’ Guild. Shelley’s work varies from functional pieces such as mugs and bowls to more ambitious works such as clocks and elaborate vessels. She is currently experimenting with porcelain and plans to work more with coloured clay in the future. Her favourite pieces to create are her carved mandala drawings. Shelley’s work will be featured in the St. Albert Potters’ Guild Spring Sale in May and can be found at Art Gallery of St. Albert or on Facebook and Instagram @Pottery_by_Shelley or at www.ShelleyHarrisonCeramics.com 

Marke Henteleff has a long-standing passion for teaching pottery and art, whether to kids, seniors, or special needs clients. She learned the art and craft of pottery by apprenticing with a Winnipeg pottery and hasn’t stopped since. She ran her own pottery studio for a number of years in northern Ontario, teaching studio classes, doing community outreach, as well as production pottery. Since moving to Edmonton in 2011, she has been teaching in local schools, at a community pottery studio in Sherwood Park, and frequently has people in her home studio. Marke teaches for Art Gallery of St. Albert when she is not travelling the globe. 

Ameena Kadri is an artist by day and a mermaid by night, yes you heard right! Creativity has always been a passion of hers, so after attending the NAIT Event Management program and dabbling in designing and planning events for about a year, Ameena reignited her artistic side. Combining her drive for entrepreneurship and her love of Disney princesses, Ameena became the proud owner of the AquaMermaid Swimming School in Edmonton which teaches swimming lessons while wearing mermaid tails!But one venture was not enough for Ameena, so to further surround herself with things she loves, Ameena turned to the fine arts! She managed and taught art classes at a local art studio. Her newest venture is photography. Photographing events, lifestyles and portraits are her specialities! Her favourite colour is pink, she has purple hair and you’ll always find her smiling from ear to ear!

Reeann Krawchuk is an artist who is passionate in creating and loves to share that passion through teaching. Although she works primarily with ceramics, she also works with acrylics, Water colour, printmaking and ink. She finds inspiration by going outside and being in nature. In her ceramic work she is inspired to create work that is functional yet has a funky and unique design element. Reeann has been creating art for as long as she can remember and has found joy and fulfillment in instructing and sharing that passion with others. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and has been working with children for 7 years and teaching art to all ages for 3 years.  You can find Reeann’s most current ceramic work and inspiration @reereeceramics.

Brett Lamoureux grew up in Fort Saskatchewan. Both sides of her family came out west to farm and settled Lamoureux and homesteaded in Wainwright. Brett in an avid reader and crafter. She has been working in museums for 12 years and is currently the Program Coordinator at the Musée Heritage Museum.

Celina Loyer is Cree Metis, born in Amiskwaciwâskahikan, with roots in the Ft. Edmonton-St. Albert-Lac Ste. Anne Metis, Michel Band, and Saddle Lake Cree Nation. She works at the Musée Heritage Museum in St. Albert as an Indigenous Programmer. She does many kinds of traditional crafts including beading and fingerweaving.

Maria Nelson is a Métis-Ukrainian woman from Redwater, Alberta with Métis community connections from Saskatchewan and Red River. Currently she is working towards a Masters of Arts in Archaeology at the University of Alberta. She works for the Arts and Heritage Foundation as a Seasonal Historic Interpreter. She is passionate about Indigenous history. Her goal is to create spaces that can share history in an accessible and engaging way. She also has a love of beading.

Diana Ohiozebau is an Edmonton-based mixed-media artist. She received a Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) from Ambrose Ali University in Nigeria and a Master of Fine Art (MFA) from the University of Calgary. She has a track record of exhibitions within and outside Canada. Additionally, she has also led many workshops, including the workshop series organized by Latitude 53 and Al Fresco and the visual art workshop organized by the collaborative effort of the Green Room, Roots on Six, and Global Connect, Edmonton. She believes learning and teaching art comes from a personal place of play, passion, and creativity. She is completing a Bachelor of Education at the University of Alberta while working on private and public art commissions. 

Shirley loves to impart her knowledge, skill and passion for pottery with others. Shirley joined the St. Albert Potters’ Guild at age 16 in 1978 and became an instructor and board member of the Morinville Pottery Club from 1986 until it’s closure in 1997. She was thrilled to join the St. Albert Potters’ Guild again in 2017 and has been teaching level 1 and level 2 Wheel Throwing for Art Gallery of St. Albert for the past 3 years. 

Heather Shepherd is a potter and pottery class instructor from St. Albert, AB. She holds a Diploma in Ceramics from Kootenay Studio Arts, Selkirk College (Nelson, BC), and has spent much of her early adulthood exploring craft mediums. She has been a member of the St. Albert Potters Guild since 2014 and is a passionate pottery instructor with the Art Gallery of St. Albert and Edmonton’s Studio72! Keep in the loop with her current work, pottery classes and studio process by following along on Instagram at @hsceramics. 

Tessa Stewart is a Métis Artist born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She studied Fine Arts at the University of Manitoba and has been living and working in Edmonton for the last two years. She is the Visitor Services Coordinator and on occasion, has stepped in to assist as Indigenous Visual Art Instructor for Art Gallery of St. Albert. Tessa is inspired by nature, utilizing digital images, collage, charcoal and paints. Much of her artwork is focused on animals, plants, and organic materials.

Kerri Strobl is a multi-disciplinary artist who works with visual art, words and music using nature, ancestry and spirituality as her guides. She has a Diploma in Music Theatre from Grant MacEwan, a BFA majoring in Studio Arts from Concordia University in Montreal and also studied at École Nationale des Beaux-Arts à Lyon in France. She spent many years as a freelance costume and set designer working in Montreal, across Canada, the US and Europe. She has recently returned to her native city and is thrilled to be back contributing to the community where she saw her start working in the Arts. She is presently pursuing a Masters in Art Therapy with the Canadian International Institute for Art Therapy.

Shannon Vance is an art instructor and Program Manager for Art Gallery of St. Albert. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Alberta and holds eight Foundations of Teaching for Learning certificates through Commonwealth Education Trust.  Shannon strongly believes in the importance of art education and lifelong learning. “Art Gallery of St. Albert art programs are designed to expand on a student’s current curriculum knowledge of a subject through creative hands-on art making. As professional artist facilitators, we have an ability to support teachers and students by exploring different learning objectives through art, thereby inspiring a new generation of creative thinkers.”